Stripped Bare

Queer cuties, pack your pasties

The word “burlesque” carries some heavy heterosexual baggage: flashes of the (godawful) Christina Aguilera romance or Dita Von Teese splashing around a champagne glass come quickly to mind. But Audrey Huang, troupe mom and co-founder of the queer performance group Quiver and Tempt Society and the maestra behind Wise Fool’s Queer Burlesque class, wants to shift that narrative.

“I get a lot of AFAB people feeling slightly off about their femininity, and they come to this class hoping to learn to be sexy—but not in a feminine way,” Huang tells SFR.

However, she also hopes her workshops offer something that’s missing in the wider local performance community—a safe space for newcomers to play.

“There’s not a whole lot of opportunities in New Mexico to practice your craft until you want to jump into the deep end of [performing],” she says. “My goal at the end of six weeks is that someone should be able to roughly improvise one and a half minutes that they feel good about.”

That means classes aren’t routine-centric. Instead, each session is tailored to the folks who show up, guiding them as they explore a performing persona. And the radical ethos behind the course is arguably even more important than its content.

“I’m not being inclusive—I’m centering,” Huang clarifies. “I’m not interested in queer gatekeeping. [Students] both get to witness someone in their power and be witnessed in theirs.”

That experience of being seen can produce some powerful shifts in how attendees view themselves outside the classroom, too.

“One of my troupe members was classically trained in ballet,” Huang recalls. “I remember running rehearsals, I just kept telling them, ‘You’re doing the ballet thing. Your movements are great, but this is about bringing your energy, your motion, your fun to life—not about executing movements right.’ I remember the moment that clicked. Several months later they’ve had this entire gender journey, they go by a different name, they’ve incorporated aspects of what they found on the stage into their personal identity.”

So if you’re feeling curious about your relationship with yourself, try stripping some layers off with Audrey—you never know what you might find underneath. (Siena Sofia Bergt)

Queer Burlesque with Audrey: 7:15 pm Tuesday, Feb. 21. $22 per drop-in or $108 for a six-week session. 1131 Siler Road, (505) 992-2588

By Any Other Name

Listen closely to Louisiana’s Esther Rose and you’ll detect the hints of Roches-style folk meeting Jenny Lewis-ish nouveau country with the sounds of ‘60s psych rock rounding things out. But pay attention to Rose’s lyricism, and you’ll find an old-soul storyteller setting scenes with a voice of gold. Trust us—throw on “Chet Baker” from Rose’s forthcoming Safe to Run (out this April, and Rose’s first-ever label release) and start feeling fine while discovering something new yet warmly familiar. The newer stuff is, for lack of a better term, less weird than Rose’s previous sultry croon and caterwaul, but intact is her singular sound. It’s almost like you’ll swear you’ve heard this stuff before right up until you notice Rose phased into her own thing a few lines ago. Oh, it feels so nice. (Alex De Vore)

Esther Rose: 8 pm Wednesday, Feb. 15. Free. El Rey Court, 1862 Cerrillos Road, (505) 982-1931

Dotting the Landscape

Too bad we didn’t know about artist Karen Hampton before now—that’s totally on us—but with her upcoming Dots in the Universe at Kouri+Corrao, we’re pretty sure we’ll never be able to live in a world without her again. Hampton makes use of fabric to, according to her website, create “artwork that responds to the lives of my ancestors.” To better appreciate those who came before, Hampton has reportedly walked “the roads where they lived, explored plantations where they were enslaved.” In other words, new pieces are narrative-rich and densely inhabited; they’re just waiting to be explored, for their stories to be unearthed. You might not find comfort while you’re getting there, but you will likely learn something new about yourself. Go and sit with these pieces and see what happens. We dare you. (ADV)

Karen Hampton: Dots in the Universe Opening: 5-7 pm Friday, Feb. 17. Free. Kouri+Carrao, 3213 Calle Marie, kouricorrao.com

You Know ‘Em, You Love ‘Em, Or You Will

Santa Feans of a certain age might recall a time when Colorado’s DeVotchKa made regular sojourns to our fair city’s warehouse and teen arts spaces. But a handful of records, the notable Little Miss Sunshine soundtrack, a Grammy nomination and so much more later, they’re one of the most beloved bands in the world. Think Balkan-y influences with indie rock sensibilities, intricately crafted melodies and emotional instrumentations. DeVotchKa can be hard to describe because there just plain aren’t other bands that sound quite the same. The converts are many, though, and you could be one of them if you check out the band’s upcoming show at Meow Wolf. Tickets will sell fast if they haven’t already. (ADV)

DeVotchKa: 10 pm Saturday, Feb. 18. $27-$42. Meow Wolf, 1352 Rufina Circle, (505) 395-6369