New Mexico Burlesque Festival showcases the sensual, theatrical art and dance form

Spend Valentine’s Day weekend at the fifth annual New Mexico Burlesque Festival, where sensuality and the human body are celebrated to the highest degree.

Burlesque is an entertainment form that focuses on theatrical elements and dance routines with a sensual and comedic approach. While some people consider it a form of stripping and it may not be a suitable performance for all, burlesque does not always feature nudity and is meant to make audience members rethink their ideas around beauty standards and to better understand the human body.

New Mexico Burlesque Festival co-producers, Paula Bauman and Kristen Kerber, also known as “Joy Coy” and “Frisky Business,” said what makes the festival special is the inclusivity and curation of the show’s lineup. This year, the show will feature a variety of special acts created solely by each performer, and this year the show features a new brunch performance for the first time.

A brunch performance will take place at local queer bar Albuquerque Social Club and will allow audience members a more intimate version of the burlesque festival. Guests will have the opportunity to interact more closely with performances and enjoy a new burlesque experience. The three shows will have a bar for guests to purchase drinks at their leisure.

Performers are coming from across the world, including Canada, Mexico and parts of Puerto Rico. Between the three days of performances, roughly 45 burlesque dancers will be featured.

“The audience is exposed to seeing all sorts of different interpretations, so that might be a singing strip, maybe traditional fan work,” said Kerber. “We have an aerialist coming in, and we have somebody playing the violin, and people of different gender expressions kind of playing with these roles.”

Kerber and Bauman said they joined the burlesque world as a form of self-empowerment and creative outlet, and since joining, burlesque has allowed them to build their confidence. The pair said that while the show is about fun, it will also focus on the numerous forms of the expression of love.

“It’s really special to have it on Valentine’s weekend,” Kerber said. “It can be for Galentine’s, it can be for couples, it can be with your friends, but it really is an expression of love. For audiences to be able to see all of these different expressions of self-love is really powerful.”

Kerber and Bauman know not all people understand the depths of burlesque beyond what appears to be promiscuous dancing, but they believe if people engage with it as an art form, it would break the stigma and allow people a chance to educate themselves on expression. While some performances will feature acts that are sultry and tantalizing, others will focus more on the message behind the act.

“Yes, it might be a partially dressed body, but it’s an artistic statement,” Bauman said. “It’s not just an object there for you to consume, it’s a statement, it’s the moment you’re interacting with.”

As the successor to the Southwest Burlesque Showcase, the show has created a following over the years. Audience members can range from younger people to older fans who have been in the community for a longtime.

Fans who have seen the show before can expect to see notable headliners like Montreal duo Kozmic Joy, who will perform a burlesque show on roller skates, and longtime host Tito Bonito.

Along with enjoying a performance, guests will also be able to purchase burlesque-themed items like stickers, pasties and customized T-shirts.

“We love our audience and we want to celebrate the community and being able to share this with the community is such a gift, so it’s a mutually beneficial experience,” Kerber said.

“Come to the show if you want to see something you’ve never seen before and you’ll never have a chance to see again,” Bauman added. “It’s such a diverse lineup of acts and it really is just a celebration of love and artistic expression.”

New Mexico Burlesque Festival showcases the sensual, theatrical art and dance form