Swheat!

I can only imagine what playing Scrabble with this quirky  'Mover' must be like. Anja Keister's choices teem with hilarity and keeps you entertained on all levels. Her innate creativity developed two alternatives to the cruel usage of feathers for traditional burlesque acts.

The group known as D20 Burlesque had a show entitled "Boards and Broads" where each performer took the stage and cleverly constructed or performed their unique rendition of popular games. One lady even built the entire game of Mouse Trap while on stage which left me on the edge of my seat! Anja Keister, a compassionate 'Mover,' was not only the producer of this popular evening at The Parkside Lounge but also performed two acts of her own. Her first performance featured a Scrabble Chip Fan that she constructed herself and for her second performance  she made a beautiful wheat headdress which was part of a game called The Settlers of Catan.  Then there was her faux lambs head heals. Amazing!

Rather than feel defeated by what struggles may come with finding an alternative to feathers, Anja took this opportunity to be creative and in turn expanded our minds and enlightened our evenings!

For more on Anja Keister visit her 'Movers' page!

Trials & Tribulations

ANJA KEISTER

Anja Keister is a compassionate 'Mover' to be on the look out for! Drawing from her background in performance art and stage productions, Anja Keister sets out to create original burlesque acts that explore the ideas of beauty, femininity, gender roles and the cult of pop culture. Combining spectacular theatricality with the bizarre, Anja thrives in the New York neo-burlesque scene, pushing audiences to question their own definitions of what is beautiful, what is sexy, and what makes them uncomfortable. Always a fan of the beauty of decay and deconstruction, Anja Keister hopes to change herself and the world with every garment she removes.

“Burlesque is known for its feathers and silk and neo-burlesque also incorporates a lot of the fetish world into the acts, so often there can be a lot of leather involved. Sticking to my ethical beliefs has been quite a challenge, but I feel it’s only made me more creative in my work. How does one have a feather boa or fan without feathers? I’ve had to do a lot of research and in fact I’ve documented and journal a lot of this work, frustration and discovery in my blog: The Trials and Tribulations of Becoming a Vegan Burlesque Performer.” -Anja Keister

Foh Real? Faux Feathers!

Where in the world is Bettina May? Well she's in New York City. Certainly wouldn't be the same without her. Her innovative performances are more than just fanfare. Every bit of her costuming, performance and smile are genuinely committed to ending cruelty. She showed up to teatime today in a FAKE full length fur coat with matching hat. When I asked her where she acquired her matching set, she said, "I sew, made it myself." Well that's impressive! Little did I know she envisions and creates all of her own costumes. Her resistance to the mainstream costuming industry is that traditional Burlesque dancers use feathers, leather, and fur in all their performances with little thought of who they took it from. You don't need these items to entertain, be creative, innovative and inspire others to not feed into unfortunate tradition. We must not get involved with indulgent lifestyles that breed thoughtless performance rather evolve along with the environment and return the respect. Very refreshing to meet such a unique 'Mover' in our industry!

Check out her home made "Feather" Headdress in a performance entitled,

'Don't Touch My Tomatoes!'

While one end of a feather is soft to the touch, tickle worthy and awe inspiring there is another end of this quill that isn't quite as lovely. Live plucking is of commonplace among feather producing farms. If you thought getting hair waxed off was painful, imagine living a lifestyle, against your will, where being "waxed" regularly for anothers kicks and giggles was all you understood.

Alternative choices are available!

Coquette Faux Furriers

Bettina May's Links

For more on Miss Bettina May check out her website, click on the link below!