On Saturday 22nd March, Dolores Daiquiri and Elena Gabrielle will oversee a Guinness World Record attempt in Victoria, Australia: Burleskathon – 24 Hours of Tease! Over 70 performers will take to the stage in a non-stop 24 hour burlesque showcase and raise money for important charities. I was curious to hear more from Dolores about this ambitious, community-driven event…
Dolores, what inspired an event of this kind in particular?
Funnily enough it came about at a gig I was performing at with some other burlesque artists. Myself and Elena Gabrielle, who is a local cabaret performer, got talking about different event ideas, and through lots of giggling and suggestions we came up with this idea. So Burleskathon – 24 Hours of Tease! was born late at night in the ‘dressing’ room between acts while drinking champagne!
Which charities will benefit from this event and why are they important to you?
We actually asked the Australian burlesque community which two charities were important to them and many said organisations that support mental health issues and violence against women. The first charity we hope to donate to is Beyond Blue which is a not-for-profit organisation whose primary aim is to raise awareness of anxiety and depression. The second charity is an Australian organisation that is working towards stopping violence against women through social change. I am hesitant to mention this charity at this time as we are waiting for them to endorse the event. However, they will receive funds regardless of the outcome.
Who are some of the performers involved? Was there a strong response from the Australian burlesque community?
We are absolutely thrilled with the response to this show. It is overwhelming and we are humbled by our wonderful community for getting behind this project. We have over 70 performers from all around Australia coming along to donate an act or two. It will be epic!
We have quite a number of seasoned burlesque performers on board, such as Vesper White, Honey B Goode, Lila Luxx, Evie Red, Bella de Jac, Peachey Dream, Raven, Ginger Leah Rye, Lena Marlene, Jasper Jewel, Jessamae St James, Charlie D Barkle, L’amour, and BB Le Buff to name a few. There are equally many, many newer performers who are part of this massive showcase. It’s hard to name everyone but they are all welcome and appreciated!
Are any performers creating new or one-off acts for this event?
Most of the performers will be bringing a couple of their own acts. However, quite a number will be doing an improv performance, meaning we pick the music and they have to perform a spontaneous burlesque show. I daresay this will be quite a lot of fun with some interesting and comical striptease interpretations. Some of us, like myself, will be doing a reverse striptease. Others will be doing some of their longer numbers, or at the very least extending them. Anything to prolong a performance so we can get the record! We have to to fit quite a number of acts into 24 hours, non-stop, which is turning into a logistical challenge!
Have Guinness specified particular rules and conditions?
Yes they have. There are a considerable number of rules and regulations that we have to abide by. Burleskathon must have timekeepers, witnesses, log books, rosters, video footage, photos and so much more. It’s quite specific and lengthy but they are required, otherwise we won’t reach our goal.
I imagine that an event on this scale presents some considerable challenges…
Preparation is key to this event as you cannot make mistakes. Predicting unexpected issues before they happen and managing a huge amount of people is paramount. However, we have a great team and plenty of help on the night, so while we anticipate a few problems we believe it will be successful.
The biggest challenge, though, is rostering over 70 performers into a format for 24 hours of non-stop performance. Timing has to be 100% accurate, so in order to do this we have to calculate all acts correctly and place them accordingly. Extremely challenging and time-consuming, but it can be done. The other dilemma is being conscious of performer cancellations at the last minute and technical issues on the night, so we have asked performers to be reliable and very flexible as they may have to slot into the format at any given time or dance to someone else’s song.
Have a lot of people signed up to watch the full 24 hours so far?
We have lots of people who are interested in coming along, but we would love more support from the general community as the more money we raise, the more we can give to our charities. Tickets are on-sale here, or on the door. And we are hoping to make history, so there are two great reasons to be involved. More details are on our fan page here.
Elena and I cannot wait for Burleskathon as it’s going to be a fun and exciting event. At the very least it is ‘community building’ and a great opportunity for burlesque performers from all around Australia to participate in history making. What a wonderful experience! We cannot wait!
Burleskathon Event Details
TIME: 12 Noon Saturday 22nd March until 12 noon Sunday 23rd March
VENUE:
Abbotsford Hall
141 Gipps st
Abbotsford, VIC
TICKETS:
www.trybooking.com/71382
24 Hour Spectator: $60 (Stay the full 24 hours and recieve a prize.)
12 Hour Pass: $40 (Stay 12 hours and go into the draw to win prizes from our sponsors!)
ALL STARS SHOW: $30
General Admission: $20
