Miss Burlesque NZ Queen gets ready to hand over title

Miss Burlesque NZ Queen gets ready to hand over title

In suburbs all over New Zealand preparation begins for the annual Miss Burlesque New Zealand competition which is being held next month in Auckland.

Current reigning Queen, Willow Noir from Wellington will be opening the show and closing off her year long reign by crowning the new Queen. In between, there will be a stunning array of performances from competitors vying for the big prize of the evening and performances from the International judging panel. 2013 will see a twist in the competition which is based on a pageant format that focuses on the talent and show wo/manship of the competitors. This year the first Mr Burlesque New Zealand will be crowned with three male competitors this will make for a close competition.

Burlesque embraces people it’s not an “ist” - sex-ist, size-ist or age-ist. This is one of the things that the current Queen Miss Noir likes about the industry.

Ms Noir won the competition last year with her routine that involved a nun who just likes to dance and get a little naked. The idea for the act sprung from hearing the Eurhythmics’ song, Missionary Man. From then on it was sequin central in her lounge and her flat looked like an “imploded fairy cave with glitter and sequins everywhere while she created her costume”. Ms Noir creates her own costumes as it helps with her character development. This has led to a busy time in the past year as Ms Noir has performed around New Zealand and in Australia.

Empowerment, creative outlet, sexy, comedic, sultry and theatrical are some of the adjectives used when the Burlesque community describe what Burlesque means for them. If you have been curious about Burlesque this is your opportunity to see New Zealand’s finest as well as international performers - Minsky Malone from the Melbourne School of Burlesque and Raven the inaugural Mr Boylesque Australia 2012.

Women make up three quarters of the audience at Burlesque shows and they usually drag a husband or boyfriend along. This competition is held annually at different venues around New Zealand which means that a variety of audiences get to experience top notch performers. In 2013 Miss Burlesque New Zealand will be dazzling Auckland in the beautiful surrounds of the Concert Chamber Auckland Town Hall on Saturday 13 April. Tickets available from www.the-edge.co.nz

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