Burlesquire

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All footage and editing by Coffee For Drew Productions.



Burlesquire is not your grandparents' dance troupe...
Portland has been taken by storm, by a unit of six men. Intricate dance steps meets class and style: that is Burlesquire. Happy to supply some of the queer community’s most sought-after performance art, the troupe’s resume continues to grow as they move into their second year of performing together.

Burlesquire came together under the organization of a man named Patrick Elmore. His vision prompted him to approach a handful of talented men he had come to know within the queer community and present them with the idea of forming a dance troupe. Eight men came together for the first rehearsal and the first steps of choreography. Many of the members had never met each other before and this was their first time working with one another. As the weeks passed and more rehearsal came, the group lost some members but a core group were always there learning and preparing for the first show.

One fateful Sunday evening, Burlesquire took the stage at the Red Cap garage during a variety show that also featured the already locally established all-queer female burlesque troupe, the Rose City Sirens. It is whispered that this evening proved to be quite historical, as the Sirens were so taken aback with Burlesquire’s performance that the unanimous decision to approach the men about a collaborative performance was come to by the end of the first act. The ladies’ manager approached the men and the excitement about the two troupes performing together turned out to be mutual. The rest, as they say, is history. After a December weekend of exhilarating dual-troupe performances, the men of Burlesquire decided to enlist the assistance of this manager and begin to showcase their talents in venues all across the city of Portland. They are now one of the foundational acts of SinnSavvy Productions, a queer-centric talent management company planting it's roots here in Portland.

Forming a target audience has been next to impossible, as the men have quickly learned that the group’s appeal isn’t restricted to any gender, sexual orientation, or background. As the troupe plants it’s roots, many an audience has been found tucking it’s collective jaw back into it’s face. The apparent excess of talent and ambition has driven this collection of minds to the decision of bringing their art to the forefront of Portland’s scene. Tightly controlled choreography infused with high levels of sensuality form the foundation of a Burlesquire performance. The camaraderie amongst the men invariably results in the energy exchange apparent to each of their audiences.

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