Photo via TeaseMKE - teasemke.com
Vintage burlesque photo
TeaseMKE will soon bring opportunities in the Milwaukee area for those wishing to learn burlesque. Operating under the partnership of Frenchie Renard and Liz Bee Honest, the studio will offer beginner and intermediary courses on the art of burlesque striptease, as well as professional development workshops and private bookings. Together, the two operators bring years of experience performing, producing, and teaching burlesque striptease, and will cover topics such as technique, stagecraft, culture and history on the subject.
Renard has successfully taught courses and student development programs in Denver before moving to the Milwaukee area. Liz Bee Honest produces the Hue Revue which has an upcoming performance on February 3 and was a popular event at this year’s PrideFest. Her show features a diverse cast emphasizing BIPOC representation in the field.
TeaseMKE comes on the growth of national interest in the neo- burlesque movement and will reinforce the local scene which already includes the Brew City Bombshells as well as independent performers. The neo-burlesque movement combines a rich history of artful striptease with classic performative elements such as comedy, storytelling, and glamourous costumes.
Available to Everyone
The movement also includes current values of inclusiveness and empowerment that were absent in the 1930s and 40s. Today, burlesque shows come from the artistic vision and agency of the performers themselves, as opposed to the controlling managers and producers that were common a century ago. Appropriate for the movement, TeaseMKE’s beginning courses will be available to everyone, regardless of age, gender, or body. “If you are interested in burlesque,” Liz Bee Honest says, “TeaseMKE welcomes you!”
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If you’re not sure whether burlesque is for you, then you are not alone. It has a way of finding people unexpectedly, as it did for both Renard and Liz Bee Honest. Renard, also known as Alex McCall, was in her 40s when she first discovered her interest. For Liz Bee Honest, real name Natasha Perkins, she attended a show and didn’t see anybody that looked like her performing.
At first, she thought that meant there wasn’t space for someone like her, but ultimately decided to give it a try and has since become extremely passionate. Now, they both want to provide a space for others to discover the art just like they did. Renard says the movement’s inclusiveness is a guarantee, “that whatever you look like, whatever you are into as a performer and whatever makes you happy to do on stage, there is an audience dying to watch you do it.” Even if someone isn’t interested in performing, they both say that beginner students benefit from classes and often walk away with a newfound sense of joy and confidence.
Professional Development
The studio will also provide professional development and workshops for current performers, with avenues for feedback and peer review. They’ll be working alongside local performers, costumers, and makeup artists to help people hone their craft and develop their shows. Additionally, privately booked pin-up parties will be offered, ideal for small groups like bachelorette or birthday parties. The affair will include a discussion on the history of pin-up culture and provide materials so that attendees can be styled in the fashion of pin-up art and take photos.
Frenchie Renard and Liz Bee Honest aim to put Milwaukee on the map in the world of burlesque. Aside from building up the community, their goals include establishing a permanent venue to host burlesque in Milwaukee and perhaps, down the road, to host a burlesque festival. Until then, TeaseMKE has its eyes set on a grand opening this fall. You can learn more at teasemke.com.
