A SUPERB act featuring a naughty Bosco, pole dancing around a giant umbrella and some amazing costumes has won the Miss Burlesque Ireland title for a dancer from Clonsilla.
Arlene Caffrey’s alter-ego, La Petite Mort, wowed judges with her multi-talented performance during a three-round battle of burlesques at the Tivioli Theatre on July 23.
Facing stiff competition from seven other impressive acts, the former Miss Pole Dancing Ireland winner was initially crowned runner-up, or Miss Burlesque Dublin, on a night of dramatic entertainment.
And the drama didn’t end there, as a later recount of votes showed that La Petite Mort had actually won the main title and is the official Miss Burlesque Ireland for 2016.
Even though she was later to be crowned winner of the event, bubbly Arlene was more than delighted to be runner-up on the night.
“It feels really awesome. I’m very happy,” she smiled.
“I didn’t expect to get a crown. I worked really hard, as hard as I could have, and a few things went wrong on stage, as they always tend to do, but I’m just being self critical here, as we tend to be.”
Surprisingly, Arlene, who runs the Irish Pole Dancing Academy from DLight Studios on North Great Clarence Street, Dublin 1, wasn’t planning any wild celebrations after her success on stage.
“It sounds really sad, but I’m just going to have a cup of tea,” she laughed.
“I’m not really a party kind of girl but I think I’ll definitely have to have a drink later on.
“I would love a Mojito if anybody’s buying!”
Risqué Burlesque striptease shows featuring provocatively dressed female cabaret artists first became popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Most performers spend a small fortune on creating their unique acts, which these days involves classic burlesque enactments and modern interpretations of the genre.
But despite its slightly dodgy past, today’s performers say modern Burlesque is a true art form, really good fun and fantastic for building confidence.
There was certainly plenty of body confidence, glamour and extravagance on display the Tivioli on the night of the competition. Even the audience got into the spirit of things, with many wearing costumes that wouldn’t be out of place on a Eurovision stage.
Before the event, Arlene explained that there was much more to burlesque performing than planning, choreographing and rehearsing an act.
“That’s just a small part,” she said. “The big part is the costumes and props.”
The youngest performer in the final of Miss Burlesque Ireland was 24-year-old Stephanie Gray from Finglas, who performs as Gala Gray.
She qualified for the final after winning the audience vote in the semi-final and was understandably nervous before taking to the stage for her biggest performance yet.
“I usually pace up and down for 20 minutes listning to music before I go on,” she told Northside People.
“Or I have a coffee and a cigarette. Usually I have a whiskey before I go on stage but I’m not allowed to drink now so I’ll wait until afterwards.
“I’ve always wanted to be a dancer for as long as I can remember.”
Gala became involved in burlesque after posting on a performer’s Facebook page following a show she attended.
The performer invited Gala to join a burlesque troop and she’s been involved in the scene on and off for four years.
“I’ve taken it more seriously this year,” she said backstage before the final.
“We all have great camaraderie, so we all want each other to win as well as wanting to win ourselves.
“It’s a lot of fun. It’s a great opportunity and something to put on your dance CV so you can go on and do bigger things.”
