What The Funk?! Fest Brings Burlesque Joy in Year Five

Is there anything burlesque can’t do?  

No. No there isn’t. And there’s certainly no shortage of what burlesque performers can bring to their acts. In the past several years, I’ve gleefully witnessed nerdlesque, burly drag, boylesque, expert dancing, and circus elements (to name a few) from artists here and around the world on the stages of Seattle.

If you’ve never been to a burlesque show before, welcome! If you have, I guarantee you’ve never seen anything like What The Funk?! Fest. One of the most wonderful aspects to this art form is that there’s always something new to behold, a new story to be told, and moves like you’ve never dreamed of. 

In an oppressive society that polices bodies, judges abilities, and is generally icky to anyone outside the cis-heteronormative mainstream, living out loud as your authentic self with bodily agency is an act of the purest resistance. 

As mentioned in the preview, burlesque isn’t just softcore, stripping, or dancing alone. It’s a celebration and an art form of people loving, using, enjoying, and respecting their own bodies; or in recently newer vernacular, artists “feeling themselves”. While body shaming is slowly becoming a thing of the past, Black bodies, disabled bodies, and multiple human shapes that don’t fit colonizer beauty standards are all still shunned in the everyday public world.

That’s part of why What The Funk?! lives: to be a space where BIPOC people can love and express themselves freely to an extremely appreciative audience.  

The Goddess Briq House was kind enough to grant a short interview after the Friday night show. She hosts Suga Shack, “the longest running all-BIPOC revue in the Pacific Northwest,” she said. During the show, the producers gave her a shoutout and let the audience know that without The Goddess Briq House, there would be no What the Funk?!. 

Take a listen:

2024 marked What The Funk?!’s fifth anniversary, a momentous and emotional occasion for founder Mx. Pucks A’Plenty, co-producer Rebecca Mm Davis, and co-producer Stormy Chance. The Fest is, as they say, “FUBU”: For Us, By Us. And it really was in every sense of the phrase. Every single performer, emcee, producer, kitten, and crewmember owned their production and vibed like they loved every moment. If anyone in the audience didn’t feel the palpable respect and adoration for the magic on display, they missed the point. 

Of course, no burlesque show would be complete without a fabulous and witty emcee, and we were treated to the carefree and energetic words of Redbone. She kept the Friday night show moving with joy, grace, and style. 

Flipping through the program at Night 2 of What The Funk?! / The Evergreen Echo

But wait! What about the funk part of What the Funk?!

Nami Flair 100% understood the assignment; she legit put the attitude in What the Funk?! with her performance set to assumedly ‘70s funk while exorbitantly decked in greenish teal tulle. She was a glowing example of femme bald beauty and elegance.

Stormy Chance performed second in the lineup and the gasps from the audience were loud as could be when she arrived on stage looking for all the world like Rose Quartz from Steven Universe! It’s possible that wasn’t the pink-haired character Stormy was going for, but it was amazing to behold regardless. Her act was simply divine. In another nerdlesque-style act, three performers—together as Papaya Magic Cabaret—comedically danced as Bowser, Mario, and Princess Peach of Super Mario fame. Talk about coordination! 

Oroki, a featured performer, was a vision in red and black and expertly showed off her aerial skills with jaw-dropping movements. Sepia Jewel took it low ‘n slow with one of the most sensual costume changes of the night. And Thee Gemini Stone—a personal favorite under the tutelage of Mx. Pucks—had the audience singing along! They all proved that burlesque is a multi-disciplinary performance art.

You’ll notice no mention of specific bodily movements or forms. That’s because every act is different. Every performer owns their space in different ways, whether they’re telling a deeply personal story through dance or being goofy geeks or trying some new choreography to fresh applause. 

What the Funk?! is a celebration of Black contributions to American music as well as BIPOC bodies of all shapes, sizes, and genders. It’s truly a highlight of the year and a brilliant jewel in the burlesque scene we’re so fortunate to have here in Western Washington.