Show reviewed:15/03/26

Show rated: Yeehaw, it’s an unbridled 5 stars, my brumbies!

The Burlesque Hoe Down is produced by the South Australian local collective, Teaser Productions (under the leadership of Miss Teaser Amore.) Teaser Productions really focuses on nurturing emerging talent in their bold, innovative projects with this show as their flagship performance. It premiered in 2024 at the Adelaide Fringe and has sold out consistently since then; I was delighted when I saw it last weekend in a packed out venue at the Ukiyo tent in Gluttony. It was hosted by the delectable Lyra La Belle as she mustered her fillies and a couple of stallions —this particular show’s line up included Saint Eve, Ember Rose, Winchester Angel, Teaser Amore, Serafina Sinclair, Flow Alchemist and Remi Reign.

The title The Burlesque Hoe Down is a play upon words given that it’s an art form that likes to be playful, mocking and tease its audiences. Yet are no hoes of either sort in The Burlesque Hoe Down! The origin of the term “hoe down” probably isn’t what you think — the first time it was used was around the 1840s to describe a noisy, convivial dance that had high-energy, stomping motions reminiscent of farming with a hoe* (ie a mattock!) It can be either an either a party or type of square dance step found in traditional country dance. Then there is the flip side of the word where you definitely get the wrong idea…”Hoe/ho” as a disparaging term for a woman of ill repute, implying that she was a prostitute or she was promiscuous as way to diminish her, came about in the 1960s-1970s (short for “whore” or “hooker.”)

The Burlesque Hoe Down is definitely a Wild West themed party drenched in glitter, glamour and good times performed by a cast of cowgirls, cowboys and a literal cow! This show has a mixed cast of dancers from across Australia who do everything from fire spinning by Teaser Amore and Flow Alchemist; to tap dancing to ‘Old Town Road’ by Ember Rose; beside the country themed burlesque dancing from dark fantasy, Winchester Angel and scary but sexy Serafina Sinclair (please don’t eat me!)

My two stand outs performers of The Burlesque Hoe Down i me was the steamy opening number by Saint Eve, who demonstrated considerable technical ability as a dancer while being hot AF and Remy Reign’s cabaret bovine themed ode to milk for it’s sheer creativity.

must stress that burlesque dancers are not “hoes”or any other kind of derogatory term intended to shame a person for their sexual behaviour; someone’s private sex life has no connection to their participation in the art form of burlesque or any kind of creative art form. Some burlesque dancers strip, some strippers do burlesque, some of either do sex work and some of us do internet tours and some of us just the one class a week for our own enjoyment in the dance style.

In South Australia, I’ve found in burlesque a community of artists that are sex positive who exercise agency over their own bodies and what those individual limits are in the art of the tease. We are the authors of our creativity, we choose what you see as the owners of our bodies in burlesque, for the most part our artists are in for creative expression and exploration in the burlesque style. It is not for forced commodification in the adult environment industry or exploitation by third parties. We choose the burlesque life.