He Loves Me, He Loves Me Hot
A few weeks ago I was invited to a burlesque show, “He Loves Me, He Loves Me Hot!”, at the Mata Hari on Downtown River Street. The Mata Hari is a hidden gem right on the river that not many folks know about but once you do, you’ll love it. It’s like a Speakeasy, complete with a passkey to enter and all. You can find my complete review of the club here. “He Loves Me, He Loves Me Hot!” was a real treat and did not disappoint! The show was backstage in a somewhat of a hidden room behind the stage.
I got a quick interview with the show’s creator and choreographer. Here’s what she had to say:
How long have you been a choreographer? Tell us your experience in choreography.
“I have been choreographing since I was in middle school. I did some choreography for cheerleading and also just made up dances to torture my friends and force them to learn. I continued to do choreography throughout my life. I made up dances for the 309 girls to perform on top of the bar at the 309 West bar on Riverstreet. Later in life, I attended SCAD for performing arts and dance. I took a choreography class there, which led me to the way I do choreography today. I focus more on natural body movement and embrace the sensual way the body moves to keep my choreography fresh, sexy, and burlesque inspired. Our group maintains sexiness while keeping the focus on actual dance choreography and less on nudity. But of course, we wouldn’t be burlesque without our classy version of a strip tease at least once in each show.”
What was your inspiration for the dance numbers/moves in "He Loves Me, He Loves me Hot".
“This theme was fun because last year was a take on an “anti-Valentine’s Day” Valentines Day Show. This year I decided to use numbers that were more “sweet” and Valentine’s inspired. For example, Candyman was super fun to work with. The high paced energy of the song kept the choreography flowing while also having a very “cutesy” and pin-up inspired feeling. The other songs kept the same mood flowing throughout the show staying very sweet and sexy, without using over the top and in your face love songs.”
What is the auditioning process like? How do you find the best dancers?
“I always spread word through facebook (the best way to stay up to date on audition notices is by “liking” The Downtown Delilahs on Facebook) and post audition notices in the Connect whenever I can. I usually call in a group of girls and teach a short part of one of our more difficult dances. I don’t ever expect the choreography to be perfect at one of my auditions. I focus more on the way their body moves and allow them to make it their own. I really like to see personality shine through. That wins me over more than a perfect 8 count because we always have time to learn the movement, but you can’t learn personality.”
What is your favorite performance from the show?
“I always love our strip tease numbers. We manage to keep them very classy but still extremely sexy. There is always a surprise element to our strip tease dances. We never have a dance where a girl is just on stage taking her clothes off. We keep it interesting by using silhouette screens, black lights, and choreography and costumes using an element of surprise. If there is one thing we are not, it is boring.”
When and where can we catch another fabulous show? And, what can we expect?
“The new theme is “Divas: Dancing Through the Decades”. Our next show will be held in The Carnival Bar Theater attached to The House of Mata Hari. Show dates are April 9th -11th, 16th-18th and 23rd-25th. We have at least one diva impersonator for each decade starting from the 1960’s and working our way to today. You can expect Divas ranging from Diana Ross, Madonna, Britney Spears to Beyonce. Each diva will be accompanied by other Delilahs, performing our version of that diva through dance number, lip syncing, and/or strip tease. Our choreography and costumes are always on point, but I must say, the Divas require an extreme amount of specific costuming and choreography. I am having way too much fun with this one. You don’t want to miss it!! You can buy tickets and reserve a table any time by calling 912.272.7601. The Downtown Delilahs will never stop entertaining you! Stay tuned!!”
