Urbanesque

Beautiful dancers, erotic choreography and sexy wardrobe were the ingredients that made up Urbanesque, an urban burlesque show that played for two nights at The Courthouse in Toronto last month.

Toronto-native Hollywood Jade is the founder and choreographer of Urbanesque. He followed his dream of creating an original concept of an urban burlesque show. “I love theatre performance, and I’ve always wanted to do a show, but I find the urban culture is missing from the theatre world,” says Jade. “… It’s really dance. I’ve taken the classic style of burlesque and fused it with the urban world which gives you a very unique show where nothing is like anything else… I wanted to do an urban dance show that was sexy and mature, and really showcase women in a positive and strong light, even through their vulnerability, and that’s how Urbanesque came about.”

Before the show started, DJ Lissa Monet spun the ones and twos while the audience mingled and drank cocktails, which were named after several of the dancers in the show. Host Tangara Jones, whose stage name is Dynasti, humourously opened the show, introducing the dancers to the stage.

With a cast of 12 women and five men, each dancer brought a different character to life on the stage. Every number had a different costume change with sexy, yet tasteful wardrobe. Not every dance was sexually charged, as Jade’s choreography touched on comedy as well during a workout piece involving the majority of the cast. The audience could not get enough, clapping, screaming and laughing as the dancers interacted with the crowd.

Jennifer Jones, owner of Joy of Dance Centre, is Jade’s main supporter and has always believed in his vision. She says their partnership works because they complement each other perfectly, and explains that Urbanesque can benefit women and break the stigmas attached to burlesque.

“What has happened for the performers is their own sense of pride and being a woman, without feeling like you’re degrading yourself, in fact you’re celebrating your sexuality and you are in power of that sexuality,” she says. “There’s a fine line between burlesque and strip, it’s that absolute line of empowerment, and at no point do these women give up their empowerment of being who they are as a woman. And that they have the right to say yes, to say no, to do whatever they want, and not be any less than everything they can be and that is truly what we want to take away from this.”

Esie Mensah, also known by her stage name Nevaeh, has been in the show since it began March 17, 2011 and owes much of her success as a dancer to Hollywood Jade. He pushed her to pursue dance, which she says, is her calling.

“This show has helped me find myself and find who I am. People don’t really realize how liberating it is to expose an aspect of yourself and to be so vulnerable on stage. It’s very challenging to do, in order to be that vulnerable, that sexy, to allow yourself to display that part of yourself to an audience.”

The dancers rehearsed for only six weeks, but executed their choreography in unison.

R&B songstress Andreena Mill performed her hit “Picture Perfect”, while visual artist Navin Monteiro created a live painting during the performance, which was raffled off at the end of the night.

The show ended with the entire cast and Jade gracing the stage to perform an energetic final number as the crowd gave a standing ovation. Jade became emotional while thanking everyone for their support, as he conquered one of his dreams.