We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Marisa MacKay. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Marisa below.
Marisa, appreciate you joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
Probably the biggest risk I have taken was producing the first burlesque shows with the KC Fringe Festival. It is already a struggle to have your art accepted and to become established as a young modern dancer, as you are putting yourself out there and getting your art discovered. Then, to take the risk of translating your performance art into something edgy such as the resurgence of burlesque performance could have easily been an all-around sinking ship.
Marisa, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I grew up dancing and decided to pursue a degree in dance through UMKC’s Conservatory. That’s when I also became involved in Kansas City’s theatre scene as well, performing in productions at professionally The Kansas City Repertory Theatre, City Stage Theatre at Union Station, The Folly Theater, Starlight Theatre, and more. I took over the reins as Artistic Director, choreographer and also danced with Reach…a movement collective inc. for nine years, and then as the Artistic Director and choreographer with The Smith Project for three years. With this company, I was awarded a two year Performance Artist Residency with Charlotte Street’s Urban Culture Project, “Best Outdoor Performance”, and spent a year as the resident dance company in the Unicorn Theatre on the Jerome Stage. I then served as a Co-Artistic Director of Kansas City’s City in Motion Dance Theater from 2018 through 2022. My choreography has been performed at: The Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland; The Exchange Dance Festival in Tulsa, OK; A Modern Night at The Folly, the Choreographer’s Festival in Lawrence, Musical Theater Heritage, Kansas City’s Dance in the Park, and more, During this time, Burlesque Downtown Underground was created and had taken off successfully. I then produced the first burlesque performance, “Burlesque Revival at the Folly” in the Folly Theater since it had closed for renovations in the 1970’s. A year later, my husband (business partner) and I officially established Kansas City Burlesque LLC., putting Kansas City Burlesque on the international burlesque festival circuit.
Today Burlesque Downtown Underground/Kansas City Burlesque performs quarterly shows, hosts the Kansas City Burlesque Festival in the Spring, travels, and performers small to full-scale events for corporate and private events, offer in and around Kansas City. BDU is dedicated to the advancement of the worldwide burlesque revival by creating fun, classy, artful, high-performance tickle and tease, aimed to entertain Kansas City audiences and beyond, and is comprised of professional actors, dancers, aerialists, contortionists, magicians, fire performers, comedians, and singers.
Not only is it our goal to entertain audiences and clients, but to also connect with people in a very fun, and different style of performance art, taking “you” out of the everyday element and brining you into a world of enjoyment!
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
Honestly, just go check things out. Get out of the house, take a risk and be entertained. Just purchasing a ticket to a show helps pay for an artist who has spent their time, money, and artistic energy to perform. Purchasing a ticket also helps support a venue and those artists who work in production. It all comes full circle really.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
I have already touched on this a little, but for me, performing as a burlesque artist, I love entertaining the audience and their reaction to the performance art form – for those people have yet to have the chance to experience a burlesque show, the audience is encouraged to participate by hooting, hollering, cheering, and outwardly expressing their enjoyment during a show. That is the most rewarding. I also love the creative freedom I have to create a concept, choose music, choreograph, and costume my act. Recently, I realized that I love the power of control I feel while I am on stage. For those quick minutes, performing my number, I am in complete control, and it feels phenomenal.
Contact Info:
- Website: kcburlesque.com
- Instagram: kcburlesque and tinyKCdancer
- Facebook: facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064363111119 and facebook.com/KansasCityBurlesque/
- Twitter: kcburlesque
- Youtube: youtube.com/user/ScottyinKC
Image Credits
1 – Phil Koenig 2 – Steve Gibson 3 – Phil Koenig 4 -Steve Thompson