Burlesque is back in Asheville

The Rebelles, Asheville’s popular burlesque group, may have made their last curtain call, but burlesque is alive and kicking in Asheville.

A new Bootstraps Burlesque group is keeping the saucy performance style going with a debut Saturday night show at The Rocket Club in West Asheville.

They’re opening for the “Gypsy metal folk funk punk” band Sirius B., which is using its Rocket Club gig to launch a new CD, “Dazzling Urbanites.”

Bootstraps Burlesque will put its own spin on the art form, said company founder Dinah Might, who, like many burlesque performer,s uses a stage name.

“The vision is (to focus on) circus skills,” she said. “I want this to be a diverse group of people. I want this to be more (about fun). In the world of burlesque, it is easy to get trapped into (being all about) sexy.”

But true to the world of burlesque, the ensemble will feature striptease, with performers going down to pasties, depending on their comfort level. “It’s up to (each member),” she said.

Among the familiar names in the new group is Leggs LaRue, the only carry-over from the old Rebelles, who had a huge local following from 2003 until last October. She described Saturday’s first performance as “a variety show, classic funny burlesque.”

The company began taking shape soon after the Rebelles called it a night, LaRue said.

“This is a smaller troupe,” with five four performers and an emcee in the first production, she said. “I booked this gig for Sirius B. and was struggling to find an opening act. Finally, it hit me. What better opening act than our debut?”

The Rocket Club is a perfect fit for the first show, Might said. “We are at the audience’s level,” she said. “Everyone can see you.”

But, she added, this gig is a “teaser.”

“We’ll do a full-on show sometime in August.”