Burlypicks returns to crown burlesque’s best

Everything’s a competition.

Case in point: Burlypicks, an international burlesque contest to determine the world’s best … What exactly do burlesque performers do? I mean, I’ve been to plenty of shows. (Full disclosure: My girlfriend, Cabana Macabre, is in the one I’m talking about.) But burlesque is hard to nail down in a single description.

“There’s no restrictions,” says Lady Jaimz of Orlando’s Corsets & Cuties. “You can be whatever you want. Use whatever inspires you. And create a different persona each time you’re on stage.”

The Casselberry resident will be recreating herself for Florida’s Burlypicks qualifier at The Venue in Orlando (9 p.m. Saturday, 511 Virginia Drive, $15, thevenueorlando.com).

Florida hosts one of the 14 regional competitions, with the other regions including 11 states, Washington and Italy. The finals will be in OshKosh, Wisconsin. The Sunshine State’s clash COMMENTARY moved from West Palm Beach to Orlando last year.

The 13 performances expected on stage will be slotted into one of the four main burlesque categories: lip-synching, singing, comedy and “amazement”.

But isn’t the pressure of performing enough? Do the performers really need judges tearing apart their voices and costumes? Aren’t the performers already doing that themselves?

“I’m awkward, excited and nervous for the competition,” says Orlando’s High Flyin’ Teddy, a stilt-walker who’s been doing burlesque for about two years.

Teddy is more interested in making friends that frenemies. “What I love most about burlesque is the family atmosphere. Whether you are at your best or your worst, everyone wants you to succeed and the love that fills the environment is life changing.”

Yet the powers that be want to pit Teddy against his family in a theatrical battle royal for the audience’s amusement. Isn’t this cruel? Is competition even important? “Somewhat,” says Ft. Myers’ Glam! Bam! Burlesque! troupe speaking as some sort of hivemind via email. “As long as everyone is having a good time and doing what we love, we’re all winners in that sense.”

It doesn’t sound like any of these people have the killer instinct required to do whatever it takes to win. Maybe this isn’t the cage match of costume releases that I am imagining.

“I’m more excited than anything,” says Jaimz. “There’s so many great performers in town, and through the state, it’s more of a chance for us to get together and play.”