Florence Rosé is a belly dancer.
Angela Knox is a singer and puppeteer.
Labyrhina Dragon is a contact juggler.
But together, the three performers — who all go by their stage names — have come together to form Breakaway Burlesque, Gainesville’s newest burlesque troupe.
The troupe held auditions Tuesday night at Market Street Pub & Cabaret — where the troupe plans to host most of its shows — for new members.
Rosé, Knox and Dragon started the troupe because there wasn’t enough space for burlesque in Gainesville. The only other troupe, Mischievous Madams, is at capacity with eight members and has been the primary troupe in Gainesville for almost two years.
Rosé, 22, said the burlesque scene in Florida tends to be classical, with gowns and boas traditional New Orleans. She said the Gainesville scene is special because it offers an alternative.
“We’re big geeks; we’re into ‘nerdlesque,’” she said. “One of our goals of this group was to have a mixed genre approach, where we could break away from having specific labels and not have to follow the norms of Florida burlesque.”
Sally Dash, one of Rosé’s mentors and a member of Mischievous Madams, said she was excited to have the new troupe in town.
“The more people that are involved, the more people that will come and see it, and the more ideas you’ll have in the shows,” she said.
Breakaway Burlesque will have a mix of genders and identities, Knox said.
“We’ve had interest from men, which is great because so many burlesque groups have been gender-divided,” she said. “We really want a mix.”
Vyxsin Drake was one of three people who auditioned Tuesday night. She danced to “Suit and Tie” by Justin Timberlake and Jay Z, and she wore a black dress and pearl bowtie.
Drake started pursuing burlesque about a month ago. Her stage persona helps her deal with her anxiety, she said.
“When I was in high school, Vyxsin was my online identity for writing and chat groups, and it always stuck with me because it represents the part of me that is calm and confident and sexy and fun,” she said. “When I started burlesque, I needed a name that represented that.”
The troupe is also accepting video auditions and will arrange more auditions for interested individuals who message Breakaway Burlesque on Facebook.
The troupe’s debut show is Jan. 15 at Market Street Pub & Cabaret.
Contact Brooke Baitinger at bbaitinger@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter @BaitingerBrooke
Otto, 29, breaks through his collared shirt with the “Chariots of Fire” theme song in the background of his audition piece for the Breakaway Burlesque troupe on Oct. 27, 2015, at Market Street Pub & Cabaret. Otto came unprepared because his wife and a founder of the troupe, Florence Rosé, told him the night before he would be auditioning.
Founders of Breakaway Burlesque (from left) Angela Knox, 29, Labyrhina Dragon, 24, and Florence Rosé, 22, express interest in Vyxsin Drake’s performance during the troupe’s auditions on Tuesday at Market Street Pub & Cabaret. Drake, 24, tossed her gloves on the floor after whipping them off during her sultry dance.
