A Wink and a Smile: The Art of Burlesque

Former journalist and first-time director Deirdre Timmons shows a real affinity for filmmaking as she shines a light on Seattle's Academy of Burlesque, whose witty founder and host, Miss Indigo Blue, describes the basic formula as such: “Performer enters with some clothing, magic happens, and performer exits the stage with less clothing.” Timmons combines rehearsal and performance footage with interviews of academy students to uncover, so to speak, the thinking behind their onstage personas, embodied in names such as Hungarian Rhapsody and Shanghai Pearl. The 10-woman group includes a taxidermist, a doctor, a homemaker, and a college student, among others; and while they differ in age and profession, their reasons for taking the class all revolve around body image, empowerment, and self-expression. Timmons also showcases the city's bustling burlesque scene by filming a number of locals, including the Swedish Housewife, who doubles as a promoter; Vienna Le Rouge, who sews her own elaborate costumes; and Waxie Moon, a gent who favors fancy frocks (although Blue describes him as a female impersonator, Moon's handlebar moustache lends a dash of irony to that description). For a self-produced debut, A Wink and a Smile is particularly well scored and nicely shot, lending the glittery stage sequences extra glamour. DVD bonus features include a full-group performance, an interview with Timmons, a slideshow, and a photo gallery. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)