A Friday night crowd inside Manhattan’s R Bar cheers as Kita St. Cyr slowly steps on stage, ready to delight her hungry audience with a treat that’s just too good to pass up. With each howl of the saxophone, the starlet, wearing an emerald gown dripping in rhinestones, struts while caressing her flawless caramel skin. St. Cyr bats her doll lashes and the men inside the crimson-hued venue whistle in approval. Never missing a beat, the brunette beauty carefully unlaces her corset while swiveling her hips, causing her dress to slip off her body. The audience cries out for more and sure enough, a nearly nude St. Cyr slowly peels off her silk stockings. By the end of the sizzling jazz number, she shimmies in nothing more than a lucky pair of pasties and a thong. With just a glance, it’s easy to figure out why this pinup is coined “the cutie with the bootie.” As one of top Latin performers in New York, St. Cyr and her showgirl troupe, The Rhinestone Follies, have appeared at some of the city’s top nightlife spots. Yet, her success as a producer, costumer, and stage teaser is only beginning. We chatted with St. Cyr about her salsa roots, what The Rhinestone Follies are really all about, and how Latinas are making burlesque hotter than ever.
nocheLatina: When did you first discover burlesque?
Kita St. Cyr: I must have been around 15 when I officially learned about burlesque. I’ve always been fascinated by the Tex Avery cartoons. I was also exposed to Dita Von Teese in the Marilyn Manson music videos. When I first saw her, I thought, ‘What is she doing?’ I started doing pinup photography in 2007 after I tried alternative and goth modeling. I was really bad at that.
nocheLatina: How so?
Kita St. Cyr: I’m too happy (laughs). I have a sunny personality, so I discovered pinup modeling and thought that I should do that instead. It fits more with my interests in terms of historical fashion. Then on my 21st birthday, I finally saw my first burlesque show. It was Doc Wasabassco’s ‘Monday Night Burlesque’ at Public Assembly. Every week after that, I would drag one of my friends to a burlesque show. It was like, ‘Hey, we’re the fan club!’ (laughs). After a while, Doc noticed me and asked, 'Have you ever been in my show?’ When I told him I was just a fan, he stated, ‘You should learn how to do this.’ I took a class and here we are!
nocheLatina: I read that your mother is a salsa instructor. How much of that influenced you to pursue burlesque?
Kita St. Cyr: I did have a lot of influence on me. My mom used to take me out to salsa clubs when I was probably way too young to get into them. While my mother was dancing, my sister and I would watch everyone. That’s how I discovered my love for vintage fashion because, at least in the ‘90s, there were people in the salsa scene that were also really into vintage fashion. I still like to go to events and watch everyone dance.
nocheLatina: What was it like attending the New York School of Burlesque?
Kita St. Cyr: Amazing! I took a character development class, which is probably not the right one to start off with. It’s a four week-long class taught by Dr. Lucky, who’s also a professor at NYU. It really helps you explore your burlesque character, which is fun, but you also need movement on stage. While I was really committed to my character, I also didn’t know how to peel off my stocking (laughs). I went about it right way and took an essentials of burlesque class. It made me want to pursue burlesque even more. I started The Rhinestone Follies after that. Now we’re starting to teach a rhinestone design class!
nocheLatina: For readers who may not be too familiar, what is The Rhinestone Follies?
Kita St. Cyr: The Rhinestone Follies is my sparkling burlesque troupe. Our anniversary is this June, so we’ve been around for almost a year now. It’s made up of me, Beelzebabe, and Hazel Honeysuckle. We produce a show every other week on the Lower East Side. We’re all about classic burlesque as it was in the ‘40s, ‘50s, and anytime before then. We love the Ziegfeld Follies, which is our source of inspiration. It’s a big showgirl experience.
nocheLatina: Why was it important to you to bring back the classics?
Kita St. Cyr: We wanted to offer a different option for viewers. People can get scared of neo-burlesque because there’s a certain aspect of shock value to it. We love that, but not everybody does. We wanted to invite those people to our shows as a way of letting them know that there is something for them in burlesque. New York City is a theater community, so we respect all different art forms.
nocheLatina: Have you been noticing more Latinas in your audience?
Kita St. Cyr: I’ve been noticing a lot of people who are not part of the usual burlesque scene. That does include some Latinas. I think they appreciate seeing another Latina on stage. I always say, ‘You can do it too. Let’s all do it!’ I’d love to see more Latinas. The burlesque scene is a big family and we’re always challenging each other as performers. There’s also an increasing sense of diversity. It’s happening. There’s Brown Girls Burlesque and they're all about celebrating women of color.
nocheLatina: Many critics continue to insist that burlesque is just a trend. However, it’s still popular throughout the country. Why are people still fascinated by burlesque?
Kita St. Cyr: Because it’s glamorous! People are always going to be attracted to glamour. We’re also going through this recession and it’s miserable. People can’t afford to travel as much, so they stay home and look for entertainment. That’s what the burlesque community brings, local entertainment. It’s similar to the 1900’s when people would look for circuses as a way to escape. Burlesque is a big part of the circus culture. If you can’t go to Hawaii, you can still see a burlesque show for 10 bucks.
nocheLatina: Where does your stage name come from?
Kita St. Cyr: Kita was a childhood nickname. The St. Cyr part? That story’s pretty lame. I took a Facebook test called ‘Which Pinup Girl Are You?’ I got Lili St. Cyr. I thought it was a really cool name. She was also polished, exotic, and one of the most famous burlesque performers of her time. I was none of those things. I thought that if I adopted her name then maybe some of that will rub off on me. I guess it’s my good luck charm because things have been great ever since. When I started researching the history of burlesque, I grew to have a really deep appreciation for Lili St. Cyr. I try to adopt her grace, all while giving my own interpretation of it. Even now when I perform, I always remember, ‘Slow it down, think of Lili St. Cyr.’
nocheLatina: It’s interesting because you studied fashion design and Lili St. Cyr had a lingerie line of her own.
Kita St. Cyr: I know! I hope one day I can follow in her footsteps and create lingerie for the masses.
nocheLatina: What does it take for a Latina to become a burlesque performer?
Kita St. Cyr: What I think it takes to become a burlesque performer is something that Latinas already have in spades and that’s confidence. We’re all sassy, confident ladies. I’m surprised that there aren’t more of us on stage. I feel like there’s starting to be a movement of Latinas noticing burlesque and getting involved. When you’re on stage, you control your movement, character, and look. It takes a lot of confidence to do that. If anything, I hope burlesque will continue to encourage Latinas to get up on stage and show that to people.
Photos courtesy of Fernando Pacheco.
