The prompt this week- men dressed as dancers in chiffon - immediately brought to mind the Disney masterpiece, "Fantasia" and the dancing hippos.
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| Pinned by pinner |
In the upper left hand corner of the prompt photo there's a caption in Norwegian referring to a student revue. Studenterrevyen might be akin to the Hasty Pudding Club presentations at Harvard in which all the female characters are played by men in drag. This year they're presenting "Victorian Secrets" and the cast, to mention only a few, features Billy Club, a dim-witted cop and Ella Mental - a crackpot scientist.
Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo or the "Trock" is a world famous dance parody troupe which performs around the world. Still going strong after 40 years, their hilarious show features men dressed as female ballet dancers. Make-up and dress are impeccable if a little over the top. Lest the audience forgets for a moment they are men, their underarms are unshaven, so with every graceful upraised arm you get the picture.
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| Fernando Medina-Gallego |
Everyone knows it's not as funny to see women dressed as men as it is men dressed as women but in my own photo collection I could only find this - my sister at about 11 years old, in her "drag" Halloween costume dressed as a mature woman. Her attitude seems very Trock to me.
Chaulk up those slippers and chasee your way over to Sepia Saturday for more stories of dancing and dress-up.
One prompt can send Sepians wandering all over the place and you have sent us in yet another direction. Actually I quite enjoy Matthew Bourne's ballet Swan Lake performed by an all male cast. Thanks for the reminder of Fantasia. Had forgotten about that.
ReplyDeleteYes, indeed, a wandering Sepian always has a following whilst wandering. Interesting post.
ReplyDeleteI liked the Disney photo. It reminded me of the Disney logo for the WASP (Women's Air Service Pilots) of WWII. The winged pilot was called Fifinella and was painted on the side of her namesake, the Pitts S1-C, "Fifinella", in honor of these courageous and capable women.
First time I saw those dancers I thought they looked awful manly.
ReplyDeleteYour sister's photo is really cute and funny!
ReplyDeleteI don't have many pictures of us playing around. I guess my family wanted to use the film only for important occasions. Remember those days?
DeleteYes! How I wish we had had digital and captured so many more moments!
DeleteDress up doesn't seem to be popular anymore, at least among the younger folk that I know. I like your sister's photo as I've never seen a violinist standing in the snow .
ReplyDeleteThe fingering really slows down. Snow violinists only play lentemente.
DeleteThat really is a fabulous photo. Great contribution to this week's theme.
ReplyDeleteThere's not much doubt about that dancer Fernando being in drag, no need to check his underarms, I don't think.
ReplyDeleteSeems the best Drag Queens are not the men who look the best as women, but rather the men who look like they tried their very best but are unmistakably men. At least, they are the funniest.
DeleteSo enjoyed your post, and especially since last week I met a man in drag, walking around attending functions, not on a stage. I wasn't sure if he/she was a cross dresser or transvestite...but when I spoke to her, she said I'd met her before in the same place, so I was certain she was dressed male at the prior meeting. How confusing for me. But he/she was giggling and enjoying him/herself so much I couldn't find fault.
ReplyDeleteAnd then there is Conchita Wurst with a beard (Eurovision winner, if anyone else is wondering)
ReplyDeleteI always say I loved Fantasia - though I only saw it once and that was over 40 years!
Ah well done - you have delved into the background of the theme image in a way I clearly didn't - and should have done.
ReplyDeleteGreat response to the prompt Helen. The perfect Sepia Saturday post.
ReplyDeleteIt's the boobs -- men love to don fake boobs. Why?
ReplyDeleteThis reminded me of a show that we saw in Thailand. It was hard to believe that it was men as they were extremely pretty!
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