Showing posts with label Attractions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Attractions. Show all posts
Saturday, 13 August 2011
Saturday, 30 July 2011
Montreal Burlesque, Canada
The Montreal burlesque scene is a burgeoning endeavor by many who helped to make the city’s burlesque festival a world-renowned event. Montreal has long been known as a colorful party city offering a huge array of unique venues, shows, and performances that entertain the masses. The history of burlesque shows in Montreal began with the initial stages of their very own vaudeville circuit, a scene only slightly behind larger cities like Chicago and New York. In the early 1940s, entertainers arrived in Montreal in droves, (think Armstrong and Sinatra) performing shows and enjoying entertainment at the once-famous Montreal nightclub Chez Paree.
Jazz pianists, singers, and other performers crept onto a bustling scene in the early 1940s as it picked up speed. A few well-known clubs harnessed their popularity with plenty of pretty showgirls and Montreal burlesque dancers. This scenario eventually led to the city’s famed topless dancers and strippers. One of the legendary Montreal burlesque dancers was born in Minneapolis, but did so well as a dancer in the city, she performed for years. Lili St-Cyr was a professional, 1940s-era burlesque dancers hitting the stage all over North America including Miami, New York City, and Las Vegas. Yet Montreal has a certain air about it that attracted hundreds of girls during the burlesque era which lasted only one short decade or so.
The Montreal Burlesque Festival has put this sexy, savvy dance form back into the mainstream. Or at least, it has begun to. The festival hosts a cabaret-style event that features some of the best dancers from around the world, from Montreal burlesque dancers to Japanese dancers. The festival has, with only one year under its belt, established the most successful burlesque shows in Montreal, witnessing a new revival of this classic, sexy stage dance.
The Montreal Burlesque Festival is hosted by Lhotel Hotel in Old Town where the Old Port, or Vieux-Port, is located. This part of town is a tourist target because of the many historical sites and interesting attractions within it. Lhotel is one of Montreal’s boutique hotels and offers an ideal, historic backdrop to the Montreal burlesque event. The festival kicks off on the Thursday of the opening weekend. A vintage fashion show, and the introduction of the main burlesque dancers are main events. Club Soda is the official venue of the shows and tickets are available directly from the club. It is also pretty much the only club that presents burlesque shows in Montreal outside of festival dates.
The Friday evening begins with an international exhibit with dancers from all over the world including Europe, Asia, and North America. The after-party is hosted each of the three nights by a local club or bar named when the event is publicized. The first Montreal Burlesque Festival hosted after-parties at Jello Martini Lounge, a club celebrated for featuring exceptional live blues, jazz, soul, and rhythm.
The shows are ritzy, humorous, and emphasize the playful and fun side of a tease show rather than the often raunchy and racy strip show. The emphasis is most definitely on the tease. These shows attract men and women alike for a look at the masterful moves of the best dancers around. Saturday is the main night for the Montreal Burlesque Festival. This night features the best dancers, the headliners, which show off their burlesque acumen through three major shows where glamorous costumes are as much as part of the show as the dancing is.
Traditional Montreal burlesque dancing has, in essence been left behind yet still retains its 1930s and 1940s flavor. The foundations of burlesque are clearly evident yet the revival has sparked a modern twist that includes a wider scope of approach to performances. From the quintessential strip tease to theater-based dramas, to modern moves to comedic playfulness, modern burlesque is as surprising as it is entertaining.
Jazz pianists, singers, and other performers crept onto a bustling scene in the early 1940s as it picked up speed. A few well-known clubs harnessed their popularity with plenty of pretty showgirls and Montreal burlesque dancers. This scenario eventually led to the city’s famed topless dancers and strippers. One of the legendary Montreal burlesque dancers was born in Minneapolis, but did so well as a dancer in the city, she performed for years. Lili St-Cyr was a professional, 1940s-era burlesque dancers hitting the stage all over North America including Miami, New York City, and Las Vegas. Yet Montreal has a certain air about it that attracted hundreds of girls during the burlesque era which lasted only one short decade or so.
The Montreal Burlesque Festival has put this sexy, savvy dance form back into the mainstream. Or at least, it has begun to. The festival hosts a cabaret-style event that features some of the best dancers from around the world, from Montreal burlesque dancers to Japanese dancers. The festival has, with only one year under its belt, established the most successful burlesque shows in Montreal, witnessing a new revival of this classic, sexy stage dance.
The Montreal Burlesque Festival is hosted by Lhotel Hotel in Old Town where the Old Port, or Vieux-Port, is located. This part of town is a tourist target because of the many historical sites and interesting attractions within it. Lhotel is one of Montreal’s boutique hotels and offers an ideal, historic backdrop to the Montreal burlesque event. The festival kicks off on the Thursday of the opening weekend. A vintage fashion show, and the introduction of the main burlesque dancers are main events. Club Soda is the official venue of the shows and tickets are available directly from the club. It is also pretty much the only club that presents burlesque shows in Montreal outside of festival dates.
The Friday evening begins with an international exhibit with dancers from all over the world including Europe, Asia, and North America. The after-party is hosted each of the three nights by a local club or bar named when the event is publicized. The first Montreal Burlesque Festival hosted after-parties at Jello Martini Lounge, a club celebrated for featuring exceptional live blues, jazz, soul, and rhythm.
The shows are ritzy, humorous, and emphasize the playful and fun side of a tease show rather than the often raunchy and racy strip show. The emphasis is most definitely on the tease. These shows attract men and women alike for a look at the masterful moves of the best dancers around. Saturday is the main night for the Montreal Burlesque Festival. This night features the best dancers, the headliners, which show off their burlesque acumen through three major shows where glamorous costumes are as much as part of the show as the dancing is.
Traditional Montreal burlesque dancing has, in essence been left behind yet still retains its 1930s and 1940s flavor. The foundations of burlesque are clearly evident yet the revival has sparked a modern twist that includes a wider scope of approach to performances. From the quintessential strip tease to theater-based dramas, to modern moves to comedic playfulness, modern burlesque is as surprising as it is entertaining.
Place Jacques Cartier, Canada
Place Jacques Cartier is where summer comes alive in Vieux Montreal (Old Montreal). This popular plaza is located across the street from the Hotel de Ville (City Hall) and is made up of two paved streets around a central promenade. Place Jacques Cartier is the place to go when weather shows signs of warmth. Montreal tourist attractions can be found here, to be sure, but the Place is also extremely popular with locals.
Place Jacques Cartier has all of the Montreal Canada attractions that the city is known for: outdoor cafes, street performers, jugglers, mimes, face painters, caricaturists, horse-drawn carriages, vendors—much unchanged over the past century. The Place Jacques Cartier is located near the Viex Port (Old Port) and affords some beautiful views. The Victorian street lamps and flower market add to the charm of the area. In the cafes spilling out onto the streets, tourists sit beside locals, sipping their coffees and Sangrias. The restaurants and cafes are bustling from morning until night, creating a cheerful atmosphere. The buildings in the area from hotels, stores, and landmarks all blend together in Old World style. The Place De La Dauversiere, across from City Hall is a beautiful public garden restored in 1997. It’s no wonder Place Jacques Cartier is one of the most popular Montreal tourist attractions. The Montreal Canada attractions of Old Montreal can easily be reached from Place Jacques Cartier, making it a popular starting or ending point to the day.
Summertime is not the only time with Place Jacques Cartier is full of festivities and Montreal tourist attractions. During the Christmas season, the streets are alight with shining trees. During any season the restaurants are open on the central street of Jacques Cartier, as well as the surrounding streets of Vieux Port, especially on Rue Saint-Paul. Jardin Nelson is a very popular restaurant on Place Jacques Cartier during the summer high season. Like this restaurant, many others offer the traditional terrace dining, a la Paris, France.
On Rue de la Commune, near Place Jacques-Cartiers, an original piece of the old fort wall can be seen in Auberge du Vieux Port. On the upper end of the Place is The Nelson Column, one of the most controversial Montreal Canada attractions. This monument dates back to 1808 and was put in place by English merchants in memory of Admiral Horatio Nelson. Many Montreal folk feel that the monument represents British imperialism.
Place Jacques Cartier was named after by the French explorer by the same name who has been given the credit of being one of the major discoverers of Canada.
Place Jacques Cartier has all of the Montreal Canada attractions that the city is known for: outdoor cafes, street performers, jugglers, mimes, face painters, caricaturists, horse-drawn carriages, vendors—much unchanged over the past century. The Place Jacques Cartier is located near the Viex Port (Old Port) and affords some beautiful views. The Victorian street lamps and flower market add to the charm of the area. In the cafes spilling out onto the streets, tourists sit beside locals, sipping their coffees and Sangrias. The restaurants and cafes are bustling from morning until night, creating a cheerful atmosphere. The buildings in the area from hotels, stores, and landmarks all blend together in Old World style. The Place De La Dauversiere, across from City Hall is a beautiful public garden restored in 1997. It’s no wonder Place Jacques Cartier is one of the most popular Montreal tourist attractions. The Montreal Canada attractions of Old Montreal can easily be reached from Place Jacques Cartier, making it a popular starting or ending point to the day.
Summertime is not the only time with Place Jacques Cartier is full of festivities and Montreal tourist attractions. During the Christmas season, the streets are alight with shining trees. During any season the restaurants are open on the central street of Jacques Cartier, as well as the surrounding streets of Vieux Port, especially on Rue Saint-Paul. Jardin Nelson is a very popular restaurant on Place Jacques Cartier during the summer high season. Like this restaurant, many others offer the traditional terrace dining, a la Paris, France.
On Rue de la Commune, near Place Jacques-Cartiers, an original piece of the old fort wall can be seen in Auberge du Vieux Port. On the upper end of the Place is The Nelson Column, one of the most controversial Montreal Canada attractions. This monument dates back to 1808 and was put in place by English merchants in memory of Admiral Horatio Nelson. Many Montreal folk feel that the monument represents British imperialism.
Place Jacques Cartier was named after by the French explorer by the same name who has been given the credit of being one of the major discoverers of Canada.
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