Jain Dowe

Jain Dowe, Photo by Patrick Carver

Your Favorite Unfamiliar Face!

“Peepshow vs Circus of Sin at Underground Nomads” 5/15/2018: https://youtu.be/Vhfpv7w4T3E Video credit: Kenny Hoff —— Social Media:

facebook.com/jaindowe instagram.com/jaindowe twitter.com/jaindowe modelmayhem.com/jaindowe ——- Associated Productions:

Vau de Vire Society Fou Fou Ha Haus Serpens —— Upcoming Events:

Tourettes Without Regrets, February 7 @ Oakland Metro Operahouse, CA

Monday Night Hubba Hubba Revue, February 11 @ DNA Lounge, San Francisco, CA

The Drifter, February 13 @ Chicago, IL

Rouge, February 16 @ Art Garage, New Orleans, LA

Lingerie Lounge Open-Mic, February 21 @ Oakland Secret, CA

Bootie SF: Mardi Gras, March 2 @ DNA Lounge, San Francisco, CA

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Questions contributed in part by Angsty Andy:

Introduce yourself with a brief description of who you are.  Please be sure to include your location and pronouns. Taglines are also welcome. 

JD: “Hi! I’m Jain Dowe. I’m based out of San Francisco, CA, and I prefer they/them pronouns. I’m the ballerina gone bad, and the classiest bitch on the block. I’m your favorite unfamiliar face!”

What influenced you to get into burlesque originally? Is this the same reason you are doing burlesque nowadays? Why or why not?

JD: “I first had an interest in burlesque when I saw Laika Fox start her career. I remember watching her start and run full force into the culture, and how passionate she became about it. It seemed to completely change her world. I decided I wanted to give it a try.

“Nowadays, I do burlesque honestly because I have a high demand for it. I’m received well by my audiences and people who book me, and it’s afforded me opportunities to perform with groups that I never imagined I’d ever be working with. Burlesque led me to work with Fou Fou Ha and Vau de Vire Society, and I couldn’t be happier.”

What observations have you made in the demographics of burlesque performers, and what would you like to see change?

JD: “I do notice that from what I’ve seen in the local Bay Area burlesque scene, the demographics tend to lean towards a mostly white performer base. Granted, the Bay Area is statistically a predominantly white population, so it may be important to raise the question of whether it is a matter of environment or preference. It would always be nice to see more people of color in the mix. Beyond that, I think that there are already movements towards a more demographically liberal performance culture, in being actively inclusive for people of all ethnicities, genders, orientations, bodies, and abilities. I look forward to the growth of these events and voices that are moving in the direction of positive change.

“I’m seeing growth in the direction of more male burlesque with shows like Manarchy, ability-positive deaf events like ASL🖤 , body-positive events like the Body Political, POC-centric events like Black Arts Matter, and queer/feminist events like Haus Serpens Cabaret.  I’m excited to see this progress continue!”

In what ways do your performances/ productions forward or embody intersectional feminist thought and advocacy. Why is this important to you?

JD: “Working with Haus Serpens has really brought to my attention the importance of radical feminism in the performance community. We work to create a safe space for [femme-bodies and people who identify as female] in which they can freely express themselves without fear of objectification and consent-violation.”

“Rachel Lark’s confrontational feminism in her work and the work we’ve collaborated on has also been a huge inspiration, reminding me and others that it’s okay and honestly important to be as blunt as possible in order to get your message across, and that our voices are really that powerful.

“Beyond that, my work with these people have brought attention to how pervasive feminism is. How it applies to just about all sociopolitical issues that apply to Marginalized communities across the board.”

Are there any specific cultural and/or systemic issues that you address in your performances/productions?

JD: “I enjoy using my burlesque to either send a message about issues I care about, or to play with social norms and expectations. Neo-burlesque is a great platform to use art as peaceful protest, and hearkens back to a time when burlesque literally was a way to communicate opinions on the political climate while avoiding persecution.

“One of the first acts I created is a commentary on the destruction of oppression and the rise of Anarchy in its stead. I used Piggy by Nine Inch Nails as a way to illustrate apathy of authority and its inherent degradation into revolution.

“I have another act to My Man by Billie Holiday, using choreography that is elegant and simple to mirror the musical quality, but because the lyrics are actually about an abusive partner, I add a glittery bruise on my thigh to reveal as a shock to the audience as a reminder that underneath the veneer of beautiful jazz music with a lilting voice, there are still dark issues to be confronted.”

What do you hope your audiences take away from these performances?

JD: “I want my audience to think. I want them to see that conventional norms and styles can be manipulated to send a message. If you want to change a system, you have to play by their rules first.”

What are some unexpected reactions you received from audience members, and how did you deal with those interactions?

JD: “I think one of the best reactions I got was the audible gasp in the audience when I revealed the glitter bruise on my thigh for my Billie Holiday ‘My Man’ act.”

Any upcoming performances or events you are doing that relate to feminism and intersectionality?

JD: “Haus Serpens is doing a takeover of Circus of Sin in San Jose on March 21st. Haus Serpens brings a message of radical feminism, being a cooperatively run female-centric performance group.”

What do you think the future of burlesque, in regards to intersectional feminism, will look like five years from now?

JD: “I think that within the next five years, burlesque will embrace many more aspects of intersectional feminism. Of course, intersectionality speaks to how feminism pervades nearly all marginalized cultures, and burlesque is no stranger to that. Because burlesque is now more than ever being used as a way to communicate these issues, I feel that the future of burlesque will include not only more performances that confront issues that pertain to intersectional feminism, but will also function in ways via performance and production that work to solve said issues.”