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    Take a Va Va -cation this weekend with Va Va Valentine: Sailing the Seven Seas o
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    The Va Va Vixens have become Louisville’s most prominent group of sexy sweethearts in just five years, although it’s been a long journey of burlesque, sweat, and tears. Since they began hosting burlesque dance shows at The Alley Theater in 2009, they’ve grown to a multi-faceted performance troupe with aerialists, magicians, contortionists, comedians and dancers with several shows per year at Headliner’s Music Hall.

    “ Headliners is great! We believe the historic feel really adds to the ambiance of our shows,” said Vixens founder and producer Lisa Frye about moving to the larger venue a couple years ago. “We love it there!” 

    “Va Va Valentine: Sailing the Seven Seas of Love” opens this weekend at Headliners, and it will be their fifth “Va Va Valentine”. The vixens will be taking on the theme of a cruise ship, and I can’t wait to see it; I need a vacation! I got to see a sneak preview of their costumes at a rehearsal, and I’m a little in awe!

    If you’re a  “Va Va virgin”, this is the perfect chance to dive right in to the hilarious and swirling waters of music, dance, and aerial fun.  You’ll walk in to be met with “bunnies” of all types in dazzling costumes, on stilts, and offering up candy on trays. Over 25 beautiful men and women of all shapes and sizes will be singing, flying through the air, dancing, contorting, flirting, and entertaining the eyes with glittery costumes. You never know what will happen in a Va Va Vixens staged burlesque show: Va Va Vittles featured a huge conga line around the venue that pulled many audience members into the action.

    “The setting is on a cruise ship as we sail "the seven seas of LOVE" with Carol (Deadly Dita) and Barb (Lola Licious) as our quirky and hilarious Canadian Activities Directors. As usual, we will have a myriad of amazing talents and spectacles, including: glowing sea creatures, a dreamy mermaid, seahorse-icorns, sexy sailors, and even a giant kraken! This show is as ridiculously silly as it is sensual and surreal. We are very proud of this one!”

    Frye is also the owner/ founder of local non-profit Art Sanctuary.  According to their web site, “Art Sanctuary is a community-oriented arts collective supporting local visual, literary and performing arts through events, promotion and education.” Art Sanctuary once shared a space with Alley Theater, but it now has its own space in Germantown where there is rehearsal space, storage and art studios.

    “ It is like a dream come true!” said Frye. “It's wonderful to be able to house and organize all of our costumes/props in the Va Va Closet. Art Sanctuary is the perfect spot for our home base.”

    Frye is pretty busy running things at art sanctuary and producing the Va Va Vixens. She said the hardest part is trying to keep everyone organized and apprised. She also said that everyone is relatively self sufficient at this time, though, and they can develop their acts on their own.  

    In addition to upholding Art Sanctuary’s mission to provide top notch entertainment, the Va Va Vixens came about as a way to empower women and encourage positive self image. The troupe has always featured women of all shapes and sizes, and the audience raves about it. The troupe is like a giant hard working family. A few good looking and talented men have joined the cast over the years, and the shows have a well rounded group of around 40 members that appeal to everyone. 

    You won’t be disappointed with a Vixens’ show. They prepare for up to a year in advance for some of them. They’re always coming up with new and creative adventures, and pretty much every show is an entirely new production. Frye says she believes the troupe is the strongest they’ve ever been. You can stay up to date with all of their show dates and future plans at their website: www.vavavixens.com

    “The most exciting thing for me is how much everyone continues to expand and grow,” said Frye. “The group of people involved are some of the best people that I know, and I am honored to work and create with them.”

    Tickets are on sale now  from Headliner’s Music Hall ( 502-584-8088). Show dates are Feb 1, 7, 8, 14 and 15. Doors open at 7 p.m. and show starts at 8 p.m. General seating tickets are $20; VIP table seats are $30. Better get them now. The shows have a tendency to sell out.

    Photography: The Vixens let me join them at a rehearsal, and now I really can't wait to see the show!

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    About Jessica Lynn

    Jessica Lynn has been writing for Louisville.com since fall of 2010 and has also been published in LEO, Velocity, Voice-Tribune and others after serving as Editor in Chief of The JCC student newspaper, The Quadrangle. She has also served as columnist or contributing writer to an array of online publications.

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