Women Who Rock feature: Hot in Topeka Ashley B. Wallace

#785 WOMEN LIVE WHO ROCK

"Bringing burlesque to Topeka has been such a gift to my soul. The self-acceptance and open mindedness she and Hot In Topeka represents is uplifting. Women of Topeka are lucky to have her!

"She is changing peoples lives by providing them an outlet where they can be themeselves 100 percent."

"It is important to have a place where you can feel empowered and welcomed by others who have the same positive outlook and won't judge based on looks, gender, sexuality or race."

"She is one of the most fearless, hard-working women I know."

"Ashley is promoting equality and acceptance and having fun while doing it."

"She creates a safe enviornment to celebrate all body types, races and genders. Her drive, character and unwavering inclusion makes her...a Woman Who Rocks!"

Hot in Topeka

by Huascar Medina // photos by Mandy Daniels

Hot in Topeka

Hot in Topeka is a burlesque and variety show from the creative mind of Ashley Wallace. Conceived in June 2017, Hot in Topeka has produced nine shows to date. "It's a theatrical event," said Ashely. "You sit down, have drinks, there's an emcee, an intermission, the whole enchilada. We feature talented performers from all over, but most folks are from Kansas or Missouri - not just burlesque, though. We've had vocalists, musicians, a rapper, a stuntwoman, comedians, hoopers, poets, you name it."

It is not Moulin Rouge. It is not a strip club. A quick Google search defines burlesque as "an absurd or comically exaggerated imitation of something, especially in a literary or dramatic work; a parody’. The word itself derives from the Italian word ‘burlesco’, from ‘burla’ meaning a joke or mockery. "I’ll admit, I haven’t done as much research as I would like to say I have," said Ashley, "but my understanding is that during the Victorian era, it was in fact a joke, making fun of uppity upper-class folks, what with their fancy gloves and such. It’s definitely evolved since then – I can’t explain it much more other than a physical, personal, theatrical performance, full of human emotion, and usually involves the removal of clothing. Other than that, you really just have to see it for yourself."

Ashley was introduced to burlesque in 2015 at the Kansas Burlesque Festival. "I had no idea what to expect, but I immediately fell in love. In the audience I sat in awe of the costumes, the glitter, the glamour, the talent, and the attention these women were getting. We clapped and applauded and hollered – and these women all had ‘normal’ bodies. I specifically remember watching a performer who had a fair amount of cellulite, something I had myself (still do) and was insecure about at the time. I remember seeing it jiggle back and forth as she moved across the stage. No one in the audience cared. I quickly realized it wasn’t about the cellulite or whether or not she had a flat stomach. It was about the art, the performance, the visceral beauty of it all."

So, I fell in love, and said to myself, ‘Wow. I want to do this. I’m going to do this.’ By the time the festival had come back for a second run in 2016, I was asked to be a stage kitten and was totally up for it. I discussed it with my husband at the time, and we decided it probably wasn’t the best look. What if people from work saw me? So, I was bummed but still attended the show and had a great time, again, feeling the adoration grow inside me. Later that year, we decided to end our marriage. It was the hardest thing I have ever experienced in my life. But, also the greatest thing to happen to me. I was free. I could do burlesque, I could die my hair green, I could do whatever the hell I wanted to do! And that is exactly what I did! I moved into a cool new loft, I planned a trip to Mexico, and I started attending burlesque classes in Kansas City. By the end of November, our class had a student showcase. My instructor/burlesque mama Eartha Delights let me borrow a sparkly red dress and red gloves. She made me practice for like three hours the night before. I was uncoordinated and had two left feet. The performance was pretty bad: I couldn’t get things unbuttoned, one of my pasties flew off, it was a hot mess. yet I still felt amazing and couldn’t wait to do it again.

I want to share something that rings true in many areas of my life, not just burlesque. Something that my ex-husband and I used to say all the time: ‘You’ll never know if you don’t ask.’ Just try it! Just ask. What’s the worst they can say/that can happen? No? Oh well. If you never ask, you’ll never know.

For me, burlesque has been a blessing in so many ways. I am currently the happiest I can ever remember being. I have an amazing, creative partner who supports me in everything I do. What if I had never brought up the idea of a divorce? What if I had never taken control of my life and said, ‘this is how I want to live my life.’ What the hell kind of boring ass shit would I be doing right now? aseveneightfive

by Huascar Medina // photos by Mandy Daniels

“Trust me, you

can dance.”-Alcohol

Fun little factoid – burlesque legend Gypsy Rose Lee first got her start in a vaudeville act at the Jayhawk back in the 1920s, paving the way for performers.

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WHAT MAKES BURLESQUE UNIQUE?

Burlesque is unique in that, as an individual performer, I have complete control over what I do. I control what song I choose, what costume I wear, what story I want to tell. I control how much I get paid, how far I’m willing to travel, how I remove the costume, how I want to be seen or not seen. Every performer, every act, is different from the next. And guess what? Nothing is off-limits. You want to dress up as the cookie monster? That’s cool. You want to saunter across the stage in nothing but a huge boa? Also cool. You want to create a super serious act to help process your own personal trauma? That is amazing. The only limits are the corners of your own imagination.

Annie Cherry is someone I really look up to, and also one of the first performers I idolized from the festivals. She’s summed it up nicely by stating,

" "You can be who you want to be, and you can do what you want to do, as long as you're fucking entertaining."

WHY SHOULD PEOPLE GO TO A HOT IN TOPEKA SHOW?

To laugh, cry, celebrate, and be entertained. The entertainment isn’t all, though. I believe that art should disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed. If you find yourself in the audience feeling disturbed by the art in front of you, I challenge you to ask yourself ‘Why do I feel this way?’ By the end of the night, you’ll feel right at home. With each show, my goal is to celebrate body positivity and empower others. Folks of every color, size, religion, age, gender identities and expressions are getting up on stage and bearing it all – not necessarily for the paycheck, but for the sake of art and self-expression.

What are you most proud of? Myself. Who do you confide in the most? My partner, Tobias.

What do you admire about Anastacia Vulgar? She isn’t scared of anybody or anything.

What separates you from Anastacia? Not much; she is an extension of myself, just with more confidence, rhinestones, and glitter.

How do you define beauty? A Big Mac, extra slice of cheese, no onions, no pickles. Powerade for the drink.

Does beauty lie in the eye of the beholder? No, because that would imply, I am only beautiful if someone sees me and thinks I’m beautiful. I already know that I am beautiful.

What would you say to someone who’s never been told they are beautiful? YOU. ARE. BEAUTIFUL. And you always have been. Do no harm but take no shit.