It isn't surprising that members of Company XIV certainly can can-can—but can Playbill's own Tyler Mount learn the notoriously high-energy, high-kicking dance himself? He went down to Company XIV's new Brooklyn home, Théâtre XIV, to learn from the very best exactly how to shake his petticoats and fling his legs. Watch the video above to see how well he fared.
Become a member of Company XIV! Membership packages range from Les Enfants Terribles (for audience members below the age of 30) at $45, to the $10,000 Les Grand Patrons de XIV, which allows its members to vote on what the yearly creation will be and an invite to opening nights. Let the bacchanal begin!
This look was inspired by cabaret nightlife.
We combine elements of Carnivale and Burlesque.
We are using a burlesque circus vocabulary to tell a classic story.
Austin loves to incorporate images that are both sensual and grotesque, like sideshow horror with high-end glamor.
We have a love for showing a dark subject in the most beautiful light.
Mark Shelby Perry
When a costume is stripped onstage it's always done in a powerful, intentional way.
This image shows how we are inspired by baroque shapes but twisting them in contemporary ways.
Mark Shelby Perry
Mark Shelby Perry
A main challenge of the design is often how to allow a beautiful garment withstand the intense physicality of the choreography.
Much of the design is inspired by the colorful vaudeville acts of the past but with a heightened sensuality. We love playing with the absurd silhouettes of the French court of Louis XIV.
Inspiration was specifically taken from RuPaul's Drag Race and Marlene Dietrich for this character.
The design and the choreography often compete in a satisfactory way. As an audience, I think it's exciting to see garments that appear so restrictive pushed to their limits.
