VeauxDevil in the Details

If you think you know burlesque based on what you might have seen depicted in other media, chances are you’re wrong when it comes to the unique stylings of Sioux Falls’ very own local troupe, VeauxDevil Cabaret. For this tight-knit group of artists, it’s not about being sexy. (Well, it’s not just about being sexy.)

“From the inside out, does it look sexy? Yes, absolutely,” said company co-founder and performer Djinnger St. James. “But it’s more about reclaiming power as women, finding themselves with freedoms and choices that even to this day they’re still not allowed to have or represent without judgment.

“Seizing the power back just Grinches me. It makes my heart grow three times its size.”

That self-affirmation is core to everything VeauxDevil stands for, an idea that percolated about seven years ago between St. James, who moved to Sioux Falls from New Orleans, and spouse Viola Velvet, who additionally produces the company’s performances.

“I was used to something that leaned a bit more in a high art direction in New Orleans,” said St. James, who self-describes as a “drag-lesque” artist and “just a really chaotic drag queen.” “I just didn’t have an outlet, so we started with a small meeting of like minds and organized a small troupe of performers called the Falls Follies.”

Falls Follies eventually evolved into VeauxDevil (drawing some inspiration from its New Orleans roots with the common “eaux” spelling) just before the pandemic hit, and many of its long-time performers continue to grace the stage, including artists Sahara Bones D’Plank and Stella Derrière.

“I grew up taking dance classes—mostly jazz and tap—and I was also a theatre kid in high school,” D’Plank said of her arts history. “Fifteen years ago, had you said, ‘you’re going to be a burlesque performer,’ I would’ve thought you were crazy. No way did I have that confidence.

“But being around people who are extremely body-positive and just really encouraging helped me really find that artistic outlet. I know a lot of people think of burlesque strictly as tassel-twirling and pasties, but really has become an artistic outlet.”

That through-line of body-positivity and self-care is a hallmark of the VeauxDevil experience, something Derrière sought as an outlet for her own dance journey.

“I was raised in the Midwest, so we have that stigma about being modest and doing things a certain way,” said the performer, who was trained as a youth in ballet, tap and character, among other dance styles.

“A troupe from the cities came and did a show in my hometown, and I was just totally enthralled,” she said. “Fast forward a couple more years—I got married, I started having kids and I started hating my body. I started hating how I felt about myself.

“Between becoming friends with (the VeauxDevil crew) and learning and being thrown up on stage, I’ve learned to completely accept the stretchmarks, the extra weight gain, the differences in growth within my own self, physically and mentally. It’s been a total journey. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I love what we do.”

Leading performer Velvet, who now often reps the troupe at events throughout the country, caught the burlesque bug at a perfect time in her performing journey.

“I’ve been obsessed with burlesque for as long as I can remember,” she said. “Several years ago, I met someone, Pepper Dupree, who had moved to town, who ultimately became my burlesque mother. She trained me in the artform after I annoyed her for like two years.

“When I finally was able to start, it came at a really pivotal time for me when I was going through a lot of childhood trauma therapy. It gave me that outlet to reclaim my body and my sexuality. Now I teach classes to the public and help train the new up-and-comers. I’m now traveling everywhere this year, performing.”

Though the pandemic slowed what VeauxDevil was able to accomplish the last couple years, they never stopped ideating on exciting new show concepts, from a grandiose Moulin-Rouge-inspired event they plan on reviving later this year, to headlining SiouxPerCon’s After Dark event with nearly 30 of their performers on the lineup.

“When the pandemic hit, it hurt a lot of us performers. Those extra dollars were our grocery money, and our troupe very easily could’ve fallen apart,” D’Plank said. “We physically didn’t see each other, but everybody stepped up and checked in on each other. When we would have video calls, it saved me from a lot of heartache. That’s what I’ll always say about VeauxDevil as a group—we care about each other. It makes me proud to be part of something like that.”

So what is it that you can expect in a VeauxDevil performance? Well, the answer is complicated, as each show’s theme taps into unique song choices, characters, concepts and costuming. “It tells a story if you’re willing to pay attention,” Derrière said. “It really tells a lot about each individual performer.”

One thing is for sure—the 2010 Christina Aguilera film Burlesque does not give an accurate depiction of VeauxDevil’s vibe.

“That movie… it’s inspiring, and everybody loves Cher, but that’s not what burlesque looks like,” according to Velvet. “If you come to one of our shows, do not expect that. We do have a singing drag queen who comes and performs with us sometimes, but outside of that, we’re different. Everyone thinks we’re just strippers with rhinestones. We’re more like the theatre kids of strippers. It’s the perfect storm of the art of dance and the removal of clothing.”

“You are going to see theatre in action. You are going to see fun, obviously some sex appeal and you’re going to see lot of rhinestones,” D’Plank said.

“And glitter,” Derrière added.

“A feather boa might explode in your face—who knows?” quipped Velvet.

“You’re going to see magic,” St. James said. “Transformation of bodies into beings. Different things you don’t normally see. Some of the story arcs with some of our character acts go so far beyond what is just visually represented. It’s a feeling. It’s the sound that goes along with it.

“You’re going to see pain, beauty, joy—raw human emotion.”

No one description fits the artistry of VeauxDevil—and that’s just sort of how they like it.

Check out what VeauxDevil Cabaret has coming up on their social media channels, including Under Pressure: An 80’s Affair this August at Club David and Once Upon a Time in September.