Miss Dakota Burlesque
July 27, 2011
Commonwealth Lounge Newport Beach
Well, we're not entirely sure if Miss Dakota actually performed at the swanky Newport Beach nightspot. After three hours in the bar area, we didn't see the famed brunette burlesque dancer, known for her work with legendary Los Angeles club Forty-Deuce and appearances on Bravo TV. In fact, her Foursquare account said she had checked in to the Hudson Terrace Bar in New York earlier in the afternoon.
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This doesn't mean the evening was a total loss as there were performances from two other gals of burlesque backed by live jazz band Simple Compounds.
This quartet was pretty swinging and warmed the crowd up for the main event with splashy numbers that genre hopped between cool jazz, funk, samba and even some spacey stuff.
The dancers, though good at undulating and jiggling with supreme commitment, were confined by the room's crowded floor plan. Sitting in the bar area, it was difficult to see the girls down on the floor as they shimmied in front of the stage and sashayed back amongst the dining tables. Stepping closer to the action however, I could see these girls put commendable effort into interacting with the crowd, smiling coquettishly and occasionally charging into the bar area to hop on some lucky patrons lap. If you decide to check out show here, def plan ahead and reserve a table.
Though we have yet to see a burlesque show at Commonwealth's Fullerton location, we can only assume it would be more conducive to this sort of rangy performance with it's larger dance floor and bar room. Word on the street is Miss Dakota will be in Fullerton next Wednesday.
In any event, it's hard to be too critical when talented, dancing girls insist on taking their clothes off just for fun.
