Ashley Richards practices "Feeling Good" for the Desert Dolls performance. (Photo by Heather Lang)

Story by Heather Lang

In hopes of promoting body image and acceptance, a New Mexico State University student has founded the first and only burlesque dance group in Las Cruces.

Camille Shields, a women’s studies major who will graduate in May, said she decided to start the Desert Dolls after a life time of performing and feeling she didn’t fit in.

“For years I wanted to be a dancer and perform,” Shields said. “In high school I was in theater, but even then I my size held me back. I didn’t get lead roles or love interests.”

Getting Started

Shields said she found burlesque after trying many different types of dance and found that burlesque was a safe, humorous and fun way for women to sing, dance and perform.

“It is a culture full of beautiful women of all shapes and sizes loving their bodies and have a ton of fun up there on the stage,” she said. “As a spectator you can’t help but want to join in on the fun.”

The idea to found the Desert Dolls came to Shields over Christmas break, she said, after watching videos and movies about burlesque.

“I was so done watching (burlesque performers) on YouTube; I wanted to do it myself,” she said.

Shields held auditions early in the spring semester and the group began meeting every Friday evening at La Buena Vida Women’s Club.

The group features singers, dancers and comedienne Carmela Le’Duche, with acts inspired by Latin dance, Alice and Wonderland and Adam and Eve.

Much of the progress the group has made has been based on trial and error, singer Ashley Richards said.

Group leader Camille "Coco DiVine" Shields helps Imelda "Jezebel" Chacon into a corset before rehearsal. (Photo by Heather Lang)

“We’re the first group in this area to do this, so we don’t really have anyone to look up to,” Richards said.

Taking stage

Richards, 25, sings under the stage name Mimi Martini.

“(I chose the name) because I used to really like martinis, but now I don’t,” Richards said. “But Mimi Wino doesn’t sound the same.”

Richards describes Mimi as an old school Marilyn Monroe type character.

“They laying on the pianos if you will,” Richards said.

At the performance, Richards and Shields will sing a duet of “Class” from the hit musical “Chicago.”

Richards, who works by day as a web developer, said she joined the group because of her long-standing relationship with Shields and the progressive nature of the group.

“I think it’s a really cool thing to be forward thinking,” She said.

Richards said the group stands as a reclamation of female sexuality of and taking power away from those who objectify women, although it does occasionally require the performers to come out of their comfort zones.

“Obviously there is that very scary moment when you realize ‘holy (expletive)’, my friends and family are seeing naked pictures of me on facebook,” she said.

Exposing beauty

For the Dolls, the show is all about the performance and making a statement about beauty.

“This is me and I have a beautiful body,” Richards said.

Shields said burlesque is different from stripping because the show is full of vaudeville and is more of an adult variety show.

“Stripping is for entertaining men and burlesque is for all genders and the fan base is mostly women,” Shields said.

The Desert Dolls performance is about showcasing beauty in all women and giving women a safe place to perform as part of a project to help boost self-esteem of all women in the area, according to the Desert Dolls fan page.

“You leave a burlesque show feeling better about yourself, feeling less attached to the stigmas and pressure society and media places on women and how they are supposed to look and act,” Shields said.

A night of vintage entertainment

The Desert Dolls performed May 28 at La Buena Vida Women’s Club and hope this is but the first production.

Imelda Chacon practices her Latin-inspired dance. (Photo by Heather Lang)

“People should come see the Desert Dolls because we are just a group of women sharing the message of body acceptance, fun, and glamour,” Shields said.

“We love to dance and entertain and we hope women and men would enjoy a nice evening of laughs, comedy, dancing, pinup and vintage allure,” she added.