The beauty of boylesque

This summer the Icelandic Circus (i. Sirkus Íslands) is cooking up a feast of versatile entertainment with international guest artists who will leave the audience in awe with unusual bodybending, hilarious glutes tricks and the beauty of burlesque. In a show called “Skinnsemi”, tailored for an adult audience only, traditional gender roles will be playfully challenged. Something which makes a perfect setting for boylesque star Lumi, or The Luminous Pariah, who will be performing with the circus at Reykjavík Pride in August.

He’s been described as someone who has a harmonious blend of feminine sway and masculine swagger with perfect choreography. One reviewer called him amazing for his comedic timing, showmanship and daring. He’s most certainly a shooting star in the world of burlesque, or rather boylesque.

Lumi, who’s now traveling the world with his show, took a moment to explain to us the vague difference between the two, how he started out as a boylesque artist and how someone like him, who seems to have a perfect body, can have body-issues – just like the rest of us.

"I love burlesque because it can be purely for entertainment, and it can also be performance art," says Lumi, or The Luminous Pariah. Lumi is a performance artist from Seattle and a rising star in the world of boylesque.
“I love burlesque because it can be purely for entertainment, and it can also be performance art,” says Lumi, or The Luminous Pariah. Lumi is a performance artist from Seattle and a rising star in the world of boylesque.

First of all, what is boylesque?
“Boylesque is simply burlesque performed by a male bodied performer or a performer with a male persona. Burlesque is the art of storytelling via striptease, choreography, physical theater, and frequently comedy. It’s sexy performance art.”

How long have men been performing burlesque?
“I’ve been performing burlesque for six and a half years. The burlesque world is definitely dominated by female performers, as it’s originally a female art form, but there is a growing number of boylesque performers worldwide.

Some argue that men don’t belong in such a feminist and female empowering setting because we dominate so many other industries. My take on it is that as long as we’re all respectful and supportive towards one another, then all genders and sexualities should be allowed to be a part of the global cabaret community.”

What’s exciting about it?
“I love burlesque because it can be purely for entertainment, and it can also be performance art. It’s great to have the opportunity to help people forget about the stress of life for a few moments, and it can be equally rewarding to open hearts and minds with story-based performance art.”

How did you get into it?
“When I first discovered burlesque, I was taking a break from uni. I had decided to switch my area of study from Theatre to Ecology. At that time I had said good-bye to all things performance, and was focused on strictly science. I burnt myself out working as a Barista in Seattle as well as taking a full course load, so I decided to take a quarter off. During what was supposed to be a quarter, I stumble across my first burlesque show and was immediately smitten.

At first I didn’t see myself performing burlesque at all, but I loved the art form. I loved that art, dance, theatre, and eroticism all blended into one beautiful and fun art-form.

“The burlesque world is definitely dominated by female performers, as it’s originally a female art form, but there is a growing number of boylesque performers worldwide.”

Eventually I saw a gender bent performer named Ultra who I really identified with. Ultra was the first person I had ever seen that wasn’t super masculine or hyper feminine. He was somewhere else on the spectrum – a blend of both of those extremes. This is exactly how I see myself, a blend of masculine and feminine not to be labelled. Simply: me.

It was so inspiring to see Ultra on stage being purely who he was and witnessing the audience love him for it. He took me on as a mentor and provided me with some performance opportunities in San Francisco. Waxie Moon provided me with some performance opportunities in Seattle, as did Miss Indigo Blue.

As I met more professional performers, I began to wonder how far I could make it as a performer. So I paused school and decided to dedicate every waking hour in my life to become a world-class cabaret star. So far I feel very pleased by the acts that I’ve created, the wonderful people who I’ve met and the amazing places I’ve been able to travel to.”

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Lumi sees himself as a blend of masculine and feminine, not to be labelled as either.

Did you have to overcome any body issues?
“I think that there is some un-written rule in popular culture that says: ‘If someone isn’t morbidly obese, then they’re not allowed to have body image issues.’ People forget that everyone has a body. Body dysmorphia is a very real thing, and there are many media outlets telling us how we should appear to others.

In the past I’ve struggled with feeling too skinny or too overweight within days of each other. Which obviously someone can’t be fat one day and skinny the next, but human brains are very convoluted. For the last couple of years I have really kicked up my interest and engagement in fitness and health. I feel fantastic! Being physically fit is not a choice that I make for other people, it is something that I do for myself.

“I think that there is some un-written rule in popular culture that says: ‘If someone isn’t morbidly obese, then they’re not allowed to have body image issues.’ People forget that everyone has a body.”

However, I do realize that sometimes part of why people enjoy my stage persona is because I can be interesting to look at. I obviously don’t mind being viewed, but more importantly I enjoy when people relate to the story I tell or the character I play rather than what my body looks like.”

What’s your background?
“Part of what I think makes me a strong cabaret performer is my background in theatre and dance. Having a well-rounded movement vocabulary and understanding of story-telling through physical theatre has been very valuable.”

Do you work alone on your act?
“When I make solo work I create everything on my own. I design the costumes as well. I usually create the shoes and headdress, but I’ll have other people do most of the sewing as it is not my forte.

When it comes to performing Lumi says that a background in theatre and dance serve him well. Meneldor Photography.
When it comes to performing Lumi says that a background in theatre and dance serves him well. Photo/Meneldor Photography.

I usually start with a song or a story. Then from there, I design the costume. Lastly I create the choreography.

I keep a large running document of all things that inspire me creatively; photos. textures, music, concepts/stories. When it’s time to create something I open up the document and see what strikes my inspiration most at that time. When I create an act, it usually changes a little bit every time.”

Does performing come naturally to you?
“Yes. It’s something that I’ve always enjoyed, ever since childhood, even though I’m mostly introverted.”

Why did you decide to come to Iceland?
“Circus artist Margrét Erla Maack came to Seattle for the Moisture Festival in 2014 and saw me perform. After the show, she congratulated me on a fantastic job. She asked if I would ever be interested in coming to Iceland and I answered “Of course, yes!” So she told me that we would figure out a way.

I’m super excited about coming to Iceland! Reykjavik seems very culturally colorful. The nature seems beautiful as well. I can’t wait to meet the local cabaret community, see the midnight sun again (I grew up in Alaska), and soak in a hot spring. Are there also geysers?”

What is your goal as a performer and what are your dreams?
“My goal as a performer is to entertain people all over the globe, to inspire social change through engaging performance art and to travel the world meeting interesting people, learning about many cultures and spreading joy and glitter.”

"I do realize that sometimes part of why people enjoy my stage persona is because I can be interesting to look at."
“I do realize that sometimes part of why people enjoy my stage persona is because I can be interesting to look at.”

The Luminious Pariah will be performing with Sirkus Íslands at Reykjavík Pride in August.
You can follow Skinnsemi, adult circus, on Facebook.

Á. Óskarsson
Á. Óskarsson

Á. Óskarsson offers a variety of products and services to sports centers, swimming pools, schools, kindergartens, and the general public. The company specializes in sport-related products, activity-focused games, and a wide range of solutions for sports facilities.

Á. Óskarsson has been involved in numerous big projects related to building sports facilities and has made it their benchmark to offer good quality products and equipment since the company was founded.

See links to social media in the upper left-hand corner

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Á. Óskarsson selur fjölbreytt vöruúrval fyrir íþróttahús, sundlaugar, skóla og leikskóla og einnig ýmsar vörur til einkaafnota. Fyrirtækið selur vörur til íþróttaiðkunnar og leikja ásamt því að bjóða upp á ýmsar lausnir fyrir íþróttamannvirki.

Á. Óskarsson hefur komið að fjölda stórra verkefna við byggingu íþróttamannvirkja og hefur frá stofnun kappkostað að bjóða vandaðar og endingargóðar vörur.

Tenglar á samfélagsmiðla eru í efra horninu vinstra megin.

Webpage/vefsetur

Blush

    Blush was founded in 2011 when it started selling high quality sex products. The goal from the beginning was to change the market and take the discussion about sex products to a higher level. Today Blush provides professional services in a pleasant environment that fulfills different needs, both for individuals and couples. Blush respects diversity and wants to set a good example in all of its messaging to target audiences. Sexual health and equality in sex is important and Blush wants to focus on those issues through education and open discussion. Blush works in a socially responsible manner for society, their customers and the environment.

    Check out Blush’s website: https://blush.is/

    Omnom Chocolate
    - award-winning chocolate maker

      Omnom Chocolate is an Icelandic craft chocolate company based in Reykjavík. We produce handcrafted chocolate from organic cacao beans sourced ethically and sustainably. We’ve developed direct relationships to create premium chocolate with fine flavor cacao beans.

      Our creative flavors are carefully crafted by meticulous chocolate makers. The cacao beans are roasted, winnowed, ground, and refined into melty-smooth chocolate.

      Omnom’s process is one of constant exploration, invention, and experimentation. If it doesn’t please us, if something isn’t absolutely delicious, there’s no reason to be doing it. So, we always start with our taste buds and follow our instincts. Our team searches for the finest ingredients in the world and new ways to improve chocolate. This obsession with knowing where our ingredients come from has led us around the corner to dairy farms in the Icelandic countryside and all the way to rainforest cacao farms of Nicaragua.

      In only a few short years, we’ve grown from our 50 sq. m. petrol station space and become an award-winning chocolate maker. Now, with our headquarters in 101 Reykjavík, our chocolate is sent out around Iceland and all over the world.

      At the end of the day, our goal is to make chocolate.

       

      Nasdaq

         

        Nasdaq (Nasdaq: NDAQ) is a global technology company serving the capital markets and other industries. Our diverse offering of data, analytics, software and services enables clients to optimize and execute their business vision with confidence.

        With over 4,300 employees in 39 offices around the world, at Nasdaq we all contribute to the success of the company and its culture, and each one of us has the ability to make a difference. When it comes to our core mission and values, we embrace the role of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (DIB) as a fundamental driver of our corporate growth, workplace culture and market development. We strive to create a culture that embraces the power of different perspectives—a culture where people’s unique backgrounds and different experiences helps us fuel innovation and support our clients around the world.

        Our unique position at the center of the capital markets allows us to see firsthand how these values have redefined corporate culture and success, deepening and accelerating our own commitment to champion inclusive growth and prosperity, as we strive to create more equitable opportunities to help people of all backgrounds reach their full potential. Most notably, we published our diversity statistics for the first time in 2020. These metrics serve as a quantitative assessment of where we are today and help determine what strategies we need to adopt to enhance diversity in the workplace. We recognize that we have much work to do, but we are steadfast in our commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive culture—one that reflects the communities in which we live, allows all employees to be their true, authentic selves and fosters individual growth and achievement.

        As we move forward together, we will continue advancing diverse ideas and perspectives that help fulfill the promise of a more inclusive and prosperous world. We aim to set the pace for rethinking capital markets and economies anywhere and everywhere. To learn more about the company, technology solutions and career opportunities, visit us on LinkedIn, on Twitter @Nasdaq, or at www.nasdaq.com.

        Blue Lagoon
        - One of the 25 Wonders of the World

        Named by National Geographic as one of the 25 Wonders of the World, the Blue Lagoon is a shimmering expanse of warmth, relaxation, and rejuvenation. Its unique geothermal seawater
        comes from 2.000 meters within the earth where seawater and freshwater converge in a tectonic realm of porous lava and searing heat. Propelled by extreme pressure, the water ascends to the earth’s surface, emerging enriched with silica, algae, and minerals—the elements that endow Blue Lagoon geothermal seawater with its radiant, healing properties.

        From its humble beginnings in the shadows of a geothermal power plant, Blue Lagoon has evolved into a world of wonder, now encompassing two hotels, three restaurants, three
        geothermal lagoons, a subterranean spa, a renowned line of skin care, a thriving research center, and a wealth of spa and refreshment facilities.

        Achieving harmony with the volcanic landscape, the lagoon and its surrounding architecture embody the unification of the man-made and the natural, and adhere to the highest principles of sustainability.

        The Blue Lagoon. A wonder of the world. A world of wonder.

        Landsbankinn
        - leading financial institution
        Landsbankinn

        Landsbankinn is a leading Icelandic financial institution. It offers a full range of financial services and is the market leader in the Icelandic financial service sector with the largest branch network.

        The present bank was established on 7 October 2008 but the history of its predecessor dates back to 1886. The bank is owned by the National Treasury of Iceland, which holds 98.2% of its share capital, and other shareholders who own 1.8%.

        Landsbankinn’s strategy is to provide comprehensive financial services that meet customer’s needs. It emphasizes providing exemplary service to customers, developing e-banking for their convenience, increasing the efficiency of support functions, modernizing its technology and ensuring effective utilization of its balance sheet.

        The bank’s vision is to be exemplary and its role is to be a trusted financial partner.

        Special emphasis is placed on promoting a performance-oriented culture in the bank. To follow up on the implementation of this strategy, the bank has defined key goals which are measured regularly to determine progress. These goals include, for example, customer satisfaction and loyalty, profitability, cost efficiency and the correlation between risk appetite and employee satisfaction.

        Landsbankinn wishes to lead the development of a sustainable society in Iceland by integrating economic, social and environmental concerns in its operations. The Bank aims to ensure that both its owners and society at large benefit from its activities.

        It intends to achieve this aim by building solid infrastructure and a strong team of 1.100 employees, by listening to its customers and by respecting and encouraging its employees to actively participate in their community. Landsbankinn was a founding member of Festa, a Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility, and is a member of the UN Global Compact.

        Landsbankinn has been a proud sponsor of the Reykjavik Pride since it was first celebrated in Iceland.

        Dohop
        - get inspired
        Dohop

        Dohop allows people to find the cheapest flights available with just one click. Founded in Reykjavik in 2004, it is the only Icelandic company of its kind and quickly became the go-to tool for finding cheap flights among the locals. Dohop finds the best deals among hundreds of different airlines and online travel agencies, to make sure that the user is getting the cheapest price. Dohop also offers hotel and car rental search engines, so users can make all of their travel bookings from a single website.

        Dohop‘s specialty is finding so-called “self-connect” flight options, which can save travelers money by booking a ticket through two or more different airlines. The ability to look for these self-connect option is what sets Dohop apart from its competition, as it can save people hundreds of dollars on certain routes.

        More recently, Dohop has developed a unique product called Dohop Go!, which allows users to check for the cheapest available flights from their home airport. This tool is perfect for those who are looking for travel inspiration but are not willing to overpay for their flight ticket. Dohop Go! is now available in the Dohop Flights App, both for Android and iOS, along with its traditional flight, hotel, and car search engines. “

        VSÓ Ráðgjöf

           

          VSÓ Ráðgjöf er alhliða ráðgjafar- og verkfræðifyrirtæki sem leggur áherslu á trausta og faglega þjónustu sem tryggir viðskiptavinum hagkvæmustu lausnir hverju sinni, skilar raunverulegum árangri og stuðlar að samkeppnisforskoti.  Á skrifstofum VSÓ í Reykjavík og í Noregi starfar yfir 80 manna samhentur hópur verkfræðinga og annarra tæknimenntaðra starfsmanna.

          Macland
          - for all your Apple needs
          Macland

          From starting out as a proper startup with only a good idea and the need to change things, to becoming an established company with 6 employees. Starting from scratch and expanding organically has allowed us to love our expansion and take our customers on the ride with us.

          Macland is located at Laugavegur 23 (101, Downtown Reykjavik)
          For all your Apple needs. We are here.

          Ísey skyr
          - once tasted never forgotten

          Our Story
          Once upon a time, 1,100 years ago in fact, Nordic settlers began arriving in Iceland. They brought with them the skills and knowledge for producing skyr. As time passed, the know-how and recipe for this nutritious food slowly faded out elsewhere in the Nordic region. Luckily, the Icelandic skyr-making tradition continued.

          For centuries, Icelandic skyr formed a cornerstone of the national diet, helping to keep people strong in living conditions that were often harsh. On family farms countrywide, it was the women who nurtured this dairy and passing on both the recipe and the original Icelandic skyr cultures from mother to daughter.

          Ísey skyr builds on this remarkable legacy. It was some of those very same women, the recipients of their mothers’ expertise, who, around 90 years ago, taught Icelandic dairy scientists the art of skyr-making. The production process is more high-tech these days, and the quality standards more rigorous. However, the basic recipe and the use of original cultures to ferment the skimmed milk remain the same. Protein rich, fat-free, creamy and delicious – Ísey skyr is as relevant to consumers now as it was all those centuries ago.
          This is our secret and you are in on it

          You can read more about Ísey skyr on our website.

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