It was Moulin Rouge with a sexy electro-dance twist at the Electronic Cabaret hosted by the Mod Club last Friday. The first thing I (or any red blooded male) would surely notice when walking in to the club was the sheer number of overwhelmingly gorgeous burlesque dancers everywhere, all warming up for the show. Kalen somehow maintained his composure while interviewing these beautiful girls, and I began snapping away.
Then the music came on and the show began. My full attention was drawn to the stage by these sexy dancers, moving to the pulse of a house music mashup. The audience began yelling and cheering — and the show grew more and more interactive as the night progressed.
There was a talented contortionist/singer hanging in the middle of the room and a glowing neon-suited dancer who added to the theatrical presence of the show. The audience all seemed stylish and well-dressed for the occasion, and knew exactly what they were there for: a full-on cabaret experience. At one point a very lucky guy found himself seated in the middle of the stage, teased by 40 stunning women (one wielding a whip) — a funny and entertaining highlight of the evening.
The Toronto Argonauts Cheerleaders took a break from prepping for the upcoming season recently to pose for a calendar photo shoot. I joined the danceNEWS team to see what goes on behind-the-scenes. And after hearing about the 18 hours that the cheerleaders spent in the studio the day before, I’ve got to admit, it sounds pretty tiring. In all, there are 40 girls who will be part of the calendar: that’s a lot of energy, beauty and pep packed into 12 pages.
From the hair to the make-up, the girls were picture-perfect for their moments in front of the camera. Craig Boyko was the lucky photographer who got to shoot the girls lounging in a mini pool full of footballs (as one does). I’m sure many of the guys on our team here at bpm:tv would have gladly volunteered for the job.
Kalen caught up with the cheerleader squad’s head coach — and host of bpm:tv’s Back @ Ya! — Jorie Brown, who gave us a tour of the studio and showed us what goes into one of these photo shoots. She took us into the make-up area, where Wendy, from Inspire Cosmetics, chatted about the looks they were going for. Kalen even got a little touch-up before his turn in front of the camera.
The girls seemed to enjoy the experience, even practicing their routines while waiting for their set-ups. (Now, that’s dedication!) There’s a big season ahead, which will climax with the 100th Annual CFL Grey Cup at the Rogers Centre in Toronto on November 25. Be sure to stay updated with the Argos cheer squad by following them on Twitter (@ArgosCheer), and keep an eye out for the 2012 calendar.
See the full photo gallery HERE. Follow Christina Dun’s blog HERE.
