Anika Baines: "Burlesque and striptease are a power play for me" #circolo

She sometimes sees people drop out when she tells them that her performance is inspired by burlesque. "They often have certain preconceptions about this and think it's 'something only dirty men want to see'." It remains difficult to convince people to take the first step and attend a burlesque show, Baines says.

The twenty-two-year-old South African loves the creative freedom that circus offers, but also appreciates the limitations it brings. According to her, it is a constant tension between what you want to do yourself and what is physically possible. While studying Circus and Performance art at the Fontys Hogeschool in Tilburg, Baines decided to pursue a minor in sensual dance, which includes burlesque. This dance style, which focuses on self-expression and fun, is characterised by a touch of show, striptease and humour. 

"I love that burlesque allows me to show who I am in a way that fully empowers me," says Baines. "Burlesque and striptease are a kind of power play for me," she continues. "I choose to take off certain clothes and show certain parts of my body to the audience." The performer holds all the power and the audience is, in Anika's words, "along for the ride".

Light-hearted and serious

Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Anika was home-schooled from the age of seven until she was 16. During that time, she competed in several sports at regional and national level, including gymnastics, swimming, football and sailing. When she quit gymnastics, she started pole dancing. Through this route, she was introduced to the circus world. 

At 16, she emigrated to the Netherlands with her family and worked full-time as a waitress before later moving to Italy to pursue circus training. She later moved back to the Netherlands to begin her studies at Fontys. Baines finds artists who embrace their femininity in powerful ways inspiring. Think Lady Gaga or Sabrina Carpenter. She is also fascinated by Cirque Rouge (Austria), British Pantomime and House of Circus.

Fun is Baines' biggest driving force. She encourages audiences to indulge in this with her. "We sometimes lose sight of the magic of life," says Baines. "I am convinced that you can have fun and make a statement at the same time as well as strive for a better world. I also like to prove to myself that I can do something. That's a very strong motivation."

Balancing on the edge of too much

The idea for Baines' solo performance to be seen during Festival Circolo, called: 'One girl, one dragon, a world of adventure!' came about when she suffered a knee injury in October 2022. She was then unable to train for two months, but had to create a solo act for her training. Unable to do a classical hoop technique, she decided to explore the concept of distraction. 

"If I put enough other things on stage, no one would realise that I wasn't actually doing any special tricks. And it worked!" The dragon came from har bonding with the character Hiccup from the film 'How to train your dragon', because he also limped. She turned her hoop into a costume, turned it into a dragon (Norbert) and ended up with a comic burlesque crash course in dragon training given by Baines' burlesque persona Chardonnay Sommers. 

"It's a show with something for everyone," says Baines: "Dragons, breasts, opera and a lot of glitter". The show contains many subliminal messages, puns, pop culture references, costume changes and a skirt that catches fire. By combining old and new, burlesque and circus, and a simple story, Baines wants to create a link between what circus used to be and what it can become now. She does not want to reinvent burlesque, but takes certain aspects of this genre that she likes and uses them as a basis in her creative process. 

Self-confidence

Like many artists who expose themselves on stage, Baines sometimes struggles with self-confidence when it comes to her work. She believes 100 per cent in what she does, but sometimes finds it hard to label it as art or see it as 'good enough'. "Maybe this is because for years I was told that 'because it's fun' is not a good reason to perform something," she says.

Moreover, she sometimes sees people drop out when she tells them that her performance is inspired by burlesque. "They often have certain preconceptions about this and think it's 'something only dirty men want to see'." On the contrary, when people come to see a show, they are often pleasantly surprised by burlesque. Still, it remains difficult to convince people to take the first step and visit a burlesque show, says Baines.

Queer femininity

This year, together with Festival Circolo's production team, Baines is also organising the Queer evening for Circolo, as it ties in well with her performance. The theme is: 'Queer Femininity.' It will be a celebration and learning about what femininity means. The theme will be explored by drag artists, performance artists, circus performers and burlesque artists of all genders. "I hope it will make people rethink their idea of femininity and realise that femininity is a strength and that there is no one way to be feminine."

Future plans

In the future, Baines would like to expand her current 35-minute performance to a full show (between 50 minutes and an hour) and do a theatre tour. Starting in the Netherlands, but eventually also in South Africa. 

Another of Baines' goals is to start a recurring burlesque show with another burlesque artist (Miss Betty L'amour) that celebrates the art of burlesque in all its forms and bring professionals and newcomers together in Tilburg. "We would like to set up a workshop programme that culminates in a show where we give lessons and guidance on burlesque and how to create an act for the stage, including tips on making costumes, working with music, make-up and lighting.