Baring it all in a Northern town: Yellowknife's Brrrlesque going strong in 7th year

Inemesit Graham is a shy person. Or so she says.

As shestruts onstage to Beyonce's Grown Woman wearing a long black gown with faux-pharaoh fixings, there's little timidity on display.

"She is an Egyptian queen," says Graham of her burlesque alter-ego,Neffer-Titties. "She's strong, she doesn't care what anyone thinks, she's in control of the situation, she's a grown woman.

"She's the kind of person I'd like to be if I didn't care what anybody else thought."

It's Graham's first year taking part in Yellowknife's annual Brrrlesque extravaganza. Now in itsseventh year, the four-night show, which runsuntil Saturday, is something of an institution.

Hundreds of tickets sell out online in a matter of minutes, and the cast and crew has grown to 48 people and 27 acts. Even the dress rehearsal on Tuesday evening is packed.

"Really in the winter months there's not a whole lot to do,"quips powerhouse singer Stacie Smith.

A mash-up of dance, comedy, singing and your classic corset-and-nylons, PG 13-style fare, the show is clearly a hit with the boisterous audience.

"People can relate:it's their friends, their familyand co-workers on stage. And when they see them strutting their stuff and being so confident up there, they're connected, and they feel part of it," says show organizer and co-founder Erika Nyyssonen.

It also seems to be a hit with the performersthemselves. Graham has been writing a blog dealing with issues like fitness, body positivity andpost-partumdepression,since having her second child three years ago.

Burlesque, she says, is "an extension of accepting myself and the changes I've gone through and finding a way to be mentally healthy and physically healthy. And burlesque is so body positive it's really helped."

"There's a lot of young moms in burlesque," she adds.

"I think it's become a way for moms to reclaim their bodies, find themselves, not be lost being a mother, a wife and a worker. [It lets you] find yourself, find your confidence, and embrace your new body."

After the show...

Of course, for all the friendship and confidence boosting, baring it all in front of a hometown crowd can lead to humorous run-ins.

Unbeknownst to her, co-founder Camilla MacEachern says she ended up on the front page of the Yellowknifer newspaper in her first year.

"Co-workers were calling me and saying, 'Oh my goodness, great picture, you got the cover.' I had no idea what they were talking about. And sure enough, it was a full colour spread of my skit on stage."

"It made for interesting meetings," she adds with a laugh.

Then there's Smith, who runs a flower shop in town.

"I get a lot of people come in and they're like, 'I know you from somewhere. Where do I know you from?' And you list off all the things where they possibly could and you're like, 'Burlesque?' And they're like, 'Yes.'"

"It's kind of awkward, because they've seen you down to your skivvies. But at the same time, it's an art form and people appreciate that, especially in a small town. People appreciate what you have to offer."