For this month’s Austin Writers Roulette, I dressed up as the Angel of Redemption, which worked because I introduced myself as such and then read my short story, “Renouncing the Devil.” Yet, when I put on the same costume yesterday to celebrate Halloween, my favorite holiday, I just told people that I was a death angel. Short sweet and no further explanation necessary…of course no one guessed that. Instead I was asked if I’d dressed as Lady Gaga or Nicki Minaj.
My first stop was at a friend’s apartment where many of us started our night. A group of them got together to be dress like lucha libre characters. Another was a power ranger and I was amazed to see the flamboyance of the Mad Hatter. That got me into the Halloween spirit.
Unfortunately, none of my friends from that party were going to the Zombie Ball with me. One of the days, I’m going to convince at least one other person to attend. Nonetheless, this being Austin, I was immersed into a friendly, creative crowd of Halloween revelers who enthusiastically posed, sometimes for multiple shots, given my shitty camera.
I had a great time dancing and watching groups of people strut their stuff down the red carpet to have their picture taken. I conveniently stopped them to take their picture as well. Some costumes were cleverly from the neck up like the fish head couple, but others were far more elaborate such as the samurai and geisha couple. The scariest couple was the zombie prisoner and a woman who just looked like voodoo incarnate.
When I finally went inside, a pole dancer was in the middle of her routine. Unlike last year, this performer entertainer wowed the crowd with her skills without taking her clothes off. At the risk of sounding prudish, I think it’s sexier to leave something to the imagination…
Unless you’re a burlesque performer! Those ladies cleverly worked in the big reveal after three or so minutes of singing, dancing and teasing the crowd. What was so refreshing was the confidence the women had strutting their stuff without a care in the world–or plastic surgery.
Then a three-member troupe of circus performers contorted their bodies, danced with twirling lights and hula hoops.
Around midnight, the costume contest commenced. The female winner was a skeleton showgirl and the male winner was a zombie, but he won not just for how well he did his make up, but he had the most impressive zombie walk, truly adding another layer to the whole costume.
In between pole dancing, aerial dancing, costume contest and burlesque, a couple of bands played. The first one I wasn’t too impressed with and went back out to the red carpet to oooh and aaah over the costumes, but the second band was edgy and threw in jazzy tunes and quick syncopated rap. The last band of the night were from Brooklyn and had lots of percussion. I listened to about half of their set before my age caught up with me, dreaming about what I want to be next year.