Vancouver Kitty Nights Fights Deportation

• By
• Trevor Jansen

Image by Trevor Jansen
Burgundy Brixx & The Purrfessor

Vancouver's burgeoning burlesque scene faces a serious blow as its American pioneers face off with Canadian immigration

Since their arrival three years ago, Doug Thoms and Kirsten Hogan—better known as The Purrfessor and Burgundy Brixx—have been leaders in the explosion of burlesque across Vancouver’s cultural scene. Even if you don't follow burlesque, you've probably come across it recently at an art opening, charity fundraiser, end-of-year sales party, fetish night or someone you know is suddenly taking a burlesque class.

Originally from New York, this dynamic duo has been hosting Kitty Nights, Vancouver's longest running weekly burlesque revue at the Biltmore Cabaret, every Sunday night. The show's growing success hangs directly from their consistent showmanship, humour and creative rigor. Now burlesquers are coming out of the woodwork to share the stage with them, excited to finally have a dedicated venue for their art form and a screaming, clapping crowd to cheer them on. For their fan base, Sunday nights at the Biltmore are now an institution.

Burgundy also runs introductory burlesque courses, workshops on the art of tease, as well as fun and sexy fitness classes from her School OF Tease. She and the Purrfessor also sit on the board for Vancouver's International Burlesque Festival, a growing phenomenon in its own right.

With the momentum they have gathered they are creating jobs for performers, bringing enough business for the Biltmore to employ staff and unifying a community of fun, flirty and engaged Vancouverites.

Now, however, Canadian immigration is asking The Purrfessor and Burgundy Brixx to leave the country because the documentation that allowed them into the country is no longer valid.

Recently I had the pleasure of spending some time with the power couple to shoot this photo essay and hear their story.

Vancouver community raises funds and support for burlesque power couple

Initially Doug and Kristen were heartbroken and started making plans to move back to the U.S., but since the news of their declined work permits there has been an incredible outcry and flood of support from the community.

A fundraiser packed the Biltmore Cabaret to standing room only the very next weekend to help with the legal fees involved in hiring an immigration lawyer for an appeal. In an online petition that outlined the cultural and economic value Doug and Kirsten bring to Vancouver, they were able to collect more than 1,000 signatures in the first day.

MP Libby Davies has also joined their cause and will present the petition in hopes of swaying immigration decision makers.

Fingers crossed for work permit

For the moment, the community is holding its breath while Burgundy and the Purrfessor are on borrowed time. They have a one-month extension to stay in Canada until early January while the decisions and appeals are being weighed.

Unfortunately their immigration issues are not humanitarian in nature so the cries of support from the community may well fall on deaf ears.

If they were out to win a popularity contest, they’d win easily enough. However, what is really required is for Doug’s education and work experience as a graphic designer (with top magazines like Vogue, Rolling Stone and Elle in his portfolio) to be recognized, in order to qualify for a NAFTA work permit so he can continue work for his current local employer.

Under NAFTA, specific jobs may be performed either side of the border, if the applicant proves qualified, without the employer applying for permission through the department of Human Resources and Skills Development; graphic design is one such job.

Kirsten’s unique qualifications as a performer and entrepreneur also need to be properly considered for a successful bid to stay in the country.

For a town already dubbed No Fun City, it’s frustrating that Doug and Kirsten may be forced to leave on a technicality by a bureaucracy unable to take into consideration the couple's cultural and economic contributions to Vancouver.

Kitty Nights weekly burlesque night at the Biltmore

Below is a series of live-event photos of the beloved host and star of Kitty Nights. The five-dollar Sunday night strip tease packs the Biltmore every week.

Humour, political commentary and storytelling are expressed through five-minute, fully self-contained theatrical performances involving dance, flesh and sensuality. Performances are always a huge hit with the crowd, and the cheers of the women in the audience are far louder than the boys'.

Trevor Jansen is a photographer based in Vancouver, shooting everything from international print assignments to local weddings. He explores the Vancouver experience through his series of photo essays with the assumption that imaginary boundaries can and should be crossed. People aren’t as unapproachable as they seem and more often than not, they will smile for the camera. Website | Twitter