The guys of 'Boylesque' are celebrating the male form in a beautiful way

Austin McCormick, the founder of Company XIV, might be classically trained in ballet, but the Juilliard alum has always been more concerned with what lies outside the lines.

“I was always a fan of dancers that were outside the box,” he told me on a recent Sunday afternoon at his new theater in Bushwick, Brooklyn.

In fact, when starting his own dance company, McCormick felt strongly about creating something he didn’t see in the mainstream dance world.

“I wanted to create something that was sexy and inclusive,” he said. “I wanted to make sure that I hired and cast diverse body types and all different ages and ethnicities.”

What’s notable about Company XIV is that while it’s anchored in traditional burlesque, it’s anything but old fashioned. Take, for instance, that most of the performers are men. Seen through their bodies, traditionally feminine forms of dance like strip tease, pole dancing, and ballet (en pointe) take on new meaning. The fluidity is striking but any statement being made is up to the audience to interpret, insists McCormick. “I try to not be preachy with our gender bending,” he says. “For me it comes from a place of fantasy and beauty and fun. I hope that the audience leaves a little more expanded or a little seduced or less judgmental.”

Company XIV’s most recent production Ferdinand is all of that: fantastic, sensual, beautiful. You may remember the story. It’s based on a the children’s book about a sensitive Spanish bull who would rather play among the flowers in his field than fight in a ring. His refusal to fight, while disappointing to the people of Spain, ultimately ends in a story of acceptance and finding your own path. It is overwhelmingly positive. For McCormick, that’s the grounding philosophy of burlesque and why he was drawn to it in the first place. “Burlesque always feels very body positive and very much about support,” he said.

Sitting in the audience of a recent production of Ferdinand, I witnessed that support. I can see how empowering a show like this is for both the performers and the audience. Sure, it’s sexy, but it’s more than that. The novelty of the bodies on display quickly wore off and as I watched these powerful performers dance across the stage – in heels and toe shoes – tango with each other and soar through the air with confidence and freedom, I was transfixed.

We spoke to the Company XIV dancers about their relationship to their bodies, their own gender fluidity and what burlesque really means. Below, our photographer, Heins Evander, capture them in their natural element.

Company XIV’s next production, Nutcracker Rouge, is a take on the classic holiday show and begins November 9. For tickets, head here.

Nicholas Katen, 26, @n_katen