In my college town, there was a singular gay club, Martha's Vineyard, that regularly hosted a dance group from my University to do burlesque-inspired performances. I was invited to photograph Mo State Dance Company on a number of occasions. The environment was only half the story- thirty something dancers crammed into the downstairs of a nightclub in a red state made for some good conversation. For six ish hours, these girls at the edge of their lives got to dance like nobody was watching with everyone watching. These photos were taken moments just before curtain with Martha's basement girls.