Photos of the Montreal Burlesque Festival at Club Soda.

The routines and the costumes shot up front, then backstage for the makeup, hair, and the work that goes into a show like this.

Stage light changes fast and the acts do not pause, so every frame stayed ready for the peak of each routine. Backstage told the other half of the story, the hours of prep behind a few minutes on stage.

The photos capture the energy and the craft of the burlesque community.