I emcee events. I’ve been doing it for years. And such is my professional pride, I often find myself looking down critically on other emcees. That gives context, and the measure of what I am about to say next.
When I first saw Sweet Beat Petite, hosting Hopmonk’s Valentine’s Day Burlesque and Cabaret, I was impressed. I was so impressed that I paid her a compliment I have never paid anyone before. I stepped onto the stage after the curtains and asked her to “please teach me.” I now believe, whatever our pride, some part of us is always waiting for a true master to appear. And I believe Sweet Beat Petite is the North Bay’s most skillful and charismatic master of ceremonies. She is in complete control of her full-body instrument.
That is the impression she makes in front of a packed crowd, posing under a thousand-watt spotlight. With flourishes of vaudeville humor and Broadway cheer—through a generous outro of the previous act, through a table-mounting burlesque performance that upstages it, into a full-throated morning song of positive affirmations as she stalls for the next act—Sweet Beat Petite accomplishes it all while wearing little more than a few hundred sequins.
The impression is not of an erotic dancer or a showperson, but that of a high level martial artist demonstrating combinations from the master’s manual.
In promotion of her next show, at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts (Performance Lab, 6pm May 4), I sat down with Cassandra* Hampl (aka Sweet Beat Petite) to get a grounded sense of the wider woman. By the way, the asterisk on her name is silent.
Cincinnatus Hibbard: Could you introduce yourself to our readers?
Cassandra* Hampl: I’m Cassandra*, aka Sweet Beat Petite … and I’m a human in a suit—female form, and grateful (laughs).
Professionally?
I am a professional performance artist and energy psychology practitioner.
I see many schools in your performance style—including vaudeville comedy. Could you break your style down?
There is the microphone arts section, and then there is the dance arts section—oh, and the beautiful costume-design section. I am a public speaker, storyteller, poet, MC, wedding officiant, guide, coach and oracle. Then I am a belly dancer, burlesque performer, nude art model, fire dancer and a martial artist.
Now we don’t have the column space to fully enlarge upon your theoretical work and psycho-spiritual practice—you are in fact a multiple author. Perhaps we can invite the reader to research “energy psychology” and refer to your five published works?
“Open to Source: Channeled Musings Vol. 1,” “One Breath at a Time: A Story for
Empath Children and Those of Us That Sometimes Feel Overwhelmed,” “M.U.S.E.: My
User Systems Explained,” “The D.I.Y. How to Be a Functional Human Manual” and my
oracle deck, “The Mystery Within: 47 Archetypes of the Divine Feminine.”
That’s quite a feast. Tell me, what unifies these works?
Energetic psychology … and the unified field theory (laughs).
(laughing) Now that we’ve typed you, say something unexpected about yourself.
I’m actually a deeply hermitted introvert (laughing).
Cassandra*, what’s your dream?
To create and to own a castle village retreat center where I can run “summer camps” for highly gifted people and amplify their extra-sensory abilities.
Learn more: Follow linktr.ee/sweetbeatpetite for links to Cassandra* Hampl’s many offerings. And see her May 4 at 6pm at Sebastopol Center for the Arts, 282 S. High St.
