On Saturday, they will rock you. In advance of their first show ever in a bonafide rock club, Seattlest asked Buttrock Suites co-founder, producer, choreographer, dancer, and lead head-banger Diana Cardiff how exactly they combine Poison and Bon Jovi with grand jetées and pointed toes. However they damn well please, it turns out.

What was the inspiration for Buttrock Suites?

My inspiration for buttrock was from riding around in my car and rockin' out to Boston's "Foreplay/Longtime" on the radio. I thought, this song is so dramatic and excellent. It needs to have choreography set to it. I started thinking how so many of those types of tunes are ripe for creating dance pieces to. They are also nostalgic for me, taking me back to when my brother would play Boston, Styx, and AC/DC incessantly. He would purposely play "Big Balls" (AC/DC) loud whenever my friends would come over to play just to embarrass us. I had a second bout of inspiration after seeing a piece choreographed by Rockhopper (Buttrock producers Matt Mulkerin and Jana Hill's Dance Collective). It was to "Dead or Alive" (Bon Jovi). After that, we became co-producers for the first Buttrock (2003) and soon added two more producers, Bob and Pam Gregory.

Is it an example of “interpretive dance” and if so, what are you interpreting?

It is an example of many styles of dance, movement, theater. No two pieces are alike. Each piece has its own take on a song, whether it be in full stereotypical Buttrock fashion/costumes, glammy jazz, satirical ballet, pedestrian, spoken word, etc.... We even had a butoh piece performed to a Styx tune in a past Buttrock show.

Will ballet aficionados like it?

If they are not uptight, they will love it. It's a celebration/guilty pleasure of all the things us "serious" dancers don't get to do in other companies/choreography. Also, the positive energy the audience exudes at the shows is contagious, whether you like the music or not.

Have you ever lit anything on fire during one of your shows?

No, wouldn't pass codes. I have really wanted to use sparklers, though. People should bring their lighters to hold up for the Buttrock ballads.

What about going on tour--have you considered showing the Suites in the heartland, say...Kent or Federal Way?

Hell yes! If someone will pays us/produce us. I have a vision of us in our stylin' tour bus with Buttrock Suites air brushed on the side and totally decked out. How can we make this happen? That's the question.

Is there anyone who should not go see the show on Saturday? Should Seattlest bring our mother?

It's a good show for all. It will make you feel good. You will get your "rock" on and leave feeling refreshed, naughty, perhaps slightly disturbed, but overall you'll be fully entertained. Yes, bring your mom. My dad and his fiance are coming. Other performers' parents are coming. The crowd will definitely be mixed w/rockers, theater audience members, dance audience members, family, friends and fans of all ages and persuasions.

More on Catholic school girls gone wild, Dee Snider's look-alike, and some sample Buttrock video after the jump.

Co-producer Bob Gregory joins Diana on the delicate details of being a Buttrocker.

Will the show at Neumo's differ significantly from some of your previous performance locations?

Diana: Yes, because we have never done this before. We have never done an entire full length show in a rock club, or had this kind of access to a new audience base. The closest we have come to this before is a New Year's eve gig we did with the "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" band at the Crocodile.

Bob: The live band is huge. You’re gonna ‘feel’ the rock as the band’s awesomeness washes over you.

Can you give us a teaser of what to expect on Saturday?

Diana: Catholic school girls gone wild, East Germany meets West Germany when the Berlin Wall comes down, Dee Snider's look-alike appears, giant clown rocks out with his big ball, spy glam girls rock it to Lita Ford, and much much more.

Bob: Again, Catholic school girls. Is there anything else to say?

Mulletsgalore.com has diligently documented a wide variety of mulletude. If you were a mullet, which one would you be?

Diana: I know exactly what mullet I'd be because I had one sort of in 9th grade. I had the "new wave/bi-level mullet" with the left over perm in the back, too. Lovely.

Bob: I had the "minitruckmullet." Jesus, why didn’t I get my ass kicked everyday for that? Did you say something? What’s that? That’s RIGHT! BECAUSE IT ROCKED!!!!

Top 3 buttrock songs of all time?

Diana: Oh, that is too hard, but some favorites are:

Photograph - Def Leppard
Rock You Like a Hurricane - Scorpions
More Than a Feeling - Boston

Bob:

Livin’ On a Prayer - Bon Jovi
Rock of Ages - Def Leppard
I Wanna Rock - Twisted Sister

9:15pm // Saturday, Feb 24 at Neumos // $15, 21+
9:15 - Pre-show hair rock readings by Bret Fetzer, Sarah Rudinoff, David Schmader, and many more.
10:00 - Prepare to rock. Buttrock Suites w/ live accompaniment.
DJ Dead Air will close out the evening.

Photo courtesy of Michael Doucett