Behind The Garter Belt: Scarlett James
Scarlett James, the Countess of Burlesque is the founder and executive producer of The Montreal Burlesque Festival Sept.23rd to 25th Coming up you can also view her in all her splendour’s glory July 23rd for the Toronto Burlesque Festival. What is the importance of costuming to the burlesque performance.? Do
Pillow
By the time she won Miss Exotic World in 1995 Pillow had been combining elements of classic striptease with a unique modern twist for nearly two decades while simultaneously becoming a champion bodybuilder. Pillow began her burlesque career in 1976 in the standard sort of go-go clubs that featured bikini
The Exotic Dancers League
There wouldn’t be a Burlesque Hall of Fame and Museum if there hadn’t first been the Exotic Dancers League. As theatrical burlesque began its decline after WWII and the main venue for striptease moved to the nightclubs, striptease performers found themselves increasingly detached from the support networks the burlesque circuits
Behind The Garter Belt: Anna Fur Laxis
Anna Fur Laxis blew me away with her clever Bettie Page tribute at The Windy City Burlesque Festival last April. With the amazing transitions from Bad Bettie to Good Bettie, I thought she was just the dame to interview for my costume column. You can check out her amazing act
Burlesque vs. # burlesque
By now I’m sure you’ve heard about the new movie Burlesque, which features no actual burlesque. It’s got the BQ community up in a tizzy; and understandably so – some of us have been working in this genre for a decade or longer, so when you claim to make a
Behind The Garter Belt: SATAN’S ANGEL
When I saw Satan’s Angel perform her fire tassels routine out in the Mojave Desert heat in 2005’s Miss Exotic World pageant, I was speechless. This woman was Tina Turner and Mick Jagger rolled up into one fiery package. She is the rock n’ roll of burlesque! I’ve been fortunate
Get Thee to a Mentor!
***Below are my personal opinions on mentorship. I have a big mouth, and this is my blog. Be warned.*** As I sit here, as I often do after reading my books and autobiographies about success and successful people, all I really wanted to share is: GET THEE TO A MENTOR!
All the News That’s Fit to Strip, 11.15.10
It wasn’t easy to get Burlesque on the big screen. This $55-million movie is a big risk for its production studio, Screen Gems. In other Burlesque news, the film’s star Christina Aguilera planted her hands in the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Then later kicked off the LA premiere last night.
Backstage at the New York Burlesque Festival
It’s been hard to keep up with this blog while keeping up with Twitter, Facebook, and Formspring, and while writing and promoting a book! One thing I used to do frequently that I miss is sharing a few recent photos I’ve taken. I hope you enjoy these shots from backstage
What To Do When You Faceplant on Stage
On Wednesday, I had a bad show. It happens. And as performers, we all must deal with it at some point. But it’s how you deal with it that makes the difference. Now, it’s not like I tripped and busted open my face (which I’ve done) or accidentally took a