Thursday, May 28, 2009

These Rhinestones Taste Like Chicken!

The popular femme blog Jezebel recently quoted Laurie Penny's article for The Guardian in which she denounced burlesque. I posted it on my Facebook page because I had so many mixed feelings about what she said and how burlesque is viewed. The comments heated up my page. Below, I'm including a few of the more thought provoking ones, but I invite you to go to the Jezebel page for additional comments by the general public and professionals alike.

Canadian Wolfman: [There are] too many generalizations and non-issues in the article. If your manager is taking out all of your subversive acts, ditch your manager, gather up your fellow performers, form your own new troupe and do burlesque the way you want it to be done. Build an audience who appreciates what you're doing. LOTS of troupes are doing just that.

Jo "Boobs" Weldon: There's a misconception that comes up constantly when people are offended by partial nudity: "if certain people object to porn, then why don't they object when actresses get naked in multi-million dollar movies?" Those people DO object to the actresses in expensive movies as well as in cheap porn, but because it's harder for them to fight the movie people with money, they go after the lower-income people in porn, and say, "but it's the billion dollar porn industry!" as if there were as many millionaires in porn as in mainstream movies. And burlesque usually happens in bars, not fancy theaters. And most burlesque performers make substantially less than most strip joint strippers.

Delirum Tremens: I find most of the comments on that really offensive. And not even because so many are saying that there is little difference besides class between "stripping" and burlesque (which I don't agree with, but I'm not offended at being conflated with "strippers"). And [what is with] the idiot who said something can't be art if it buys into dominant paradigms or whatnot? I guess most of Western art just isn't art!

John Woods (The Wet Spots): A friend of mine works both in burlesque and in straight strip joints. Her experience has been that many burlesquers are in such a hurry to differentiate themselves from strippers that they sometimes make unfortunate generalizations about them. She herself sees differences between the scenes and a whole lot of similarities. I believe class is a part of it. The great unwashed working class male (read strip club patron) and his boozy, objectifying ways has long been a boogeyman to the upper class reformer. And to the hipster. So if burlesque and strip aren't that far apart, does it mean we should think less of burlesque? Or that we should think better of strip? Finally, burlesque is such a big tent now that it encompasses everything from confrontational performance art, to historically accurate re-creations, to comedy, to pandering music video titillation. It's all of the above.

Penny Starr Jr.: Ugh! I am so over the stripper vs. burlesque debate. We're all strippers! What we do is outside the realm of "normal" (being ashamed of your body). Taking your clothes off in public is a challenging concept to many people, and upon talking to objectors, I find they are quite afraid of their own bodies. How sad. When I hear people say that an act was "too strippery", what I've discovered was they thought the act was boring. I've seen entertaining strippers and boring burlesque, and none of it had anything to do with nudity/costumes/props or showing your taint to the audience. Good performers are good performers!

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Video of the Week

To get you ready for Exotic World, we'll be featuring clips from past performances as we lead into the weekend.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

All The News That's Fit To Strip


Immodesty Blaize chats about her inspiration for her new book, Tease. The novel is based on the fictional character Tiger Starr, an aspiring burlesque dancer. She said:

"[Writing] it was deeply enjoyable, as I could be really wicked with my characters. You write about what you know, I suppose. Of course it's inspired by life. I've met such a range of eccentric characters in my line of work - I've been blessed.

In other news...

Reports indicate that Cher is in talks to join Christina Aguilera in the new musical Burlesque.

Burlesque troupe The Boston Babydolls battle conservative zoning officials over their plans to open a dance studio in Quincy, Mass.

Friday, May 22, 2009

The Candy Gram: Susie Caboose

In our ongoing Q&A series --"The Candy Gram"-- we ask the same quirky questions of burlesque's various performers. If you want to be added to the mix, drop Tanya Cheex a line at t.cheex AT gmail DOT come. Today, say hello to Susie Caboose.

What is your hometown?
The Rose City! Which is a nicer way of saying I'm from Welland, On.

How long have you been interested in burlesque/performing?
Since I was three. That’s when I started dance lessons and I idolized Shirley Temple. I later performed on the Beauty and the Beast stage in Disney World when I was eight and fourteen. Within the last year burlesque was a natural segway from the cabaret style I was trained in and the physical comedy I was using in plays. It combines all my loves for acting, singing, dancing, fashion, perversion (and sometimes food!).

How many pairs of pasties do you own?
I’m a newbie, so I’m resting at seven. I’m really lucky because my best friend is amazing and makes them to custom fit my unique bits. She’s beautiful and so are all her delightful creations.

What are your three favourite songs to perform to?
The Girl From Ipanema, Whatever Lola Wants and Paint It Black. I love anything Spanish or Afro-Cuban as well though; so sexy!

What three items could you not live without as a performer?
Leather, velvet and silk. However, I also dig the use of unnecessary band-aids and tightie-whities.

Who had the biggest influence on your career?
Marilyn Monroe, Fassbinder’s female characters, The Barrison Sisters and Mick Jagger.

Who is your favorite burly queen?
Bettie Page! But in terms of contemporary local artists in Toronto (which I am all about supporting) I love all the cancan belles from The Saucy Tarts.

What is your favorite item of clothing?
My red, leather vintage high heels, “Seville” by RE-MIX.

What’s the last movie you saw?
W. I’ve been disappointed in Oliver Stone though lately. I’m really looking forward to seeing Wolverine. I hope it’s as good as the origins comic series.

What’s on your must-see-TV list?
I need to finish watching the second seasons of Pushing Daisies and The Riches. Two AMAZING series right now. I’m also stoked for the fourth season of Dexter. On a surprisingly new note, I just watched the pilot for Kings and I’m already loving it because of the main character, Ian McShane who played Al Swearengen in Deadwood. I have such a crush on him!

What book is on your nightstand?
Fierce by Hannah Holborn and Apathy and Other Small Victories by Paul Neilan, which is painstakingly funny right now, in a tasteless sort of way.

If you could go anywhere for vacation, where would you go?
Havana

If you could have any superpower, which one would you want? Why?
I’m attracted to the dark side. I’d be a super-villainess, like Mystique or the Phoenix.
I’d like to have teleporting capabilities, or be some sort of half-human/half-machine cyborg. You could go anywhere you damn-well please or have crazy ninja skills, built-in weaponry with a computer enhanced brain. Picture Iron-Man if he never left his suit. What? Nerds do burlesque too...

Satisfy your appetite for more Candy Grams: Gigi La Femme, Kitten on the Keys, Virginia D'Vine, Tamara the Trapeze Lady, Champagne Sparkles, Selia Carmichael, Pyra Sutra, Roxi Dlite, Scarlet O'Gasm, Bombshell Betty, Foxy Moxy, Bambi Galore, Mis Rosie Bitts, Sahara Dunes, Mimi Rockafellar, Baby Le Strange, Rose Darling, Satan's Angel, Ophelia Flame, Panache La Plume, Ginger Valentine, Madame Rosebud, Little Brooklyn, Victoria Veneance, Sauci Calla Horra, Penny Starr Jr., Gemma Parker, Darla DeVine, Sparkly Devil, Vivienne VaVoom, Lux LaCroix, Charlotte La Belle Araignee, Bunny Love, Amber Topaz, Amelie Soleil, Red Hot Annie, HoneyLu, Kimberlee Rose, Vicky Butterfly, Dominique Immora, Yasmine Vine, Cherry Bomb, Millie Dollar, Joanie Gyoza, Bonbon Vivant, Lola Martinet, Frankie Boudoir, Vixen Violette, Ravenna Black, Veronica Lashe, Amber Ray, Beatrix von Bourbon, Angie Pontani, Tanya Cheex, Bloody Belle, Clams Casino, Trixie Little, Michelle L'Amour, Margaret Cho, Miss Dirty Martini, Princess Farhana, Miss Delirium Tremens, Paris Green, Jo Boobs, Jack Midnight, Heidi Von Haught, Diamond Minx, The Titillation Twins, Scratch, Creamy Stevens and Gina Louise.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Video of the Week

To get you ready for Exotic World, we'll be featuring clips from past performances as we lead into the weekend.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Sweet Tart: Take 2

Last week, we introduced you to two new Candy Pitch contributors. Well, our candy bowl just wasn't full enough. Tanya Cheex, who has served up the occasional Behind The Garter Belt column, is coming on as a regular Candy Girl.

Tanya staged her first strip show in her neighbor's backyard. Today, her striptease acts span the traditional to the surreal, from Sally Rand fan dances, pyrotechnics to puppetry. She is the Founder and Artistic Director of Canada's longest continuous running troupe, Skin Tight Outta Sight. She's not limited to Canada -- Tanya has taken off her clothes during the Calgary Stampede, in NYC, Hollywood, Las Vegas and even the Mojave Desert. When she's not shakin' glitter out of her tush, she enjoys writing about it. So, in addition to her interviews with burlesque costumers, Tanya will take on The Candy Gram. Dancers who want be a part of the feature should e-mail Tanya at t.cheex AT gmail DOT come.

Monday, May 18, 2009

All The News That's Fit To Strip

Beginning in June, Holly Madison from The Girls Next Door will be the new headliner in the Vegas revue, Peepshow.

"I feel like this is perfect for me," Madison said. "I've always wanted to be in a really classy, sexy burlesque show."

In other news...

You've gotta have boobs if you want to impress tycoons and rubes -- or so Mike Weatherford informs us.

Gotta Get a Gimmick, From Burlesque to Broadway begins its run at the BB King Blues Club & Grill in New York in June. This new production stars Quin Lemley and features hits like Big Spender and Let Me Entertain You.

Burly queens from the Lone Star State (and beyond) celebrated the 2nd annual Texas Burlesque Festival at Emo's in Austin over the weekend. This two-day event featured performers from around the country including special guest, Michelle L'amour.

Penelope Cruz gives a sneak peek at her burlesque scene in her upcoming film Nine

Friday, May 15, 2009

The Candy Gram: GiGi La Femme

In our ongoing Q&A series --"The Candy Gram"-- we ask the same quirky questions of burlesque's various performers. If you want to be added to the mix, drop us a line at kellydinardo AT gmail DOT com. Today, say hello to Gigi La Femme, whose Revealed shakes things up at Under St. Marks in New York next Wednesday.

What is your hometown?
New York, baby! Astoria, Queens is where I grew up and I currently reside in Brooklyn.

How long have you been interested in burlesque/performing?
My interest in the performing and visual arts started at a really young age-probably around three or four when I first started taking dance classes (ballet, jazz, tap) like most little girls do. I also took avid interest in singing, dabbling with different instruments (guitar and piano) and the visual arts (specifically photography) from elementary school throughout college.

It was in 2004 that I learned I could combine all of the elements through burlesque and better yet, you weren’t required to be classically trained in any way. All you needed to start was an overactive imagination.

How many pairs of pasties do you own?
I would say about 25, including a big, giant one from winning Best Booty Shaker 2008 at the New York Burlesque Festival.

What are your three favorite songs to perform to?
Every Planet We Reach Is Dead by the Gorillaz, I’m Ready by Aerosmith and my new favorite I Am A Very Stylish Girl mixed by Dimitri from Paris.

What three items could you not live without as a performer?
#1: Sally Hansen Airbursh Legs
#2: Pollys! (The best shoes EVER)
#3: Lots of glitter

Who had the biggest influence on your career?
That would have to be Scarlet Sinclair. She introduced me to the art form over five years ago and enabled me to find my own voice in the burlesque community. She guided me in many areas. Whether it was how to make pasties, borrowing books and videos for researching, working out acts or writing that first email asking to be booked--Scarlet was there to mentor me and I couldn’t be more grateful for the experience.

Also, working with Doc Wasabassco of Wasabassco Burlesque has definitely helped shape my on-and-off stage character. From producing to performing, his advice and support has pushed me to think outside of the box. He constantly inspires me and I love him for it.

Who is your favorite burly queen?
Oh, I have so many! Though, the woman I saw for the first time who really knocked my socks off and made me say, “Yes…I want to do THAT!” was Julie Atlas Muz. Talk about pushing boundaries and thinking outside of the box! That woman is a worldwide treasure.

What is your favorite item of clothing?
Okay, my dresses are going to start getting jealous, but it would have to be this black, hip-hugging, wiggle dress I have by Stop Staring. It’s stretchy so you can still eat a hamburger, be comfortable AND look fabulous.

What’s the last movie you saw?
I watched Avenue Montaigne a few nights ago. It’s a French film by Danièle Thompson.

What’s on your must-see-TV list?
I’m a glutton for Gossip Girl, Gordon Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares (the British version), America’s Next Top Model and the original Iron Chef.

What book is on your nightstand?
Nothing at the moment, but I’d really like to find a juicy biography on Stevie Nicks.

If you could go anywhere for vacation, where would you go?
It would have to be someplace warm and tropical. Fiji sounds pretty good to me!

If you could have any superpower, which one would you want? Why?
I wish I could teleport myself around the world. Not only would I be able to blink my way to that Fijian vacation, but it would make those late night train rides (when I come home from gigs) SO much easier. Who knows, maybe my iPhone will have a new teleporting app in a few years.

Satisfy your appetite for more Candy Grams: Kitten on the Keys, Virginia D'Vine, Tamara the Trapeze Lady, Champagne Sparkles, Selia Carmichael, Pyra Sutra, Roxi Dlite, Scarlet O'Gasm, Bombshell Betty, Foxy Moxy, Bambi Galore, Mis Rosie Bitts, Sahara Dunes, Mimi Rockafellar, Baby Le Strange, Rose Darling, Satan's Angel, Ophelia Flame, Panache La Plume, Ginger Valentine, Madame Rosebud, Little Brooklyn, Victoria Veneance, Sauci Calla Horra, Penny Starr Jr., Gemma Parker, Darla DeVine, Sparkly Devil, Vivienne VaVoom, Lux LaCroix, Charlotte La Belle Araignee, Bunny Love, Amber Topaz, Amelie Soleil, Red Hot Annie, HoneyLu, Kimberlee Rose, Vicky Butterfly, Dominique Immora, Yasmine Vine, Cherry Bomb, Millie Dollar, Joanie Gyoza, Bonbon Vivant, Lola Martinet, Frankie Boudoir, Vixen Violette, Ravenna Black, Veronica Lashe, Amber Ray, Beatrix von Bourbon, Angie Pontani, Tanya Cheex, Bloody Belle, Clams Casino, Trixie Little, Michelle L'Amour, Margaret Cho, Miss Dirty Martini, Princess Farhana, Miss Delirium Tremens, Paris Green, Jo Boobs, Jack Midnight, Heidi Von Haught, Diamond Minx, The Titillation Twins, Scratch, Creamy Stevens and Gina Louise.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Sweet Tarts

In our ongoing attempt to satisfy your craving for all the delicious news from the world of burlesque, The Candy Pitch is introducing two new contributors. In addition to Don Sprio, who dishes up sweet photographic treats in his Revealing Images feature, Jo "Boobs" Weldon and Ginger Valentine will be adding their sometimes sweet, sometimes tart but always scrumptious voices to our Candy bowl.

As Headmistress and Founder of the New York School of Burlesque, Jo "Boobs" Weldon has turned up the heat in the burlesque kitchen. She has been photographing and writing about neo-burlesque for nearly a decade. She is the director of the Master Class in Burlesque at Coney Island and produces classes for the New York Burlesque Festival. With Miss Indigo Blue, she is Co-Executive Director of Education at The Burlesque Hall of Fame, and a collaborator on the production of BurlyCon. She has collaborated with Lily Burana on Operation Bombshell. Her book, The Pocket Book of Burlesque: A Backstage Guide, with a foreword by Margaret Cho, is due out from Harper Perennial this fall. And her how-to DVDs are available for those who can't shimmy all the way to NY for her classes. Jo will serve up regular backstage photos and teacher tips for The Candy Pitch.

Ginger Valentine, a former ballerina turned burlesque dancer and instructor, twirls her hips in Dallas. Ginger is the premiere model for the Dallas Dr. Sketchy chapter, modeling for them many times. She has shimmied in bars, clubs and historical theaters all over Dallas. In 2009, Ginger launched her Burlesque Charm School where she teaches classic striptease to a variety of levels. She also traveled to Chicago to perform in Michelle L'Amour's Bells and Whistles show benefiting the Burlesque Hall of Fame. For The Candy Pitch, Ginger dons her reporter hat to bring you our weekly news round-up, All The News That's Fit To Strip.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Revealing Images: Julie Atlas Muz

In Revealing Images, photographer Don Spiro dishes up sweet photographic treats and the stories behind them. Today, Don aims his lens at Julie Atlas Muz.



Julie Atlas Muz is a dancer, actress, performance artist, and a friend. I’d always wanted to take pictures of her at the Coral Room where she performed as a mermaid in a gigantic salt-water aquarium behind the bar. She wouldn’t just swim around and pose like an underwater pin up, she became a fish, staring unblinkingly at patrons and blending in with the other marine life as if she naturally belonged.

Julie called me once to tell me the Coral Room was closing, and that in the last days we could have the place to ourselves for a shoot. This was a dream come true, and we spent an entire afternoon shooting. I shot Julie in different mermaid costumes and also as an aquatic pin-up, but then she changed out of the mermaid tail and wore nothing but a sheer flowing cover-up that both clung to and flowed around her body as she went through ballet-like motions through the water.

Although the bar was very dark, and the water was lit by overhead fluorescents, shooting the tank was like shooting into a giant mirror. The wall of glass reflected every little light in the room, from the neon signs and table lamps to signs for the exit. Shooting straight into the tank I could see my own reflection. I solved this problem by turning off, or turning around, as many of the light fixtures as I could and by putting a polarizer on my lens, turning it until it minimized the reflections.

The fish and coral looked beautiful but flat, the fluorescent lights illuminating everything just enough for bar patrons but too dark to shoot with any depth, especially with a polarizer on the lens. I followed Julie behind the bar and over to the top of the tank, where the fluorescents were rigged to a pipe truss. I brought several of my own tungsten light units: two thousand watt open faced DP lights and two 650 watt open faced Omni units. I put half blue color correction gel to each of them and rigged them at various points over the tank shooting straight down like beams of sunlight cutting through the surface. This lit the bubbles and various particles of dust in the water, creating rays that streaked through the water which Julie could pass through as she moved.

I’m a fan of pre-Raphaelite painters, especially their interpretations of Hamlet’s Ophelia, and I can’t help but draw comparisons. The way Miss Muz moved, her nudity visible through the sheer billowing fabric, the way the light played off the garment’s folds and her body, and the way she turned her face to the rays of the simulated sun all fell in amongst the living sea creatures of the aquarium. I think it is one of the most naturally ethereal photographs I’ve ever shot.

~Don Spiro

Monday, May 11, 2009

All The News That's Fit To Strip

Christina Aguilera is rumored to be making her silver-screen debut in Burlesque, a musical about a small-town gal who moves to LA and finds work at a burlesque club.

In other news ...

The Burlesque Hall of Fame announced the lineup for Exotic World Weekend, June 4-7. (Click on lineup.)

A Wink and A Smile gets more love.

Canada.com chats with Tanya Cheex.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Monday, May 4, 2009

All The News That's Fit To Strip

The reigning queen of burlesque, Angie Pontani chats with Corn Mo about her start in burlesque and who inspires her. About how she creates acts for the Pontani Sisters, Angie said:

"Inspiration in this genre is pretty easy to come by, we started out with the basics, a jungle number a mambo, a can can. Then we started busting out things like our classic chair dance to the theme from the godfather Italian Princess style or our Apache number which was inspired when we toured through the Cherokee reservation in the blue ridge mountains. We passed a cheerleader at a bus stop in Flatbush once and we were like, "oh my god, cheerleader number", our grandmom made us the costumes, we choreographed it and our "Saturday Night" act was born. It sounds nerdy, but inspiration is everywhere. With the Pontani Sisters, we took that and added enough camp and silliness to make it uniquely our own, silly but still nailing those high kicks."

In other news ...

Burlesque shimmies into New Paltz, NY and Cleveland.

A Wink And A Smile director Deidre Timmons thinks her 12-year-old’s exposure to burlesque has helped her have “no body image issues whatsoever.”

London debates whether burlesque is art or not.

The Vancouver International Burlesque Festival shakes things up north of the border.