New Dita Von Teese Interview

The queen of the slow, sequinned striptease is on the phone, talking sex, seamed stockings and more sex.

What are you wearing right now, Dita?

Actually, I didn't even have to ask. The woman who was born Heather Sweet, who claims that without make-up she's an ordinary looking natural blonde from Michigan state, has come straight from work-out to interview.

"I wear, like, black simple Capri pants and a shapely T-shirt."

No baggy trackpants?

"I don't like looking in the mirror and feeling sloppy. It's not good for me and it's not good for how I feel about myself, so why do it?"

Dita Von Teese is a self-made sexpot who makes no excuses for her particular brand of manufactured feminity.

"A lot of women are looking for an alternative role model for 'sexy' than just that natural beauty who looks great in a bikini running on the beach with blonde hair flowing and no makeup.

"That's like our beauty icon of modern times. I never felt like I could fit into that, because I am not that. Maybe I stand for someone who is an alternative, who is telling people that you can make yourself into something sexy instead of being born with it."

The Art of the Teese, re-released this month, is the step-by-step bible to being Dita.

"Glamour above all things is what I say," she writes in the introduction.

"There was a time when a lady dressed to the nines no matter what her destination. This great girl wore seamed stockings and garter belts every single day. She curled her eyelashes and she set her hair in luscious waves.

"She painted her lips a flushed, rich scarlet. Wherever the day took her, she wore high heels and satin gloves to her elbows, soaring cocque feathers and veils of the finest netting over her eyes. And so do I."

Take-home message: Anyone can be Dita if they can afford a $10,000 corset that sucks 16cm off their waist; if they have time to paint their nails perfectly; if crucially they don't mind getting their gear off.

Von Teese, 36, has led a worldwide revival of burlesque, the art of getting all-but-naked to music, that had its heyday when dancers such as Sally Rand and Gypsy Rose Lee dominated the American stage.

And, she says, unless you're prepared to strip, you're not honouring history.

"You're taking away from what those women did. If they did a strip tease in the 1930s down to pasties and a g-string, that's what I'm going to do, and I don't have any respect or admiration for pseudo-burlesque and celebrities who dance around the stage singing Big Spender with a feather boa."

Recently, at the French Crazy Horse cabaret, Von Teese accidentally pulled down her g-string.

"The crowd went wild and I was so terrified for a moment and then I remembered I was in Paris ... and I went, 'oh, I forgot, I'm allowed to do this'."

In the increasingly conservative United States, she says, there is the risk of an arrest for indecent exposure.

"Which sounds like a good time to me, actually. It's fantastic when you look at the old publicity photos of the stars being dragged off in nothing but a mink coat and their g-string. They loved it. It was great for business."

Von Teese hardly needs added exposure. Multiple magazine covers, advertising deals, a divorce from metal singer Marilyn Manson, and an alleged year-long stint of celibacy have kept her firmly in the headlines.

"It was a strange thing," she says. "When I was going through the most traumatic parts of a public divorce, I discovered I was one tough bitch.

"I was in the thick of it, but I was still able to go out on stage and convey fun and sensuality and feel powerful. It was a moment when I realised I could do anything ... and I was really happy to learn that lesson."

Actually, she'd like to clarify that celibacy rumour: "I was speaking very seriously about how it was to be divorced and that it was difficult for me to get back into the swing of things and it took some time. But make no mistake, I was having all kinds of fun. I was never, ever celibate."

The pin-up girl whose used stockings sell for $85 on the internet (she thinks that's sweet, not sleazy), and who, literally, has a fetish flipside (the second half of her book is big on leather, boots and binding), insists she's a girl's girl whose biggest fans are women.

"I'm not the one trying to seduce your boyfriend when you walk out of the room, I'm not the one who gets drunk and dances on the table and wants to expose herself to everyone and prove her sexuality."

Von Teese says she wants to be remembered as someone who evolved, not revived, burlesque. Most famous for the routine where she sponges off in a giant martini glass,

"I have, like, 20 other shows that are new and unique to burlesque".

She is not, she says, the world's most beautiful or talented woman. "I'm very average in many ways, but I have a lot of ambition and a lot of drive and all of it comes from a very genuine place."

The Art of the Teese celebrates Dita, variously, as a femme fatale, a showgirl and a movie goddess. She poses with powder puffs, astride a lion and in a bath.

But she also appears gagged and trussed; she sports a whip, eye mask and black boots and says, "for me, fetish is a sensual magical charm".

"The definition of feminism is about having the choice," says Von Teese.

"When you put yourself in that position as a submissive, especially in modern times, it's by choice. I'm totally controlling that, I chose the outfit, I chose the lighting and I had the idea ... I like the idea of the two-sided book, the good girl versus the bad girl and the fact that we can be all of those girls. It's up to us to decide."
By KIM KNIGHT - Sunday Star Times

Dita Von Teese: I’ve got three men on the go

Dita Von Teese has revealed she’s currently courting three lovers.

The burlesque dancer says the trio have been keeping her busy.

‘Right now I've got three [men],’ she says. ‘They're all in different
parts of the world... That's my biggest sin - juggling men.’

Dita, 36, real name Heather Sweet, also admits she’s resolved her differences with ex-husband Marilyn Manson, 40.

‘He's been in touch a little,’ she tells The Sun. ‘The apologies come,
and he was like, “I made a big mistake.”

'And I'm like, “Yeah, yeah, I know. Go ahead and say what you need to say to feel better and to sleep at night.”’

Forty Deuce Burlesque to Headline the Show

Looks like Ivan Kane's Forty Deuce is not entirely dead? I just received this new release:

Forty Deuce is not your Daddy's burlesque this show blends live jazz and rock with choreographed dance, sensational costumes, and theatrics. The troupe consists of eight dancers and six musicians directed by the show's creator Ivan Kane and his wife Champagne Suzy, a former burlesque star. Kane's bold and sexy-cool brand of burlesque has previously been featured at clubs in Hollywood and Las Vegas, and is always a staple of the jet-set entertainment scene.

The Forty Deuce and Royal Jelly dancers are professionals with an impressive list of credentials that include performances with the likes of Cher and Bette Midler in Las Vegas. Their costumes range from classic, floor-length gowns adorned with Swarovski crystals that sell for upwards of $2,000, to corsets and bustiers that fetch up to $800.

A large part of the Ivan Kane's world-famous burlesque is the special attention he gives to sound, light and theatrics. It's not uncommon to see the dancers twirling in the air on special rigging, or using props during their show. The Royal Jelly portion of the show is particularly high-tech, featuring 2,500 light cues timed to music, plus lasers and smoke machines.

Ivan Kane's Forty Deuce World-Famous Burlesque, April 24th & 25th; shows at 6:00pm and 9:00pm; tickets $60 (with dinner), $35, $25; available online at www.HotWaterCasino.com/TheShow or by calling Star Tickets Plus at 1-800-585-3737.

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Burlesque an Antidote to the Recession?

Allan Sartori is staging the glamorous shows at the Rocket Club in Broad Street, Birmingham, to help depressed punters beat the credit crunch blues. Burlesque show dancers at the Rocket Club in Birmingham

The businessman organised the racy nights after researching burlesque and finding it had been traditionally popular during times of economic worry.

“Going back in history over two centuries I was surprised to see it was particularly popular in times of stress and danger and I think that’s what’s sparking a real interest in it now,” he said.

“During the Great Depression in America it was really huge as it was a form of escapism which really appealed to people.

“They want to get away from all the misery and see something outrageous and sexy, and this is just what this is.”

He added: “I was a bit nervous before the first show.

‘‘We had all these beautiful ladies from all over the country and this is Birmingham’s first burlesque show – but before we opened we had a queue of people outside the door and we pretty much had a full house.

“Surprisingly, there were a lot of couples and women here. It was not like a normal night at all.”

Dancer Vicky Butterfly added: “Burlesque can be almost anything, it’s a mixture of variety circus performance art and dance. I think there’s already a big following for it in Birmingham so it’s great that there’s now a big show here at the Rocket and more people can get to see it.”

She also agreed that the show would help put smiles back on the faces of recession-bitten Brummies

“In times of trouble people tend to come back to shows like this, and we’re more than happy to have them.”

Burlesque first started in 16th Century Italy but became more widely popular in the 17th Century. It did not traditionally feature striptease until the 20th Century in America where the strip act became the chief attraction.

Burlesque Making Women Feel Empowered

It's not about turning men on, but making women feel empowered, say a troupe of Nelson women who will be pulling on their frilly knickers and lacing up their bustiers for a burlesque show this weekend.

With the motto of "empowering women", the women of the Diamond Dolls Burlesque Troupe are on a mission to make women realise that sexiness comes in all shapes, forms and shades of mascara - as well as putting on a "deliciously tempting" night of comedy and theatrics.

Troupe member Jasmine (Lilly La Rouge) Turner says the troupe performed for the first time at the Phat Club's late-night fringe festival last October, and since then have had five shows in Nelson and Christchurch.

This weekend, the troupe's show features a "twisted love story" punctuated with singing, cabaret, comedy, dancing and a "little bit" of tease.

"Burlesque is the art of tease, but uses sexuality as a form of comedy and parody," Turner says.

The troupe are willing to adapt to whatever type of audience turns up. As well as encouraging the audience to dress up, they like to include the audience in the show, Turner says.

Thanks to the likes of American burlesque and fetish star Dita Von Teese, who has helped to popularise the genre's revival, the Diamond Dolls are enjoying being part of the new wave of modern burlesque.

Hairdresser Tania (Madam Kitty) Norris, whose outfit includes a pair of cat's ears and a whip, says the aim of the group is to break though any cultural ideas that women should not be overtly sexual.

Women should be strong and independent with both their careers and sexuality, she says.

The troupe members are slowly building up personal wardrobes to suit their individual characters, who include Cherry Pop, Miz Blackheart and the most recent addition, Foxy Gold.

Surprisingly, the troupe also has a male member, Eddie Mann, who for the show is known as Sergeant Sly Foxxx.

Marilyn Manson apologizes to Dita Von Teese

Marilyn Manson has told ex-wife Dita Von Teese he made "a big mistake".

The burlesque performer claims her former spouse regularly contacts her to apologise for the breakdown of their year-long marriage.

Dita, who cited irreconcilable differences when she filed for divorce in 2006, said: "He has been in touch a little. The apologies come, and he was like, 'I made a big mistake.' "

The brunette beauty has previously spoken out about her decision to split from the goth rocker, claiming she couldn't support his "partying or relationship with another girl". It is believed Manson was having an affair with now-girlfriend actress Evan Rachel Wood.

Dita is unimpressed by Manson's attempts to repair the rift between them and is keen to move on with her life.

She added to Inked magazine: "I'm like, 'Yeah, yeah, I know. Go ahead and say what you need to say to feel better and to sleep at night.' "

Dita is in no rush to settle down again and is currently dating men from several different countries.

Mel B's Burlesque Debut

Mel B is the latest star to ruffle feathers in a burlesque style, posing in sexy Ultimo shots that could have come straight from the Moulin Rouge.

Last month Girls Aloud teased the Brit Awards audience with huge feathers, waist-cinching corsets and eyelashes longer than Nadine Coyle’s legs.

And singer Katy Perry, Paris Hilton and even Blue Peter goody-two-shoes Zoe Salmon have all been stepping out in striptease style with va-va-voom outfits.

They’ve shown that being sexy isn’t about letting it all hang out. Instead, they’re embracing their curves, celebrating sauciness and going girlie.

Mel, who makes her debut in a Las Vegas spectacular called Peepshow next month, says:

“Burlesque is all about embracing and celebrating your body. A girl’s gotta have great lingerie, but it’s also all about the wink and the tease that goes with it!”

It’s girl power all over again and Britain’s women — and fellas — can’t get enough.

Having achieved mainstream status in the US, burlesque’s cheeky take on the striptease is captivating the UK. Titillating dance classes are springing up from Widnes to Wapping, girls are donning their glad rags for dinner dances at revue bars and the market for burlesque-themed hen parties is soaring.
By TONI JONES

Councilor vs Boston Baby Dolls

Maybe it's the names - Betty Blaize, Dainty Melons, Honey Do, and Joy de Vie - or maybe it's the sequins the women wear. Whatever it is, Quincy city councilor Brian McNamee isn't much interested in the burlesque troupe known as the Boston Babydolls. "Mr. McNamee told me he didn't want 'boas, strippers, and (expletive)' in his neighborhood," says the Babydolls's flamboyant founder and frontman Alex Newman, who goes by the name of Scratch. (McNamee didn't return our call yesterday.)

At issue is a dance studio the troupe has been trying for several months to open on Billings Road. When McNamee got wind of it, the certificate of occupancy was revoked. "In describing his neighborhood, Mr. McNamee said it's lace-curtain Irish," says Scratch. "He felt his constituents would react badly if we were there, but I don't think he knows the difference between strippers and a burlesque dance troupe."

Scratch said his group has so far racked up $10,000 in legal fees trying to move into the Billing Roads building, and they're not giving up. "This would be a community resource," he says, "offering dance and fitness classes for children and adults."

Even while they're fighting City Hall, the Babydolls are busy. The Great Boston Burlesque Exposition and Vintage Fashion Fair takes place April 10 at The Hyatt Regency.

Les Folies Bergere Ends

Recently we reported on the closure of Ivan Kane's Forty Deuce Las Vegas, now Les Folies Bergere, the classic Parisian revue, has also ended after a nearly half-century run at the Tropicana.

Folies Bergere opened on December 24, 1959 under Entertainment Director Lou Walters - father of news correspondent Barbara Walters - and came direct from Paris to the Tropicana. The show has continued to entertain audiences from around the world through the present day.

Here is Hank Greenspun's review from it's opening year:

From Chopin to Can-Can.

In April 1957, the Tropicana Hotel opened in our city. It was a plateau in the development of the town, for new standards were set for future builders to follow.

It was plush, comfortable living for persons of most discriminating taste — accommodations which could only be found in the largest of metropolises. For many it was bringing the famed Taj Mahal and planting it in the middle of the desert for gambling pilgrims to come and admire.

They came in droves and admired from a distance. They looked but did not touch. Elegant magnificence which kept the average person away who feared the cost of such apparent luxury.

The Tropicana shows were brilliantly conceived spectaculars that would have packed them in anywhere else in the country but like the hotel itself, Las Vegas was not quite ready for such sumptuousness.

People shook their heads and wondered how long the place would last. The feeling was until the owners ran out of money and from the changes in management, the end might have been closer than many people realized.

It all belongs to history now. The Tropicana has arrived and its success is only limited by the number of rooms they can keep adding.

For probably the first time in the brief history of the hotel, something occurred Friday night which would have amazed every other Strip hotel owner only a few weeks before. A man offered a woman dollar blackjack player $50 to give him her seat at the tables. That’s how crowded was the casino.

And without taking anything from J. Kell Houssels, the present managing director who has done a remarkable job in instilling life into an almost dormant but glorious structure, credit will go to the show which opened Christmas night.

We’re not supposed to write about the “Folies Bergere,” which arrived at the Tropicana direct from Paris, France, because the official press opening is on Monday night. The purpose being to give Producer Lou Walters a chance to iron out any bugs which usually arise in bringing over so mammoth a production from foreign shores. If improvements are to be made, it isn’t apparent to this critic who has seen them all and will have to admit that it will be many a year before anything in Las Vegas will be able to top it.

The “Folies Bergere,” which supposedly made Paris famous, is a cheap imitation of the “Folies Bergere” which opened at the Tropicana two nights ago.

From beginning to end this is the most dazzling entertainment which any city has been privileged to see. It’s saucy, piquant and racy in the splendidly provocative French way.

It’s the Old French theory of “girls, girls, girls.” They come at you from all sides in the most dazzling of costumes and shapes. And not just a display of feminine nudity but beautiful, talented dancers whose facial expressions and body movements are continental theatre.

From Chopin to Can-Can, all phases of the theater are covered in an hour and a half of entertainment that becomes more delightful and intriguing as scenes unfold. Georges Lafaye and Company make a top hat and a feather boa speak the language of love with almost human expressions.

Varel and Bailly Et Les Chanteurs De Paris are a group of top French recording stars who sing a medley of French and American music which actually starts the audience humming and swaying. The poignancy of the French love songs and the beauty of music from “My Fair Lady” — sung in French — are intertwined with rare skill and enchantment.

Every act is terrific and magnificently produced in rare good taste. There are nudes but not just the standing-around kind. These are occupied nudes guaranteed not to offend anyone’s sensibilities including our county commissioners who have rare talents of becoming offended at the most artistic of acts.

“Folies Bergere” transplants you to another world. A lovely continental atmosphere that moves so fast the audience doesn’t realize it’s over until they spontaneously come to their feet to salute the performers.

We don’t mean to steal a march on the show critics but only to comment on the new stability that has finally been attained by one of Las Vegas magnificent showplaces.

London has its Palladium. In Paris it was the “Folies Bergere” and Le Lido de Paris. New York had its Ziegfeld Follies. Now Las Vegas — a small town nestled in the desert miles from anywhere — has them all and in greater splendor.

Las Vegas, the entertainment capital of the world, is now no idle boast.

London Burlesque Festival Kicks Off!

Chaz Royal's 3rd Annual International Burlesque Festival, London: April 1,2,3,4,5.

Over the past decade the art of Burlesque has grown to near mainstream popularity in North America. In recent years this Burlesque Revival has shimmied it's way back across 'The Pond' currently taking the UK by storm! It was only a matter of time before this 'Neo Burlesque Resurgence' would generate the demand for an international showcase in a contemporary city that continues to maintain it's nostalgic aesthetic and reputation as one of the greatest cultural epicentres of the world...

Ladies and gentlemen, Chaz Royal's International London Burlesque Festival is back for a 3rd year, showcasing the best in British Burlesque & beyond!
Chaz Royal is a name that sets the precedent in Burlesque entertainment worldwide having produced Burlesque events in over 200 cities and being the first to successfully book Burlesque tours across North America, the UK and Europe. With over 15 years of experience in the entertainment industry, all of Chaz Royal's groundbreaking endeavours have culminated to the Burlesque world's grandest event for 2009!

The London Burlesque Festival will expose Londoners as well as Burlesque connoisseurs from across the Globe to over 100 of the world's best Ecdysiasts who have been selected from over 200 applicants hailing from North America, Europe, the Netherlands, Australia and the United Kingdom. The festival will feature a variety of acts ranging from the nostalgic traditional style of Burlesque's early years to 50's 'Bump and Grind' as well as more modern avant-garde interpretations that are growing in popularity with Neo Burlesque's younger set.

There will be several showcases of sizzling strip tease, vaudeville variety and Burlesque pageantry at it's best taking place in London's finest districts over the span of five fabulous nights.

Some of the Burlesque talent performing includes: Beatrix Von Bourbon, Miss Polly Rae, Miss Scarlett Diamond, The Slipper Room Revue, Tomahawk Tassels and many, many more.