Dolphina's Cardio Burlesque Goddess Workout

Time to add some Valentine’s sizzle to your shimmy? Dolphina has the workout for you.

In Cardio Burlesque - the latest in the Goddess Workout series, Dolphina teaches cabaret-style moves that will sculpt and define your entire body.

A West Coast belly-dancer by training, Dolphina began performing burlesque at a yearlong residency at the Viper Room in Hollywood with the original Pussycat Dolls. She decided to turn her act into a workout.

“You’ll be amazed how the shimmy can get your heart rate up, burn calories and shake off those pounds,” said Dolphina during a phone interview from Marina Del Rey, Calif. “Sculpting, toning and lengthening in a feminine way. Much like Pilates, you keep your curves.”

The 45-minute workout burns 400 calories, starting slowly and building into a full cardiothumping exercise that requires a lot of attitude.

In “Beyond Basics Bellydance,” Dolphina offers a total body workout. One move called “snake arms” requires you to alternately roll each shoulder, elbow and wrist making a wave motion that mimics the movement of a serpent. Your biceps really start to burn. If done properly, you can target that little tricep area,” Dolphina explained. “After doing the workout three times a week for three weeks, there’s something magic that happens, and it’s more than just the technique,” she said. “It’s the feeling of letting go, feeling free and liberated.”

The third week should also bring the dawn of definition, as your waist begins to slim.

“It’s nice to have these moves in your back pocket,” Dolphina said. “It gives you confidence.”

Kitten DeVille's Burlesque Debut

Kitten Deville finishes out the Burlesque Debut at the Grind by showing us all why she's the Professor of the Burlesque for Beginners classes.

Porcelain TwinZ Scandal at Box Burlesque Club

The Box is one of the most interesting and decadent spectacles in downtown nightlife. Owned by Simon Hammerstein, descendant of the theater scion, the jewel-box theater hosts a variety of unique and sexually-charged acts nightly. Open since 2006, it's still a pretty hot ticket—“If you’re good enough to make it in, you’ll make it in," Box partner Cordell Lochin told the Observer.

They're able to charge over a grand for a table on certain nights. But trouble is brewing, and we're not talking about two-bit drug raids or carping scenesters.

It looks like the club's sexiness has gone to one owner's head:

The fetish-burlesque cabaret duo the Porcelain Twinz have been performing their hot-twin act for years. They were mentioned in Neil Strauss's pickup-artist book The Game: "You know what's funny," they told the author when he tried to hit on them, "We get all our physicality out on stage... we're probably more distant than most sisters."

Last year, they were tapped to perform at the Box. They recently quit the show, posting a long screed on their website called, "This is Why We Left the Box in NYC." They accused the handsome Hammerstein of everything from neglecting his dog to pressuring them into a threesome; they also mentioned that last month, the entire tech staff quit.

Their complaints resulting from the sexed-up work environment ranged from employee ass-slapping to sex they didn't want to participate in to other types of sexual coercion and job threatening. Hammerstein also allegedly charged them $2000 a month to live in an 8X20 room in his apartment.

A former Box employee we spoke to said that the Porcelain Twinz's story is "not at all" an isolated incident—and said she quit because of "a specific incident with Simon Hammerstein." What, exactly, is going on inside this Box?

From the Twinz:

• "Simon Hammerstein regularly slaps the girls so hard on the buttocks, that it leaves handprint welts for at least two days before leaving a bruise. This has happened to one of us as well as several of the classically trained dancers known as the "Hammerstein Beauties." Simon sexually harasses the employees constantly..."
• "He abuses the tech staff on a daily and nightly basis, constantly putting them down, calling them idiots, and ripping headsets off of tech staff's heads when he is in a fit of rage over something."
• "Simon sexually harasses all of the Hammerstein Beauties requiring all of the girls to sleep with him if they want to have a job, or if they want to be chosen for a special spot in the show, while constantly pushing cocaine on them."
• 
  

  The former Box employee we spoke with said, "I've seen this stuff happen. And I've experienced similar things. There was also a lot of job threatening... the treatment of staff is pretty abysmal. The slapping of asses, etc—I would see that all the time. It was playful, but then it was... not cool."

  "I had a lot of fun at the Box, and I love it. The staff there is some of the most interesting and exciting people I've met. There are just no consequences to owner's actions, mostly Simon's. People are at his whim."

• Other allegations: filthy dressing rooms (pictured below), in which the Twinz say Hammerstein abandoned his dog for days. (An employee stole the dog at one point, hoping to protect it.)
• 
  
  

  Of course, there's something to be said about having different expectations for your work environment when it's a cabaret nightclub that bills itself as one of the sexiest and no-holds-barred acts in town.

  But still: is the Box being run like a nineteenth-century Dickensian whorehouse? Calls and e-mails to Hammerstein for comment went unreturned. As Hammerstein himself told the New York Times last year, "The show’s only as good as the people you’re watching it with."

One of the Twinz's acts (not shot at the Box):

The Deadly Seven - Take No Prisoners

The Deadly Seven - Blood, Beauty and Bad Music - Awesome!

Kim Kardashian dances for the Pussycat Dolls

Had a few requests for this video, so here it is:

Aussie Burlesque Babes Triumph

Moira Finucane and Jackie Smith are in the thick of parenthood.

We meet in a Fitzroy café, and before getting down to business, out come the baby photos of their five-month old twins. This family achievement is the perfect complement to a 15-year strong personal and creative relationship that’s produced numerous acclaimed shows, the most prominent being The Burlesque Hour.

A queer variety act with a distinctly feminist edge, The Burlesque Hour has been a phenomenal success since its inception in 2004. Sold-out seasons around Australia have been matched by no less than eight seasons internationally. Box office estimates suggest that around 30,000 people have seen the show, in countries as far flung as Croatia, Italy and Japan as well as here in Australia. For an alternative act that by rights should only have had marginal appeal, this is a remarkable achievement.

Inspired by the British music hall tradition, Finucane and Smith conceived The Burlesque Hour while touring the UK with Sydney’s iconic Club Bent.

“For the very first time we saw the old theatres of London and something happened to us. We thought: ‘Our work needs to be in a place like this’,” explains Finucane. “So we came home with that idea of putting the old and the new together.”

What followed was a period of creative development; some of which, Finucane admits, was around the kitchen table.

The couple’s research into the rich, variety-style entertainments offered in music halls revealed an artform both deeply transgressive and intensely political; typified by artists such as the self-proclaimed ‘Queen of Halls’, Marie Lloyd, who ended up in court as a result of her risqué songs packed with double entendres.

Smith, who picked up a 2004 Green Room award for her Burlesque Hour direction, says the music halls were distinctly provocative.

“They’d get fantastic dancers to do an amazing ballet, or an incredible singer that would bring you to tears because her voice was so beautiful, and then there was always something a little bit edgy, like a naked lady,” she says.

The Burlesque Hour’s stylistic nod to these traditions is the creation of a cosy, salon-style atmosphere. In Melbourne, that’s meant decking out Forty Five Downstairs with rich velvets and candlelit table seating.

It’s all about “cherishing” the audience, says Finucane.

“People have said ‘Oh, you’re out to shock people’ but that would be extremely arrogant. If you think that you can shock the audience, you assume that you are infinitely more worldly, more sophisticated and politically on the ball than them; and that’s not necessarily correct – we assume our audiences are really intelligent and open,” she explains.

Over its various seasons, The Burlesque Hour has become a high profile showcase for quirky talent. The forthcoming production boasts Japanese butoh dancer, Yumi Umiumare, and gender-bending circus performer, Azaria Universe. The ever-popular The Town Bikes also make an appearance, and, for the first time in Melbourne since 1992, Maude Davey will reprise her infamous strawberry act. The sassy routine, which has entered queer performance art folklore, was devised for the Ms Wicked competition, and was first seen at now-closed Collingwood venue, The Club.

Set to a Chris Isaac song, the performance climaxes in Davey extracting a strawberry from her vagina.

Davey says the act draws on a long tradition of feminist art of the 1960s which focused on female genitalia.

“We considered a few options when we were putting it together, including a Barbie doll,” she says. “But I thought that would be a bit uncomfortable - the strawberry is lovely to work with. If you think about the shape, it’s the perfect fit.”

The Burlesque Hour at Fortyfivedownstairs, 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
August 7 – September 14. Bookings on 9662 9966
www.fortyfivedownstairs.com
By Daren Pope. Photo: Pascal Francois.

Wam Bam Club extravaganza

Be mesmerised by the siren of seduction Vicky Butterfly!

Howl at the hilarious Alan Francis!

Gasp at marvellously musical Zashiki Warashi!

Worship the legend that is Des O'Connor!

Marvel at the magnificent skill of Hula Boy!

**PLUS FREE burlesque classes before the show at 6pm and 6.30pm
sharp for all those wishing for a taster in the art of tease! **

And for afters, join us for dancing and merriment until the wee small hours.

Tickets £10 in advance through WamBamClub.com OR £16 on the door

Fri 29th Aug 2008 @ Soho Revue Bar, 7pm. SOHO REVUE BAR, 11 Walkers Court, London, W1F 0ED. sohorevuebar.com nearest tube: Piccadilly Circus.

Heres a tastes of what you can expect:

Brooke Hogan Burlesque? Meh,

In promotion of her new VH1 show, “Brooke Knows Best,” the daughter of Hulk Hogan tried her best at doing a Pussycat Dolls type burlesque show.

Yea, it wasn’t working too well at all.

The funniest part was dad was there to see it go down. The Sun says “Wearing a burlesque-style outfit, Brooke didn’t leave much to the imagination as her dad looked on from the VIP area alongside new girlfriend Jennifer McDaniel.”

I couldn't watch the whole thing...

Burlesque Soirée at the Gore Hotel Review

Londonist loves a burlesque soirée, especially when held at a swank venue such as the Gore Hotel and accompanied by a fantastic meal.

Friday night’s Burlesque Soirée at Kensington’s Gore Hotel - featuring the exceptionally lovely Miss Polly Rae and her naughtily coy Hurly Burly Girlys - was brassiere loads of fun and well worth the £39 cover (which got ya in the door drinking a cocktail and enjoying a three course meal with coffee all while Miss Polly, Betsy Bon Bon, and Miss Laurie Hagen entertained). Good stuff!

The dancing was cheeky and mesmerizing. Miss Polly’s feather dance was particularly beguiling! The meal was delish (the summer salad of white and green asparagus was top notch; the char grilled rib eye steak really hit the spot). Also, Londonist would like to mention that the Gore has a more than decent wine list and that the service in this stylish hotel’s restaurant was outstanding during our visit.

Of course, for those on more of a budget or not requiring a meal, a £10 cover allowed entry to the bar and a complimentary drink along with the burlesque performances too. The Gore, with its atmosphere somewhat reminiscent of Buenos Aires’ Faena Hotel + Universe and little bit like Edinburgh’s eerily chic Prestonfield, is a good option to keep in mind for West London wanderings and for out-of-towners in search of unique accommodation.

If this review is just too much of a tease for those who couldn’t make it, keep in mind that the next Burlesque event at The Gore has been confirmed for Friday 19 September, the last day of London Fashion Week. Scandalous!

Photography by Chris Osburn. See his Burlesque Soirée set on his Flickr photostream.

Comedy, Magic, Music & Burlesque!

For those who like a little variety, The Wam Bam Club is a weird and wonderful comedy, magic, music and burlesque show held deep in the heart of London's Soho on the last Sunday of every month.

The Wam Bam Club presents Summer Lovin' on July 26

Be teased by the glamorous Indiana Belle!

Howl at the hilarious whippersnapper Jack Whitehall presenter on Big Brother's Big Mouth.

Be tickled by the marvellously musical Davis & McQuillian.

Be stunned by the bizarre spectacle of Missy Macabre.

Marvel at the dexterity of Matt Hennem and his floating balls!


PLUS Free burlesque classes before the show at 6pm sharp for all those wishing for a taster in the art of tease! **

And for afters, the DJ Earl of Ealing spins tunes until the wee small hours!
Tickets £10 in advance through WamBamClub.com OR £16 on the door.

SOHO REVUE BAR,
11 Walkers Court,
London, W1F 0ED

4th of July Burlesque Soirée at the Gore Hotel

We’re not sure if there’s going to be any American style fireworks display at the Gore Hotel this Friday but if you’re looking to add some bang to your 4th of July, consider the Gore’s Burlesque Soirée with Miss Polly Rae and the Hurly Burly Girlys.

The Soirée will take place from 8pm until 1am, with performances at intervals between 9.30 and midnight. Costumes will be provided by vintage lingerie specialist “What Katie Did”, and music comes courtesy of DJ El Nino, who will entertain guests with a mix of Burlesque-inspired tunes. Burlesque attire is not essential, but strongly encouraged, so expect to see a flurry of satin gloves, corsets, pillar box hats, powdered noses and red lips. The Gore's Bar 190 will serve three specially created cocktails, named after Hurly Burly’s performers – the “Miss Polly Rae”, the “Betsy Bon Bon”, and the “Miss Laurie Hagen”. Guests will also be able to enjoy Moët’s seductive Rosé Impérial Pink Champagne.

The Gore’s Supper Club will be open for dinner during the show and will include entry charge, a cocktail, three courses and coffee at £39 per person (otherwise £10 will get you in the door with one complimentary cocktail in hand). Supper Club guests will be able to enjoy Hurly Burly’s show at their table.

Burlesque Soirée, Friday 4 July 2008, 8pm – 1am at Bar 190, The Gore Hotel, 190 Queen’s Gate, Kensington SW7
Photograph of Miss Polly Rae courtesy of the Gore Hotel.
By Chris Osburn

Miss Polly Rae & The Hurly Burly Girls Perform Fever:

Lucha VaVoom: Burlesque meets Wrestling?

At a time when attention deficit disorder gets diagnosed more often than gas prices jump, an extravaganza like Lucha VaVoom is just what the doctor ordered.

This combo platter that promises "sexo y violencia" - and makes its Bay Area tonight at the Fillmore in San Francisco - features Mexican masked wrestling, old-school burlesque, acrobatics and smart comedic commentary in a gloriously garish extravaganza for the short-attention-span set.

Less Cirque du Soleil than Cirque du No Way, the Los Angeles-based Lucha VaVoom is the performance equivalent of rummaging through a smartly stocked thrift store - the kind with an Evel Knievel action figure suggestively positioned next to a vintage calendar of stripper Betty Page. In Lucha VaVoom, a trapeze artist can grab your attention before comedians such as former "Beat the Geeks" host Blaine Capatch or former "Simpsons" writer Dana Gould fire off one-liners.

"For the most part, I'm just sitting there with my jaw hanging open," says Capatch, who plays it somewhere between Al Michaels and Shecky Greene. "You see people get hurt, and there are midgets flying into people dressed like Mayor McCheese. It's fantastic!"

One of the two performance pillars of Lucha VaVoom is its cadre of burlesque artists. Co-founder, producer and burlesque performer Rita D'Albert, who came out of the neo-burlesque scene that a few years ago had a toehold in the Bay Area, slinks onstage as Ursulina. She's joined by the PG-rated likes of the Wau Wau Sisters, who strip on a trapeze, "tassel queen" Lucy Fur and the Hula Hooping temptress Karis.

Lucha VaVoom was born in 2002 when D'Albert teamed up fellow producer Liz Fairbairn, who organizes the other major component of the show: lucha libre. Part sport, part folkloric fisticuffs, lucha libre is a character-driven wrestling style that originated in Mexico.

This more daring, often aerial form has influenced the better-known World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), which has cherry-picked such lucha libre combatants as Rey Mysterio Jr. for its own league.

Like the strippers, the luchadores in Lucha VaVoom have Technicolor personas, from the cross-dressing Cassandro, who will compete as part of Team Gay Pride; to the Poubelles, a sister tandem that takes on a gaggle of Japanese monsters; to the little people who grapple in chicken costumes.

"Lucha libre is usually in a sweaty hall, which is part of its charm," says D'Albert, a former guitarist for the '80s garage rock band the Pandoras. "But we make it a night out."

For a show originally designed as fun endeavor in an alternative comedy venue, Lucha VaVoom's success has surprised its organizers. The production has played New York City, Chicago, Las Vegas and Amsterdam. Past performances have enlisted two of the biggest names in lucha libre, the sons of legendary luchadores El Santo and the Blue Demon.

And fans will continue to come for the spectacle, for the ever-changing, fast-moving action in the ring, because it so shamelessly aims to entertain, Capatch says.

"There is so much going on, you don't know where to look or where to point your camera," Capatch says. "People run out of room on their cell phones real fast."

By Mark de la Viña
Mercury News

Hot Burlesque Performance Videos

Lola Bel Aire performs her latest routine, Regrets


Nina Arsenault performed a burlesque rendition of Madonna's Erotica


Ms Pason's School Girl Performance


Lily La Rue Fan Dance

Vintage Burlesque Video: Trapeze Performance

1901
Camera is positioned as if in the audience at a vaudeville or burlesque
show. Two men with long hair and beards in rough clothing appear to be
eating and talking in a box on the left as a female aerialist sits on a
trapeze over the stage and its painted backdrop of trees. Fully dressed
in street clothing, the trapezist removes her jacket and hat before
performing a flip. She stands to remove her skirt and then sits back
down on the bar as she takes off her corset and throws it to the
country bumpkins in the box, who fight over the undergarment. The
trapezist continues to disrobe, removing her shoes, stockings, and
garters, again throwing the latter to the men, and then seemingly hangs
upside down (with her feet anchored off-camera) as she slips off her
petticoat. Thus clad only in tights, trunks, and a camisole, the woman
performs her trapeze act to the increasingly excited men.

Starting Out in Burlesque Video

Current TV recently produced a piece about Burlesque in Rome that I thought you would appreciate. It follows two women who anxiously decide to participate in a burlesque workshop.

While the very beginning is in Italian, the majority is English. To help these women open-up, the instructor sets the stage and teaches them how to create an identify for themselves as performers, starting with a costume and coining a stage name, to being able to embody any desirable persona: "Burlesque is glamorous, comedy, parody, irony, fantasy..."

This is Burlesque Celebrates 100th Performance

Corio's dazzling weekly revue "This is Burlesque" celebrated its 100th performance on Friday, June 13! The milestone 100th performance was celebrated all weekend long with debut new numbers and complimentary P.I.N.K. Pastie Cocktails at intermission.

With a nod to the speak-easy era, downtown "King of Comedy" Murray Hill, neo-burlesque star Angie Pontani, The World Famous Pontani Sisters and others deliver a stage show like no other in an intimate lounge atmosphere – creating a total New York nightlife experience. Performances began October 11, 2007 and the show has been drawing capacity crowds ever since.

"This is Burlesque" is an uproarious and racy evening, with bodacious beauties and sultry singers taking center stage. Set to swingin' music, the show features performances by legendary host and renowned comedian Murray Hill, the Italian Stallionette and reigning Miss Cyclone Angie Pontani, the tapping tornado Helen Pontani, the delinquent darling of burlesque and the fastest tassel twirler from east to west Peekaboo Pointe, The World Famous Pontani Sisters and the divine songstress Melody Sweets, with frequent guest appearances by fabulous downtown favorites. With the laughs flying as fast as the tassels – it's never the same show twice!

Corio offers an upscale, intimate setting that is also comfortable and fun – where guests aren't hassled with velvet ropes or pretentious policies. This venue delivers something vital and new: a total nightlife experience where audiences can revel in the atmosphere and be dazzled by the show.

This is Burlesque is written by Murray Hill & Angie Pontani. Choreography by Angie Pontani.
by BWW News Desk

Comedy, Magic, Music & Burlesque

The Wam Bam Club is a weird and wonderful comedy, magic, music and burlesque show held deep in the heart of London's Soho on the last Sunday of every month hosted by Lady Alex.

June Wam Bam - 29th June 2008 @ Soho Revue Bar, 7pm Stars the glamorous Stella Plumes! Howl at the hilarious whipper snapper Jack Whitehall, be tickled by the marvellously musical Kitty La Roar & Nick of Time. Be stunned by the magical duo Barry and Stuart. Marvel at the athleticism of the incredible Hula Boy.

PLUS FREE burlesque classes before the show at 6pm sharp for all those wishing for a taster in the art of tease!

Tickets £10 in advance through WamBamClub.com OR £16 on the door.

SOHO REVUE BAR,
11 Walkers Court,
London, W1F 0ED

Hurly Burly Burlesque at The Gore Hotel

Miss Polly Rae and her Hurly Burly Girlys present a decadent and intimate burlesque soirée at The Gore Hotel this Friday. If you’re into burlesque, you couldn‘t ask for a better act in a more perfect venue.

Miss Polly Rae’s beautiful dance troupe burst onto the London burlesque scene last year, having been voted “Best Troupe 2007” in the Ministry of Burlesque awards. They’re now regulars at London’s top burlesque venues; Soho Revue Bar and Volupté Lounge.

The Gore Hotel is famous for its love affair with the theatre and the burlesque evening takes it right back to its roots. Set within a Victorian townhouse near The Royal Albert Hall, this is a lavish and luxurious boutique that has been open since the 19th century. Judy Garland visited The Gore so often she was practically a resident. Guests can now sleep in the “Judy Garland Room” in her original gilt wood bed. Today the hotel still attracts a mix of fascinating people and is especially popular with those from the film, fashion and music industries.

Guests will be stimulated by six enticing performances throughout the evening, both in the hotel’s candlelit, art deco style ‘Bar 190’ as well as a specially created “Supper Club” downstairs where dinner costs £35 per person and gets you a table for the whole night.

Music is provided by DJ El Nino, who will spin Burlesque-inspired tunes. While they aren’t strict about burlesque attire; you really ought to make the effort; there will be satin gloves, corsets, pillar box hats, powdered noses and red lips everywhere. Bar 190 will serve three special cocktails, named after Hurly Burly’s performers on the night – the Miss Polly Rae, the Rosy Cheeks and the Betsy Bon Bon. The event ends at 1am, naturally the best way conclusion to the night is to stay over – The Gore’s got a special rate of £187 a night for a double room.

X Burlesque Spice up the Freemont Experience

The show touted as the Strip’s Sexiest, X Burlesque, will remain at Flamingo Las Vegas through July 2009, it was announced this week. The sexy production is housed in the intimate 180-seat Flamingo Second City Theatre.

The 90-minute production will have hearts racing as audiences get up close and personal with the six beautiful and talented female dancers. X Burlesque combines imaginative choreography with outrageous props such as bungees, beds and bathtubs to excite the crowd and leave them wanting more.

From slow, sensual ballet-inspired routines to heart-pounding acrobatic numbers, the variety of styles allow each dancer to showcase her own individual personality and talents. Music by some of the hottest artists in rock, pop and hip-hop set the tone for sexy scene after scene leaving audiences on the edge of their seats.

X Burlesque recently celebrated their first anniversary at Flamingo and the creators of the sexy production revamped the show making it better than ever.

In the opening act the dancers strut on stage wearing costumes covered in rhinestones, which they quickly strip off to reveal their assets. The X girls dance their hearts out to “Smokin Hot” from the Broadway hit Chicago, “God Bless Our Troops,” “Nasty Naughty Boy,” Christina Aguilera’s “Candy Man,” Marilyn Manson’s “Tainted Love,” and many other heart pounding songs. The fun doesn’t stop there; comics James Bean and Nancy Ryan entertain audiences with their adult humor.

X Burlesque performs in the Flamingo Second City Theatre. Show times are as follows: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday at 10 p.m. with additional shows Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday at midnight. Tickets are $44.95 General Admission and $55.95 VIP (plus tax and fees) and can be purchased at the Flamingo Box Office or by phone at 702-733-3333 or 800-221-7299. Guests must be 18 or older with valid ID.

the Bohemian Carnival return to DNA

Clowns, burlesque, contortionists, and a mood that makes you wonder what it would have been like if there were a Burning Man sensibility in '30s Germany; think Cabaret on the playa.

The semi-regular Bohemian event is about a year and a half old, and while it's less fiery now than in previous incarnations (pesky Fire Department regulations, no doubt), it's still a blast. Fou Fou Hah! (above), maybe San Francisco's favorite New Burlesque troupe, was really sharply choreographed.

The Vau de Vire Society and Gooferman were the organizing forces behind this night. Gooferman were totally on top of their game. They've really been making it happen lately, with appearances in the past several months at everything from the Super Bowl to Lightning in a Bottle last weekend in Southern California.

More fantastic photos of the event here