Inspiration

[Amanda]

For the wonderful Burlesque performers here..

1 Question..
Who inspired you to become a Burlesque performer?

[NolaChick™ {Madam}]

Ok, so I'm not burlesque. BUT, the person who inspired be to become a pinup was Ava Gardner. :)

[Anna Steasya]

My first performance is a month away (so nervous!!!), but I got inspired to do so by watching Anita Cookie and Peekaboo Pointe, 2 neo-burlesque performers. As for the past, Tempest Storm and Bettie Page.

[Kitty Irreverent]

I've been performing for almost six years now. I was originally inspired by Velvet Hammer Burlesque and Bettie Page's Tease o Rama movies. Today I'm inspired by many, many, neo-burlesque performers as well as legends such as Tempest Storm, Dixie Evans and Betty Howard.

[Soda Shop Sue]

i dont do burlesque on stage, but i use Burly-Q to walk me through a pinup shoot, different 'dance moves' create poses... i like Bettie page, and Bettina May ( www.bettina.ca ) and Go Go Amy...
- Dita
- Tempest
- Pinup Angels
- Screaming Chicken

[Mimi First]

I've been performing for 3 years now and I LOVE it! I was most inspired by my mentor Michelle L'amour she's the one who encouraged me personally to get up there and shake it! My favorite of the Legendary Performers has to be Lili St Cyr but I also love Bettie Rowland, Dixie Evans, Holiday O'hara, Marinka, Satans Angel, Tempest, Jennie Lee and who could forget Sally Rand!

[Roxi Dlite]

It's weird how I stumbled upon burlesque. I started as a feature dancer in strip clubs six years ago. My shows always had a burlesque theme to them, but I never knew what burlesque really was. One night, I got off stage at a couples club, and an older woman approached me to thank me for bringing Burlesque back... It was sorta weird, the moment I heard the word BURLESQUE it was like a finger snapped in my head. I went home did some research on the internet and the rest is history!

Lot's of inspiration came from movies I had seen as a child and in my teens, Gypsy, Blue Angel, Chicago, Moulin Rouge and Guys and Dolls. I guess that's where it started. When I researched burlesque, some of my fav performers would have to be Candy Barr and Dee Milo.

[Mimi First]

What do you like about Candy Barr and Dee Milo Roxi? Is there any surviving footage of either of them? Candy was a 1960's performer right? Also what was it like working in strip clubs?

Thanks for this Thread Amanda!

Roxi Dlite said:

It's weird how I stumbled upon burlesque. I started as a feature dancer in strip clubs six years ago. My shows always had a burlesque theme to them, but I never knew what burlesque really was. One night, I got off stage at a couples club, and an older woman approached me to thank me for bringing Burlesque back... It was sorta weird, the moment I heard the word BURLESQUE it was like a finger snapped in my head. I went home did some research on the internet and the rest is history!

Lot's of inspiration came from movies I had seen as a child and in my teens, Gypsy, Blue Angel, Chicago, Moulin Rouge and Guys and Dolls. I guess that's where it started. When I researched burlesque, some of my fav performers would have to be Candy Barr and Dee Milo.

[Page Against The Machine]

bettina's so cute. i remember finding her on suicide girls (ew) and falling in love. she did a set where she was in a comic book store and i thought it was so adorable.

Soda Shop Sue said:

i dont do burlesque on stage, but i use Burly-Q to walk me through a pinup shoot, different 'dance moves' create poses... i like Bettie page, and Bettina May ( www.bettina.ca ) and Go Go Amy...
- Dita - Tempest - Pinup Angels
- Screaming Chicken

[Cherry Loco]

I'd always enjoyed burlesque so for a 21st birthday I'd decided to organize a burlesque night with some of my performer friends. After a drunken night with said friends, I'd was convinced to perform and since then, I've had at least 3 bookings per month.

Retro performers that I'm a fan of include Lili St. Cyr, Zorita the Snake Girl, Tura Satana, Sally Rand and Satan's Angel. I also love the energy and enthusiasm that The Velvet Hammer possessed, Leyla Rose, Roxy Velvet, Lucifire, Missy Malone, Sakura Tsui and Cat Aclysmic. I take inspiration from so many things. Golden-era Hollywood, John Waters movies, shlock horror imagery and vintage freakshows. Also, being that British burlesque has always been satirical with a certain element of comedy, I love Vendetta Vain (her haemerroid balloon pop dance is something to see!), Beatrix von Bourbon and Leggy Pee.

xx CL

[Cherokee Rose]

For me it was the amazing and beautiful Michelle L'Amour. I call her my Mama burlesque. I started taking classes with her over a year ago and now I'm part of her troupe. Which is an honor in my opinion. The other women and man in my group constantly inspire me to do better.

[Honey Cocoa Bordeauxx]

Good Question! My main inspirations are Tempest Storm, Zorita, Jenny Lee, and Josephine Baker.

[Infamous Nina Nightshade]

About 5 years ago I watched Cathrine d'Lish and lot of others at Burlesque Fest and loved it! But it was Go-Go Amy who talked me into using my Bellydance experience to make the transition to Burlesque! With the support of her, Meghan Mayhem (who gave me my first perf opportunity) & Bettina May I got my tassels on stage!