I currently reside in Gloucester (sadly) after having moved from country to county to city and I have been a performer for 11 years now. Although not always in Burlesque.
I initially started out in my late teens/early 20's when I was at Bristol University studying a Law degree. I worked in The Rummer Basement as a dancer for a resident Fetish club company. Funnily enough this is how I also got into my modelling career. I cage danced in various fetish outfits, from the non-existant to the down right uncomfortable. But this did allow me to live the 'life of reilly' while at Uni.
While others struggled on student loans, hand outs from the bank and parent's hard earned cash, I was earning a nice little wage cash in hand, which is good as a Law degree was one of the more expensive ones.
The hours were great, I made some wonderful friends and learned a LOT of new things. It showed me a side of life I had never known about and never seen but only heard of through living near Brighton when growing up in my teenage years. I had danced since I was a child, with my parents sending me to every dance class possible, so it was natural for me to gravitate towards a club to dance. I loved it so much, I always felt free and happy-go-lucky and alive when dancing, so I enjoyed this immensely and getting paid was a bonus.
As soon as you mention fetish club, most people assume dirty, grimey room with sleazy people. It could not be further from the truth. Everyone was always lovely, no one ever tried to force anyone into doing anything they were not comfortable with and the men were gentlemen. Unlike some of the guys I have met in normal high street dance clubs.
From here, I danced at other clubs around the country for different sponsors and events. But then I moved away from Bristol and eventually ended up in small town called Gloucester and thought I would never be able to dance properly again. I started to teach myself other forms of dance, such as Latin, and Ballroom.
I was always fascinated by anything from the 1900's up to the 1960's (I was sooo born in the wrong decade) so it naturally followed that I started to investigate burlesque dancing techniques. I was a massive Dita fan, but I wanted to learn where it all came from and how it developed across the world, so I started to study. That's when I started to mix up the Latin, Ballroom, gymnastic and acrobatic movements, circus styles, street style and break dancing along with pole dancing moves to come up with my own burlesque style.
I didnt want to be 'the next Dita', we had a beautiful lady who was already famous for being an amazing traditional 50's Burlesque performer, so I didn't feel the need to try to be something I could never be. I wanted to make my own form of burlesque routines. I didnt want to copy anyone else and I didnt want anyone copying me either.
I'd practiced these moves in my bedroom and on the dancefloors of every club I could persuade my friends to come with me to. It was not until 2 years ago when a tattooist friend of mine decided that Gloucester, where I had moved to, needed some decent entertainment. He decided to put on a burlesque cabaret show. I was the main performer and it went down a storm, we were turning people away at the door. Gloucester had never seen anything like it before. The crowd went wild. I loved it.
I got my spirit back and the boost I needed. I was alive again. I decided that was it, I was actively going to seek out dance work no matter where it was. If I could get a train to the location, I would take the job. A company called The Lollipop Lounge started up a year later in Cheltenham and I was asked to be a regular dancer for them, I was not goingto say no. Once again, the audience were new to this form of entertainment. Half of them had never even heard of burlesque, let alone seen it. They were hungry to be entertained.
All the girls who danced for The Lollipop Lounge got on great, like a family. Like a circus, I suppose. Each of us were very different in our styles and the audience loved that. I sided towards comedy and circus styles, which the others went the route of Cheesecake and traditional mixed with modern or neo comedy burlesque. Ladies always ask me... It is as glitzy and glamourous as it appears and I always say , YES, Yes it is :-)
The costumes are superb and beautiful. The dancers are graceful and amazingly talented, the background and history of this entertainment is fabulous and colourful just like the props we dancers use. It is magical and fun and lighthearted and enjoyable for all who come and for those who participate.Dont get me wrong, I have worked all over the UK in the last 2 years from the grotty back street clubs where the audience have no idea what they are in for or what to expect - with changing rooms you could not swing a corset in, shared with groups of girls on top of each other clambering for some mirror space, not quite the glamour facade the industry paints to the observer, to the beautiful comfy ornate changing rooms of big hotels and clubs. The sort of treatment you would expect a dancer of the burlesque calibre to be rewarded with.
But one thing that I have always found everywhere I have gone to work, is a warm welcome from those who have invited me to perform, a smile on every audience members face, a cool drink from every helper, a bag carrying young man who is more than happy to help and a HUGE hug and kiss from every perform I have ever had the joy to meet and work along side.
The burlesque and performance industry to me has been one big family, where we have all looked out for each other, helped each other and supported each other when needed. I have made some of my best friends in the last few years on the burlesque circut and I would not change that for all the Camden Council petition's to the government to regulate this wonderful, beautiful form of entertainment.
I now run burlesque events myself in Gloucester at The Gloucester Guildhall - an old Victorian ballroom restored to its original beauty. I love all the girls I work with and they are all regulars who want to come back and work for me again. I perform at all my own events as well as compere at them. My mum even bakes cakes that we give to all audience members.
Burlesque is a family to me and I want the audience to feel that too, like in the 1940's where everyone pulled together and created their own entertainment for their community. The audience members are regulars to every event. They know all the dancers by name and are friends with each of them on Facebook and keep in regular contact with them and how they are doing. This is what it is all about. Good entertainment, happy punters, friendly atmosphere, the desire to come back again, a closer community through the events and the appreciation of the effort all performers make.
These events in Gloucester have opened the eyes of many of those who have attended who are amazed by the talents of the dancers, and the costume makers. These audience members have thanked me for bringing them something beautiful that they can share with they friends and partners and provides them with education about history, entertainment and the empowerment of women. It has taught a lot of girls not to be so self-concious and that they are beautiful no matter what their size.
However on the flip side, being a performer has caused be problems, not with day jobs or with managers of venues, but instead with my personal life.Burlesque performing has caused issues with every relationship I have had over the last few years. Partners have either not cared and not bothered to watch me performing because they were not interested in the art form. Or they have been so bored by burlesque from working in the industry that they see the performances as 'same old same old'. Or worst case, partners have been appalled by me taking my clothing off on stage, seeing the entertainment as nothing more than stripping. Either way, it has caused massive arguments and heartache and anguish. I wish it did not have to be this way, but a lot of the girls I have worked with have had similar experiences with partners, which makes me wonder if it is all worth while.
My boyfriend was ‘chatting’ to me the other day, basically telling me how unimpressed he was with the fact that I am still a Burlesque performer – it was nothing to do with my age – as I am 31, but I would like to point out I do not look it, I have taken care of myself – oh no, it was more to do with the fact that he thinks I am up on stage being a ‘cock tease’. I was horrified.
Don’t get me wrong my friends I like a little flirt as much as the next woman, it shows me I am still alive and not a droopy old minger just yet, but to think I am going on stage on purpose to spite him and show off my muff to all and sundry because I am a cock tease was just a little too much. Basically he sees me as nothing more than a stripper in a cheap club, which saddened me greatly.
Firstly, there is nothing wrong with being a stripper – a lot of Burlesque performers have started out this way, including some of the Moulin Rogue girls, who are among the best dancers in the world. Most strippers work very hard for their money and they are very fit ladies. It can be a hard world to be in and you have to tolerate a lot from some of the punters, I have seen girls being treated very badly for no reason at all and it by no means should be like that with anyone who is offering a service that shows their talents. They certainly should not fear for their safety. So please do not any of you think I am saying that strippers are lower class entertainers, that is not what I think, if anything of recent from being a dancer for 11 years I have noticed it is men who mainly think a stripper is a lower form of the entertainment and they don’t appreciate how hard some of those girls work and how fit they have to be to entertain.
The reason it saddened me, apart from the fact most of the strippers I know earn a lot more than me for dancing, I spend a fortune on decadent costumes to thrill and excite the inner magpie in all of us, I spend hours sorting music, arranging the timings and hours coming up with story lines for my routines and then choreographing them to depict the story line in the movements. For example, one of my routines is a based on a Japanese ritual dance and I perform with live blade Japanese swords, I wear a traditional Japanese outfit as well that I take off using Geisha movements prior to dancing with the swords, not something I have seen many strippers do – but apparently despite the effort as far as he is concerned, I am just getting my knockers out and thrusting my cock in men’s faces’ to get them erect!
Personally, I have yet to find a member of the audience who is sexually excited by a woman throwing swords about – I think the emotion they are feeling at that point is more fear for their lives.
Apparently, all the hours I put into sorting the routines out is pointless, as I am just stripping at the end of the day like some lude woman of the night to see men drool, etc. What he fails to notice on the occasions he has seen me perform is that 80% of the audience is FEMALE, not male. The men who do come are not aroused in fact if anything they are blinded by sparkly sequins and choking on feathers. The men in the audience do like it, but not in a dirty sordid way, they like the fact the dancers have put in so much effort, they appreciate a pretty girl, they enjoy the fact we are good dancers and put thought into the ideas behind the routines.
But more than anything it is the LADIES who come to watch that get the most enjoyment out of it. It is mostly THEM we are doing it for. To show them you need not be ashamed of your bodies no matter of your size, to show you are never too old, to show you can be fit and dance well with a little bit of practice. The women who come to the shows LOVE the glitz and glamour, they enjoy getting dressed up and drinking cocktails with their friends, meeting new people, having a chat to those with common interests, having a laugh with the dancers afterwards and talking costumes ad sequins and ‘Ooh, where DID you get that hat, I must have one’ – it is all about ALL the women, dancers included dressing up and feeling special and praising each other and supporting each other as a community. How does that make me cheap or a cock tease?
Why do I do perform burlesque?
Well, apart from the fact I have always danced since I was a child, I fell into performing when I was at Uni. I love to dance, it makes me feel free as a bird and keeps me fit. I do perform burlesque instead of stripping because I LOVE the costumes. It is all about the costumes and getting dressed up.
I got bullied as a child, all the way up till I was 17 for being ugly. I was called ugly every day, had chewing gum put in my hair, clothing ripped or had shit smeared on it, things thrown at me. The boys at my school never really spoke to me as I was unattractive and unpopular – now, I get to stand up on a stage and no one takes the piss anymore and that is a great boost to the self esteem I have snatched away when I was growing up – THAT is what performing burlesque is about. The confidence, the social scene, the dressing up, the friends you make and the family you all become through the events.
As I said, this is just my opinion and how it all feels to me, I am not making assumptions that all performers see it the same way – but for those of you who have had similar ‘cock tease’ comments made at you I would love to know what you think of it all. Anyway, as this topic touched me I thought I would share it with you all as some of my burlesque beauties out there will know where I am coming from on this. Others may disagree.
Who knows? It may spark a really interesting debate.
Pussy Velour will be running a traditional Victorian burlesque show at The Gloucester Guildhall, Westgate Street on Saturday August 1st. Tickets available on line from the Gloucester Guildhall Box Office or The Velour Palace website - http://www.velour-palace.com/
I initially started out in my late teens/early 20's when I was at Bristol University studying a Law degree. I worked in The Rummer Basement as a dancer for a resident Fetish club company. Funnily enough this is how I also got into my modelling career. I cage danced in various fetish outfits, from the non-existant to the down right uncomfortable. But this did allow me to live the 'life of reilly' while at Uni.
While others struggled on student loans, hand outs from the bank and parent's hard earned cash, I was earning a nice little wage cash in hand, which is good as a Law degree was one of the more expensive ones.
The hours were great, I made some wonderful friends and learned a LOT of new things. It showed me a side of life I had never known about and never seen but only heard of through living near Brighton when growing up in my teenage years. I had danced since I was a child, with my parents sending me to every dance class possible, so it was natural for me to gravitate towards a club to dance. I loved it so much, I always felt free and happy-go-lucky and alive when dancing, so I enjoyed this immensely and getting paid was a bonus.
As soon as you mention fetish club, most people assume dirty, grimey room with sleazy people. It could not be further from the truth. Everyone was always lovely, no one ever tried to force anyone into doing anything they were not comfortable with and the men were gentlemen. Unlike some of the guys I have met in normal high street dance clubs.
From here, I danced at other clubs around the country for different sponsors and events. But then I moved away from Bristol and eventually ended up in small town called Gloucester and thought I would never be able to dance properly again. I started to teach myself other forms of dance, such as Latin, and Ballroom.
I was always fascinated by anything from the 1900's up to the 1960's (I was sooo born in the wrong decade) so it naturally followed that I started to investigate burlesque dancing techniques. I was a massive Dita fan, but I wanted to learn where it all came from and how it developed across the world, so I started to study. That's when I started to mix up the Latin, Ballroom, gymnastic and acrobatic movements, circus styles, street style and break dancing along with pole dancing moves to come up with my own burlesque style.
I didnt want to be 'the next Dita', we had a beautiful lady who was already famous for being an amazing traditional 50's Burlesque performer, so I didn't feel the need to try to be something I could never be. I wanted to make my own form of burlesque routines. I didnt want to copy anyone else and I didnt want anyone copying me either.
I'd practiced these moves in my bedroom and on the dancefloors of every club I could persuade my friends to come with me to. It was not until 2 years ago when a tattooist friend of mine decided that Gloucester, where I had moved to, needed some decent entertainment. He decided to put on a burlesque cabaret show. I was the main performer and it went down a storm, we were turning people away at the door. Gloucester had never seen anything like it before. The crowd went wild. I loved it.
I got my spirit back and the boost I needed. I was alive again. I decided that was it, I was actively going to seek out dance work no matter where it was. If I could get a train to the location, I would take the job. A company called The Lollipop Lounge started up a year later in Cheltenham and I was asked to be a regular dancer for them, I was not goingto say no. Once again, the audience were new to this form of entertainment. Half of them had never even heard of burlesque, let alone seen it. They were hungry to be entertained.
All the girls who danced for The Lollipop Lounge got on great, like a family. Like a circus, I suppose. Each of us were very different in our styles and the audience loved that. I sided towards comedy and circus styles, which the others went the route of Cheesecake and traditional mixed with modern or neo comedy burlesque. Ladies always ask me... It is as glitzy and glamourous as it appears and I always say , YES, Yes it is :-)
The costumes are superb and beautiful. The dancers are graceful and amazingly talented, the background and history of this entertainment is fabulous and colourful just like the props we dancers use. It is magical and fun and lighthearted and enjoyable for all who come and for those who participate.Dont get me wrong, I have worked all over the UK in the last 2 years from the grotty back street clubs where the audience have no idea what they are in for or what to expect - with changing rooms you could not swing a corset in, shared with groups of girls on top of each other clambering for some mirror space, not quite the glamour facade the industry paints to the observer, to the beautiful comfy ornate changing rooms of big hotels and clubs. The sort of treatment you would expect a dancer of the burlesque calibre to be rewarded with.
But one thing that I have always found everywhere I have gone to work, is a warm welcome from those who have invited me to perform, a smile on every audience members face, a cool drink from every helper, a bag carrying young man who is more than happy to help and a HUGE hug and kiss from every perform I have ever had the joy to meet and work along side.
The burlesque and performance industry to me has been one big family, where we have all looked out for each other, helped each other and supported each other when needed. I have made some of my best friends in the last few years on the burlesque circut and I would not change that for all the Camden Council petition's to the government to regulate this wonderful, beautiful form of entertainment.
I now run burlesque events myself in Gloucester at The Gloucester Guildhall - an old Victorian ballroom restored to its original beauty. I love all the girls I work with and they are all regulars who want to come back and work for me again. I perform at all my own events as well as compere at them. My mum even bakes cakes that we give to all audience members.
Burlesque is a family to me and I want the audience to feel that too, like in the 1940's where everyone pulled together and created their own entertainment for their community. The audience members are regulars to every event. They know all the dancers by name and are friends with each of them on Facebook and keep in regular contact with them and how they are doing. This is what it is all about. Good entertainment, happy punters, friendly atmosphere, the desire to come back again, a closer community through the events and the appreciation of the effort all performers make.
These events in Gloucester have opened the eyes of many of those who have attended who are amazed by the talents of the dancers, and the costume makers. These audience members have thanked me for bringing them something beautiful that they can share with they friends and partners and provides them with education about history, entertainment and the empowerment of women. It has taught a lot of girls not to be so self-concious and that they are beautiful no matter what their size.
However on the flip side, being a performer has caused be problems, not with day jobs or with managers of venues, but instead with my personal life.Burlesque performing has caused issues with every relationship I have had over the last few years. Partners have either not cared and not bothered to watch me performing because they were not interested in the art form. Or they have been so bored by burlesque from working in the industry that they see the performances as 'same old same old'. Or worst case, partners have been appalled by me taking my clothing off on stage, seeing the entertainment as nothing more than stripping. Either way, it has caused massive arguments and heartache and anguish. I wish it did not have to be this way, but a lot of the girls I have worked with have had similar experiences with partners, which makes me wonder if it is all worth while.
My boyfriend was ‘chatting’ to me the other day, basically telling me how unimpressed he was with the fact that I am still a Burlesque performer – it was nothing to do with my age – as I am 31, but I would like to point out I do not look it, I have taken care of myself – oh no, it was more to do with the fact that he thinks I am up on stage being a ‘cock tease’. I was horrified.Don’t get me wrong my friends I like a little flirt as much as the next woman, it shows me I am still alive and not a droopy old minger just yet, but to think I am going on stage on purpose to spite him and show off my muff to all and sundry because I am a cock tease was just a little too much. Basically he sees me as nothing more than a stripper in a cheap club, which saddened me greatly.
Firstly, there is nothing wrong with being a stripper – a lot of Burlesque performers have started out this way, including some of the Moulin Rogue girls, who are among the best dancers in the world. Most strippers work very hard for their money and they are very fit ladies. It can be a hard world to be in and you have to tolerate a lot from some of the punters, I have seen girls being treated very badly for no reason at all and it by no means should be like that with anyone who is offering a service that shows their talents. They certainly should not fear for their safety. So please do not any of you think I am saying that strippers are lower class entertainers, that is not what I think, if anything of recent from being a dancer for 11 years I have noticed it is men who mainly think a stripper is a lower form of the entertainment and they don’t appreciate how hard some of those girls work and how fit they have to be to entertain.
The reason it saddened me, apart from the fact most of the strippers I know earn a lot more than me for dancing, I spend a fortune on decadent costumes to thrill and excite the inner magpie in all of us, I spend hours sorting music, arranging the timings and hours coming up with story lines for my routines and then choreographing them to depict the story line in the movements. For example, one of my routines is a based on a Japanese ritual dance and I perform with live blade Japanese swords, I wear a traditional Japanese outfit as well that I take off using Geisha movements prior to dancing with the swords, not something I have seen many strippers do – but apparently despite the effort as far as he is concerned, I am just getting my knockers out and thrusting my cock in men’s faces’ to get them erect!
Personally, I have yet to find a member of the audience who is sexually excited by a woman throwing swords about – I think the emotion they are feeling at that point is more fear for their lives.
Apparently, all the hours I put into sorting the routines out is pointless, as I am just stripping at the end of the day like some lude woman of the night to see men drool, etc. What he fails to notice on the occasions he has seen me perform is that 80% of the audience is FEMALE, not male. The men who do come are not aroused in fact if anything they are blinded by sparkly sequins and choking on feathers. The men in the audience do like it, but not in a dirty sordid way, they like the fact the dancers have put in so much effort, they appreciate a pretty girl, they enjoy the fact we are good dancers and put thought into the ideas behind the routines.
But more than anything it is the LADIES who come to watch that get the most enjoyment out of it. It is mostly THEM we are doing it for. To show them you need not be ashamed of your bodies no matter of your size, to show you are never too old, to show you can be fit and dance well with a little bit of practice. The women who come to the shows LOVE the glitz and glamour, they enjoy getting dressed up and drinking cocktails with their friends, meeting new people, having a chat to those with common interests, having a laugh with the dancers afterwards and talking costumes ad sequins and ‘Ooh, where DID you get that hat, I must have one’ – it is all about ALL the women, dancers included dressing up and feeling special and praising each other and supporting each other as a community. How does that make me cheap or a cock tease?
Why do I do perform burlesque?
Well, apart from the fact I have always danced since I was a child, I fell into performing when I was at Uni. I love to dance, it makes me feel free as a bird and keeps me fit. I do perform burlesque instead of stripping because I LOVE the costumes. It is all about the costumes and getting dressed up.
I got bullied as a child, all the way up till I was 17 for being ugly. I was called ugly every day, had chewing gum put in my hair, clothing ripped or had shit smeared on it, things thrown at me. The boys at my school never really spoke to me as I was unattractive and unpopular – now, I get to stand up on a stage and no one takes the piss anymore and that is a great boost to the self esteem I have snatched away when I was growing up – THAT is what performing burlesque is about. The confidence, the social scene, the dressing up, the friends you make and the family you all become through the events.
As I said, this is just my opinion and how it all feels to me, I am not making assumptions that all performers see it the same way – but for those of you who have had similar ‘cock tease’ comments made at you I would love to know what you think of it all. Anyway, as this topic touched me I thought I would share it with you all as some of my burlesque beauties out there will know where I am coming from on this. Others may disagree.
Who knows? It may spark a really interesting debate.
Pussy Velour will be running a traditional Victorian burlesque show at The Gloucester Guildhall, Westgate Street on Saturday August 1st. Tickets available on line from the Gloucester Guildhall Box Office or The Velour Palace website - http://www.velour-palace.com/
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