The Heart Of Glamour
Alas, the Vancouver International Burlesque Festival has come to a sweet and glittery end for this year, and all the hard work of the board, performers, and volunteers has been celebrated appropriately (wink…ahem). For those of you who attended, we thank you and hope that you had the most wonderful time! For those of you who did not, we offer our sympathies; not only did you miss out on three incredible nights of burlesque entertainment and artistry, but our members were spreading the sass full force over those stages every night, and we have allllllll the photos to prove it. Hint: don’t go too far, there’s plenty to come, and you won’t want to miss it. I assure you!
Tomorrow, May 14th at Guilt and Co: Classic Tease
We’re not ready to get off our cloud of sparkles and feathers just yet though (or ever), so tomorrow, we’d like to take you on a journey to the heart of glamour. We’re celebrating the art of burlesque with an evening of tantalizing glitz, smooth moves, and good old bump and grind. Not only do we have Nicky Ninedoors, Burgundy Brixx, Voracious V, Carole Brunette, and August Wiled on the lineup to titillate your senses, but we are featuring the fabulous Lady Josephine! If you think it couldn’t possibly get better than that, you’re wrong; the statuesque Ava Lure will be stage managing, and the witty bombshell Mama Kay will host you through the dream.
Doors at 7pm, show at 9pm, suggested donation is $10. A cast of 13 for only $10?! Don’t let this one get away from you.
Oh yes, we know why you’re here, we didn’t forget, so here is a collection of gorgeous photos from our last show at Guilt and Co! Fringe was flying, tassels were twirling, and the incredibly talented Cameron Brown was there to capture it. While you’re at it, you should definitely check out his blog too! He may have some incredible shots from the festival on there.. 
Enjoy!!
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- Good morning
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- A lesson on getting dressed
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- Smooth
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- Ready for work
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- It’s always the glasses
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- Hold onto your socks
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- Slowly
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- Like magic
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- Come closer
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- Nope, not yet
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- When seeing double is a good thing…
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- Singing so smoothly
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- … a very good thing
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- In the groove
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- Yes, that’s a leopard jumpsuit
When the trumpet hits High C…!
as part of
The 8th Vancouver International Burlesque Festival
As part of the Vancouver International Burlesque Festival, Kitty Nights West and Pandora & The Locksmiths have teamed up under the masterful producing of Burgundy Brixx to bring you on a racy romp through the golden age of burlesque! Featuring Burgundy Brixx as Gypsy Rose Lee, plus August Wiled, Ava Lure, Miss Fitt, Nicky Ninedoors, Ruthe Ordare, and Voracious V as the Minsky Rosebuds!
Thursday May 2nd
The Rio Theatre – Broadway @ Commercial Drive
Show at 9:20pm*
Tickets are $35 – one ticket price gains you admission to ALL THREE different productions taking place on Thursday May 2nd: GYPSY ROSE LEE AT MINSKY’S BURLESQUE, MOTOWN BURLESQUE, and PAINT AND PASTIES!
Feel free to come early and stay late!
OR save money by purchasing a weekend ticket bundle.
Tix available at Northern Tickets:
http://tinyurl.com/cbnh484
In honour of the fast approaching burlesque festivities, please enjoy some of the photos that were taken during the festival last year!
xox
In Like a (purrrring) Lioness
Next Up with Pandora and The Locksmiths:
Get Away With Us! March 12th at Guilt & Co
Electroswing: Retrospective on March 22nd at The Rickshaw
sister events
Kitty Nights at The Biltmore produced by Burgundy Brixx: every sunday!
The Hot Pants at Guilt & Co produced by Miss Fitt: Tues, March 5th
Paris a Minuit at The Rio, produced by Miss Fitt: Fri, March 29th
And check out every Tuesday at Guilt & Co for fabulous cabaret themed productions, featuring incredibly talented performers whom we love and work with as much as we can!
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Well! now that we’ve scheduled your life for you… let’s get onto business!
As you can see, we’ve got some really amazing events coming up. Our next show at Guilt features a special guest who both plays an instrument and is an excellent burlesque dancer- Miss Via Rose! I’m personally excited to see her dance whenever I get the opportunity, but I’m also extra excited because she and I are creating our first duet together! Featuring the bassoon, my voice, some classic strip-tease, and gorgeous custom costumes by my sister in law, Jessica Bayntun.
We’re also very excited for our first ElectroSwing event as a whole group! The WHOLE SHEBANG! Wow!
And as you can see, Miss Fitt has been gettin busy! What? She’s a hard worker! She’s got her Hot Pants show on March 5th (I’ll be swinging hoops) as well as Paris a Minuit on the 29th. You should look at that lineup. Kinda insane!
And now, what you came for…
Last month we had the wonderful Jess Desaulniers-Lea be our sponsor photographer. While we love our men behind the camera, there’s a special sort of vibe when you know that it’s a woman who’s waiting for your sultriest moment to be captured at the flick of her finger…. shall we take a look at what she got?
Enjoy!
Risque Resolutions
1) Umm…. less pants.
Pretty sure that’s our new years resolutions all taken care of! And we know it’s one that everyone can easily stick to… Moving right along!
This entry is going to be short and sweet and full of eye candy. I should really be rehearsing right now for upcoming shows, because boy do I like to bite off a lot to chew on.
Phrasing…?
On Sunday the 30th, it’s Kitty Nights New Years Eve’s Eve!
I’ll be performing with an incredible lineup, and I’m bringing out the hubby on the upright, and the brother on the keys. I will not be wearing pants. Resolution, check!
On Monday the 31st, Pandora and The Locksmiths have put together an incredible New Year’s Eve production for the
eatART Foundation’s Genesis party.
I am personally really stoked on this as it’s one of the biggest shows we’ve done. An hour and a half straight of live music, burlesque, five part vocal acts… ahh! Intense! You’ll have to ask us directly for links to get tickets as it’s a very intimate affair- just the way we like it. Please email us at livejazzburlesque@gmail.com for more details! I will be wearing one pair of pants. But they are made of sequinned fringe. So… pretty sure that our resolution isn’t being broken there. Also, they are sheer. Win!
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Eye candy time! Last month we had photographer Craig Cochrane at our Winter Magic production in Guilt & Company. PS- next show at Guilt is January 8th. We have a special guest. She’s an international star. It’s top secret. You liked her a lot when she was with us in November.. hint hint… 
Enjoy!
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Mama Kay and Ava Lure begin the balloon tradition!
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Is it any wonder those balloons disappear so fast?
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Yes. This happened. For real.
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Beautiful Burgundy in lilac feathers.
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Carole Brunette!
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Twirling!
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Miss Fitt says Merry Christmas
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Special Guest Travis Bernhardt brought winter into Guilt.
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Burgundy has tricks up her sleeve, while wearing no sleeves. Or anything else!
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I’m gonna give you candy..!
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Cast!
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- Mama Kay and Ava Lure begin the balloon tradition!
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- Is it any wonder those balloons disappear so fast?
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- Yes. This happened. For real.
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- Beautiful Burgundy in lilac feathers.
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- Carole Brunette!
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- Twirling!
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- Miss Fitt says Merry Christmas
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- Special Guest Travis Bernhardt brought winter into Guilt.
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- Burgundy has tricks up her sleeve, while wearing no sleeves. Or anything else!
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- I’m gonna give you candy..!
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- Cast!
Of Merkins and Magic
Winter Magic featuring Travis Bernhardt is almost upon us!
Come to Guilt & Co on Tuesday, December 11th to witness our winter spectacular! Doors open at 7, show begins with our balloon girl and the band at 9. Admission is by donation- suggested at $10. And hey, I’ll be selling two pretty hair pieces at the show (if they last!) and you can deduct your admission donation from the cost of the hairpiece! It’s my thank you for being supportive of us artists. We recommend getting there early as seating is first come, first serve.
Hmm, what else…
How about a photo blog? Last blog entry we featured the first act of November’s Un Cafe de Paris show with beautiful photos from Voodoo Bill Kustom Kulture Photography. We’re very happy to share the rest of the photos from that show. I’m very happy I get to drool over shots of Amber Ray, Lady Josephine, Burgundy Brixx, and Miss Fitt. Good morning to me! There’s a couple photos of me in there, too.
Enjoy!
Sugarplums and Showgirlbums
Happy Monday!
On December 11th we hope to see you at Guilt & Co for
Winter Magic! featuring the incredible Travis Bernhardt!
Last year we featured Travis in our show to rave reviews. He’s always such a treat to watch, let alone work with. We just couldn’t resist his charms. Har har! But seriously…. ladies in our audience…. we know you come to watch fierce women and be entertained and titillated and inspired… but this month you’ve got some eye and brain candy represented by this man. Who in the heck gets to be tall-dark-and-handsome-and-smart-and-f*cking-magical? Travis Bernhardt. That’s who. So, you’re welcome
We’re also welcoming back to the stage one of our rare treat ladies- a founding member of P&L, Carole Brunette! Joining her are the likes of Burgundy Brixx, Miss Fitt, and myself. The long and leggy Ava Lure is our stage manager this month, and Mama Kay our MC. Doors 7 pm, show 9 pm. Suggested donation $10- which goes directly to paying the cast of 12 people on stage!
A big snuggly thank you to all who came to Cafe de Paris at Guilt & Co last month- wow was that place ever packed! It’s usually pretty cozy before, but on top of our regular crowd, there were faces we’d never seen before in the audience, and l’amour was in the air! Pretty sure the incredible Amber Ray and Lady Josephine had something to do that that, don’t you think? We were so thrilled to get to work with them- international guests are a little hard to come by in Vancouver, so we absolutely jumped at the chance to collaborate. Did they ever exceed every expectation, and you know we have high expectations! Speaking of expectations, we apologize for starting the show later than usual, we had some unexpected sound setup issues that pushed us a little late. We’ll be on time next time, promise!
Just a friendly reminder that we don’t allow any form of videotaping or photography during our show, unless you’re a designated photographer (if you’re a professional photographer and are interested in shooting, please contact us at livejazzburlesque@gmail.com)- this includes cameras as well as iPhones and all those fancy little devices. We know it’s oh-so-tempting to try to snag a picture of that amaaazing moment that is playing out on stage, but then you have to take your eyes away from the stage and look through a screen. And that is not nearly as awesome as absorbing and indulging in the performance real time. And that is what we live for- indulging you in real time, completely live. We spend so much time in front of computer screens for work and un fun purposes, it really tickles us to be able to connect with our audiences one hundred percent! Furthermore… if you are caught breaking the rules (naughty!) then you’ll have to deal with me. And I’m a very nice person, but my will is even firmer than my backside. I realize that’s hard to believe, but just ask around.
On the bright side! This little issue inspired something that I think is VERY cool. We’re going to have a polaroid camera (can those things be called retro yet? Or are they just outdated? whatevs) so that you can purchase autographed photos of you and your friends with our performers and musicians! I love sassy keepsakes. I was inspired by the gorgeous Voodoo Pixie at our wedding reception- she snapped a picture of John and I and it’s just so charming. What’s more, is it was signed by a number of the guests at our party. I love it so much, and after watching so many people struggle to get pictures with their camera phones (It’s out of focus! That one didn’t take! I blinked! Why is my camera frozen!) I thought it would be so nice if people could just sit back, relax, and have their photo taken and have a little autographed treasure handed to them to take home right away.
Wow, I’ve talked for two paragraphs about photos. They say a good act runs with three’s… so, here you go.
A photo blog! Featuring the stunning artistry of Voodoo Bill!
Just what you’re been waiting for! Unless you were clever and skipped over my blathering. In which case, good on you. You made it through 723 words.
Ta-da!
Devious Dames, Debussey, and Derrieres!
On November 13th at Guilt & Co in the heart of Gastown, join us on a flight of fancy to
Un Cafe de Paris!
We have two spectacular internationally renowned special guests contributing to Miss Fitt’s Parisian fantasy: The merveilleux Amber Ray (New York City) and the incroyable Lady Josephine! (Montreal)
Doors 7 pm, show 9 pm. Seating on a first come first serve basis. Suggested donation $10.
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Now, I know what you’re here for. A photo blog, perhaps? We’ve got one for you. But before we get to that, we have a couple important announcements to make!
Pandora and The Locksmiths are thrilled to be performing at the 12th Annual Clayoquot Sound Oyster Festival! On Saturday, November 17th, Burgundy Brixx, yours truly, August Wiled, Ruthe Ordare, and the wonderful Locksmiths invade Tofino with class, sensuality, and sweet music in honour of the sweet aphrodisiac the festival celebrates!
But wait, there’s more! You have a chance to win a prize package of
- Two nights at the iconic Wickaninnish Inn, in a deluxe guest room, two Oyster Trio dishes at SoBo Restaurant, and two admission tickets to all of these Clayoquot Oyster Festival events:
- Mermaid’s Ball on Friday, November 16, 2012 at 8:00pm
- Clayoquot Sound Oyster Farm Tour with Remote Passages Marine Excursions on Saturday, November 17, 2012, 9:30am departure
- Oyster Gala on Saturday, November 17 at 7:00pm
The total value of this prize package is over $1,000! The winner will be drawn on November 7, 2012.
Click here to enter this fabulous contest!
Holy smokes. Does that not just sound like the most indulgent getaway ever? We are so excited for this production- it’s our first out of town gig as a group! Oysters, jazz, showgirls, love… what better first time could there be? (Also, did you see that there will be the unveiling of the new oyster which has been named “The Clayoquot Climax”? Ahem. Looking forward….!)
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Ready for the photo blog? Well, here you go! We’re featuring the wonderful photography of Cameron Brown in this blog.
Enjoy!
xox
Nicky Ninedoors
L’amour! Je deteste wordpress!
Hold onto your hats, ladies and gentlemen, we’re taking a ride on Miss Fitt’s French wings of fancy on November 13th and turning Guilt & Co into
We are thrilled to have two spectacular special guests for Un Cafe de Paris!
Pictured above, the shimmering sensationalist from New York, Amber Ray! www.amberray.net
And from Montreal, the marvelously musical Lady Josephine! www.facebook.com/TheLadyJosephine
Yeah, um, the only word I can think of right now is YOWZERS! Holy fierce, batman!
Miss Fitt, Burgundy Brixx, and yours truly will be adding new Parisian inspired solo acts to the show, and we’re creating a silky new trio! Voracious V will be on feather and balloon duty, and The Locksmiths will play beautiful music to serenade us all! We’re looking forward to a truly spectacular evening!
November 13th at Guilt & Co. Doors 7 show 9. Suggested donation $10. Get there early- with these guests we are going to fill up faster than ever!
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Speaking of l’amour, we’d like to thank you for being a part of Fall (in love again) last month! Our most recent production truly lived up to its title, with the finale of our fabulous trumpeter Alison Gorman proposing to her long time girlfriend Soo on stage. It was magical. Burgundy Brixx created an act to Ravel’s Bolero and danced en pointe to an enraptured crowd, then sneakily got Soo up on stage at the end to “thank her” for helping in the act. Heh heh heh. At that moment, Alison came out from the back of the stage playing a beautiful melody (to the completely unsuspecting Soo, I might add) and then got down on bended knee and proposed! It was only at that moment that Soo had any idea what was going on. The crowd jumped to their feet and gave the loudest cheers I’ve ever heard there. There were many happy tears. (On a related note, I’m not sure how we all managed to keep a secret for like, two months, but no one brought kleenex. Come on. Troupe full of ladies. No kleenex. Really?)
Congratulations to the beautiful couple. We wish you many, many happy years together. Thank you for sharing your love with all of us. It’s beautiful and we love you.
On that wonderful note, onto the fabulous photos taken by Cameron Brown!
Enjoy!
Beautiful, Beautiful Autumn
Why hello!
This entry will be short and oh so sweet. My apartment is having its windows powerwashed, and I’m not allowed to have any open windows at all…. did I mention that my apartment is south facing? I rarely wear clothes in here as it is, but no open windows?! So I’m here to deliver you the saucey evidence of our Anniversary show on September 11th at Guilt, while simultaneously enticing you to
Fall In Love Again!
Our next show on October 9th at Guilt & Co is shaping up to be a real cozy affair!
Not only do we have the usual instigators Burgundy Brixx, Voracious V, and yours truly, but we also have the hottest new burlesque sensation in Vancouver, August Wiled!
But wait, there’s more!
We have a special guest with us this month that we’ve been trying to coordinate with since we began two years ago: the stunning
Via Rose!
photo credit to Chris Mitchell
This gorgeously auburn performer is not only a wonderful burlesque artist, but she also plays the bassoon and the contrabassoon, often with the VSO. She’s just dripping with class and it’s a joy that our schedules have finally coordinated!
See you at our next show!
Now, for the eye candy…
I have a bit of a confession to make. Our lighting wasn’t exactly excellent for photo purposes last time and so this photo blog will be smaller. It just goes to show you that if you really want to be a part of our shows and experience the full meal deal of singers, dancers, burlesque, and live music… you gotta be there
I love how I manage to turn the issue of me not double checking the lighting into a “you need to come to our shows”. Ha!
Photos are by our resident live photo sponsor, Cameron Brown
Enjoy!
The Summer of Love
Well, it’s certainly been a while since the last blog entry, but we’re back at it now, feeling refreshed and inspired and ready to dazzle- just in time for our
2nd Anniversary Spectacular!
We’ve gone through a few little growth spurts and changes over the past few months: the addition of Ruthe Ordare, August Wiled, Miss Kiss, and Ava Lure officially into our collective fold (naughty!), bidding farewell to our incredible drummer Trevor Grant, who is going to be living in Charlottetown with his amazing lady Samantha (so sad, but so happy!) and we’re currently wishing our keyboardist, my big brother Sean Bayntun, loads of luck and success as his project Facts participate in The Peak Performance Project this year, right before embarking on a cross country tour!
With all these shifts and positive changes happening, we’ve been getting together to figure out how to operate even better as a collective, and how to make even more solid productions. Ruthe Ordare is now our official Social Media Showgirl, handling our Twitter and Instagram accounts, Burgundy Brixx is our official poster designer for our events, I handle photo wrangling and blog action, and we all fill in the cracks when it comes to admin and all the non-showgirl tasks that are involved in being showgirls. Like printing set lists. Or sending reminder emails. You know, super sexy things like that. In addition to fun task assignment, yay, we’re also working on developing productions! In November, Miss Fitt puts on the artistic director panties for our show at Guilt & Co, and she has not one, but two incredible headliners lined up for the occasion. I’ll leave the reveal to her, so you’ll just have to wait.
Now, you know I didn’t just come on here to write about “Oooo, we’re made of rainbows and love eachother and positive growth and sustainability and stuff”. You know I came on here to share some eye candy with you. Ohhhh yeah. In the midst of all the love and positivity and crap, John Bews and I got married! And since I didn’t organize photos from our last show, I’m going to tide you over with photos from our wedding ceremony. Just so you know, my parents haven’t even seen these yet. They’re having to read this blog in order to see the photos. I’m going to hear about this. The sacrifices I make for our readers is astounding. FEEL SPECIAL.
All these photos were taken by Maria Koehn of Frozen Reflections Photography. She is a dream to work with! My gown and John’s suit were designed and made by Messica Demolition (with the lace appliques on the skirt cut out and sewn on by my mother and my aunt). Messica’s dress is a 20s flapper dress with beautiful daisy lace print, and she added a new silk slip underneath and a silk sash for shape. Catherine’s sequinned gown was originally this incredible find of an old lady’s dress, but with some simple modifications became an absolute stunner! The green gown on Voracious V is one of my costumes made by Messica, AND Messica also made my mother’s gown! She’s a machine! Highly, highly recommend…!
Enjoy!
Stolen by a Kiss
With Summer Groove just around the corner, we felt it was time to introduce you to another new member of our collective…
Miss Kiss!
But before we get to her interview (and gallery! Shazam!) let me tell you a little bit about our upcoming show. We have a craaaazy lineup in store for you, and this show is all about the groove. Burgundy Brixx and I will be performing, as per usual, and Miss Fitt will be lending her sweet voice for the show, but in addition to that we have fierce burlesque vocalist Miss Kiss, and Vancouver’s high energy sweet-heart from Sweet Soul Burlesque and the Vancouver Burlesque Centre, Cherry On Top! We’ve never performed with her before and we’ve been dying to for a long time! And with Cherry in the mix, you know there will be lots of booty groovin music abounding. Have I mentioned how hard we work our musicians? One month it’s all 1940s and classic jazz, the next month we make them do funk and soul. And they switch gears like nobodies business. NBD.
Alright. Let’s get to know Miss Kiss. And let me give you a disclaimer- this little kissing bandit is much more likely to throw you down and kiss you than wait for a knight in shining armour to come deliver one. She’s fierce. Read about her. The lady is gettin naked for you, so get to know her!
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What is your performance and training background?
After being out of school for a year, my Mom said I better get doing something, so I thought, okay, I like to sing and express myself and dress up in costumes – how bout musical theatre? So I auditioned for the Capilano Musical Threatre Diploma Program. So that is three years of training which includes, but was not limited to: singing, acting, jazz, tap, ballet, film, music theory, and a lot of masterclasses! This does not mean I am a pro at all these things, but I have lots to draw on for performances should I need them! I learned that you can really disguise how terrible you are at tap if you learn to smile…ha! I was the rocker girl dressing up as Alice Cooper for first year ice breakers and not having a clue who Sondheim was. I quickly learned though! I have performed with many local theatre companies since graduating, including Gateway Threatre, Theatre Under the Stars and the Arts Club Theatre.
I also started getting into Marilyn Monroe around Grade 9. My dad bought me a Monroe lunchbox as a gift for good grades and I started watching her films and wearing red lipstick everyday – with my doc martins and bondage pants. So I have always had this mix of rock n’ roll and glamour. I also found out I make a terrible blonde and could not be Monroe.
Enter Bettie Page and the burlesque world. “Oh my gawd! So amazing! Where can I find this world?!” I asked myself as a little girl from Surrey. Well thank goodness for The Purrrfessor!!! We were in a production of “Jesus Christ Superstar” with TUTS in 2008 and he told me about Kitty Nights, that I should come out, and maybe Go-Go sometime. Thank you Jesus! Ha! Here are all these amazing women who come in all shapes, sizes and colours just kicking ass on stage being sexy and fun and strong! Love love love at first sight! So needless to say, I did Go-Go, and went on to start doing my own numbers. Burgundy Brixx really showed me how it is done and has always been someone who inspires me as a performer, teacher and friend.
So more on the “why burlesque”: it is a medium where I feel I get to truly express myself and my vision how I choose. It gives me a chance to be my own character instead of one already created in a script. It also has helped me be more comfortable with myself. Miss Kiss does not have body issues or insecurities – she just wants to have a good time and entertain!
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We’re really stoked to work with Miss Kiss. She has a massive voice, as you may have seen during our “Night Owl Revue” production for the Vancouver International Burlesque Festival, or in Blue Morris’ Beatles Burlesque. With the amount of skill she has, it’s no wonder we’re all trying to get a piece!
Enjoy the photos!
A Scorchingly Scandalous Night
Thank you to everyone who came out to our Heat Wave production at Guilt & Co! It was a delightful evening. And many thanks to all those who made that show happen.
Our next show is August 14th, and we’ll be featuring special guests Cherry On Top and Miss Kiss! Save the date! It’s going to be a very groovy show.
Alright, onto the saucey photo blog! Here are some photos to tide you over until our next blog entry. We’re been collaborating with Cameron Brown lately and we’re pretty much just thrilled about it. You know all those photos he’s done. They’re the ones you keep clicking on and looking at. Yes… I see your every move when you’re on here… (On a related note, who keeps searching for nude photos of a certain non burlesque dancer we know? You search for that a lot! I recommend going to Wreck Beach instead. More effective.)
Anyhoo. Onto the awesome Act I photos of Ruthe Ordare, Villainy Loveless, and yours truly…
enjoy!
We shall never be Ruth-less again!
Tomorrow evening at Guilt & Co we’re turning up the heat even more and bringing you a full fledged…
Heat Wave!
In the past couple of weeks you’ve been getting to know our newest collective members. So far you’ve read interviews with Ava Lure and August Wiled. Today, we bring you the divine bombshell
Ruthe Ordare!
Read all about her below!
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What is your performance and training background?
Most of my performance and training background has been in dance, I began jazz and ballet when I was 10 and began studying it seriously when I was around 15. I was very focused and determined in my ballet training, and I was lucky to have a very talented teacher who helped me reach the Royal Academy of Dance’s grade 8 in ballet after only four years. I also competed in local dance competitions in Ontario.
In my late teens, I started teaching dance at my studio and choreographed competitive routines, performance company pieces and studio recital numbers. I also owned and operated my own summer dance camp before I moved west to Vancouver.
While I was attending university, I choreographed five musicals. It was a huge learning experience since my choreography now had to factor in singing as well as performers who had little to no training. But it was also some of the most fun I had at university!
Some of my biggest performances have included dancing for the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards for CBC in 2002 and in the Opening Ceremonies at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
Currently I am taking classes at the Vancouver Burlesque Centre and you can occasionally find me substituting when Burgundy Brixx or Lola Frost are away!
How and when and why did you get into burlesque?
I began looking into burlesque a few years ago but didn’t have the opportunity to pursue it until 2010. In my final year of university I had a class with another local performer Evelyn Ivory, and we somehow started chatting about musicals and dance when burlesque came up. She referred me to Burgundy Brixx’s School of Tease classes and the rest is history! I began taking lessons with Burgundy in November 2010 and made my debut in January 2011 as one of her Minsky Follies girls at Kitty Nights.
From so many places, I’m constantly inspired by other performers who are trying new things and expanding the genre. I find ideas from movies, books, and primarily music. The dancer in me hears a piece of music and decides “I need to dance to this”. From there I’ll spend time listening to it and the ideas for costumes and movement develop in my head. Any big plans or productions you’re a part of in the future you’re excited about?
Well, first of all I’m very excited to become an official member with Pandora & The Locksmiths, I’ve had the pleasure of stage kittening with them for almost a year now and it’s an honour to be asked to join the ranks with performers whom I highly respect. Outside of Pandora, I’m looking forward to staging our Burlesque “beauty pageant” Ta-tas and Tiaras with April O’Peel and Madame Mae I on July 13th at the Rio Theatre. I’m also taking on my first attempt at producing this fall with Blue Morris Productions!
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Is that not an impressive resume or what?
We’re thrilled to have her perform with us for the first time tomorrow alongside Burgundy Brixx, Nicky Ninedoors, August Wiled, and special guest Villainy Loveless. You’ll enjoy the vocal talents of Miss Fitt and Doug Thoms (our fabulous host this month) as well as, you guessed it, the musical stylings of the five piece sensation, The Locksmiths! And don’t forget about the balloon popping fun with Ava Lure!
Doors open at 7 pm, show starts at 9 pm.
Suggested donation $10.
It fills up fast. Get there early and get yourself a cool drink, cuz it’s going to be a real scorcher!
A Wiled Ride Ahead
Heat Wave! is just around the corner…
and in that production, we’re officially introducing our newest collective members. Last week you got to know Ava Lure, and this week you can get into the head of the sensational…
August Wiled!
Winner of the 2nd place award in Vancouver’s Strip Search for her first ever burlesque performance (!!), August Wiled has materialized onto the burlesque scene here with a passion for this art form and natural skill that don’t normally come to performers right away. If I do say so myself, ladies and gentlemen, she’s one to watch very closely. We’re pretty awe struck, and very excited to be working with her.
Let’s find out what makes her tick/strip!
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What is your performance and training background?
After spending much time dancing in front of ballets on public access television, I was enrolled in dance lessons at the age of three; mostly ballet, but over time including jazz, and lyrical. With dance I was able to spend time performing in competitions, and local shows. I have also performed as a singer, and as a musician; music pervades my life!
How and when and why did you get into burlesque?
Burlesque and burlesque culture is something I have always been intrigued by. Even as a young teenager, I adored pin up artwork and beautiful lingerie; scratching at the surface, I suppose. Somehow though, it took me until last year to realize that burlesque was something that I could actually partake in outside the audience role! I started taking classes with Burgundy at the Vancouver Burlesque Centre, and after just the first one, it became very apparent to me that this was something that I HAD to be involved in, and really something that I was meant to be doing; it’s all my most favorite things combined and makes me so damn happy.
Just a few short months ago, I entered “Strip Search”, a burlesque competition for new performers. I was delighted at the opportunity to get on stage and really challenge myself to create something I was proud of. I had absolutely no expectations going into it as far as “winning” anything (aside from the experience, and that was enough for me), but much to my surprise, I was awarded second place, and given the opportunity to perform again at Kitty Nights that weekend!! I was so overwhelmed and humbled by the wonderful responses I got from audience members, and performers that I really look up to; it was like a dream, the most wonderful feeling dream, and completely solidified my decision to continue pursuing the art form further.
On a personal level, burlesque is the most fulfilling thing I have ever done. I am never as nervous as I think I should be before going on stage, and have an obscene amount of fun performing, and feeling so natural in it is a bit of a strange revelation for me; though always looking for an opportunity to laugh, I am a rather reserved person in my daily life, even shy sometimes. I was thinking recently about my “burlesque character”, but in all honesty, it turns out that my character is really just myself in my truest form! Ha, it feels more like the “daytime” me is really the one in character for my 9-5… But in any case, it all makes sense to me now!
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
Oh my, this is difficult and vast! Of course I am always inspired by other performers, and the level of ingenuity the exists in the burlesque community in general, both past and present, but I would have to say that creatively, I find most of my inspiration in music; music has always been dominant, and even therapeutic in my life. When I listen to something that I really connect with, it plays out like a film in my head; movements, mood, colors, you name it. I try to just feel it, and let those feelings dictate what I do; I think that’s really important, to put your thoughts aside and just see what happens.
Any big plans or productions you’re a part of in the future you’re excited about?
I am always conspiring and dreaming…I need more hours in the day to get to all my plans! First and foremost though, THIS, Pandora and The Locksmiths; I am so excited and honored to be considered a member of such an extraordinary group of talented individuals. I was a fan before I knew anyone in the group, so it seems a bit crazy to me still. I went to my first PaTL show completely alone because I just really wanted to be there no matter what; I dressed up, did my hair and makeup, and ventured to Guilt and Co. for the evening, it was great!
I am so new to the community, so for now, I’m just going to keep creating, and learning, and getting out there as much as I can; every opportunity is so thrilling for me. I’m really looking forward to just spending time with, and getting to know other performers as well!
***
Photograph by David Denofreo
Well, there you have it! Like I said, she’s one to watch. A stunning dancer, a total sweetheart, and a powerhouse talent all around!
See you Tuesday, July 10th!
Boudoir, Racey Routines, and Bear Bums
While you’re anxiously awaiting our Heat Wave! production at Guilt & Company……
we’ve got a delectable stash of photos for you to enjoy in the meantime. Omnomnom!
Here is Act 2 of our most recent show at Guilt, photographed by Cameron Brown.
Enjoy!
PS- congratulations to the new board of directors for the Vancouver International Burlesque Festival- directors continuing on include Roxette Starr, Mike Cooper, Blue Morris, Sparkle Plenty, and April O’Peel. The board has welcomed Stevie Lix and Nicky Ninedoors into the sparkly workaholic fold! Let the world domination begin!
A Cactus, Ruby Slippers, and a Muff
How’s that for a title? It’s all true, I swear it.
But first things first, our next show at Guilt on July 10th:
Heat Wave!
In this show we’re featuring one of our favourite ladies to work with, Villainy Loveless, the “Marilyn Monroe of East Van”, a member of The Starlet Harlots, and sister to the fierce Lola Frost. She’s got talent, style, and attitude, and we like it.
We’re also presenting two of our newest members- Ruthe Ordare and August Wiled!
I’m going to do a whole entry on the newest contributors to our collective as soon as I get my paws on some photos they would like for me to promote them with. Hint hint.
You’ll also see acts from Burgundy Brixx and myself, our stage will be vixen-ed by Ava Lure, and the night will be hosted by Doug Thoms. Oh yeah, and that five piece band we just can’t seem to get rid of, The Locksmiths, will be providing the live bump to our grind…
Down to the itty bitties…
This is going to be part one of the photos taken by Cameron Brown at our recent show on June 12th. Because we’re tease artists and you don’t get it all at once. You’re going to have to work for it. You’re going to at least have to pretend you just read something before clicking on the nudie photos. And we’ll all just pretend I don’t see exactly what you’re searching when you’re sent to our blog. AHEM. Cuz we don’t judge here!
Voracious V at The Vogue
The videos are trickling their way onto Burlesque Stars, and since Voracious V is performing with us tomorrow it seemed appropriate to post a video of her.
This one, in particular, is from her solo performance at The Vogue. Naughty.
So, who’s coming to Guilt and Company Tuesday night?
Doors 7 pm, show starts at 9 pm.
Suggested donation $10.
Voracious V
Burgundy Brixx
Nicky Ninedoors
Miss Fitt
plus the five piece music sensation The Locksmiths
Hosted by Mama Kay
with help from August Wiled
XOX
Bitchy Geisha!
photograph by William H Stewart
WeDo Photo- Highlights of the VIBF
We’ve been very fortunate this festival to have amazing photographers left right and centre!
Today, dearest viewers, you get to see some of the best photos that WeDo Photo took of Pandora and The Locksmiths during the first two nights of the Vancouver International Burlesque Festival.
Note- not all our members are featured in these photos. We had fantastic performances by Burgundy Brixx, stage help by Ava Lure, Ruthe Ordare, and Callio P. Cock, a rainbow fest by Miss Fitt, that foxy Carole Brunette, Rebel Valentine and Miss Kiss helping out on vocals… but hey! These were the photos I got, and they are damn good!
In case you didn’t notice, our blog is going through a slow transformation into the land of less black and red, and more colour. Also, you can expect to see a whole lot more of our members featured on the main page in the next couple weeks. We’re also going to start featuring our most trusted designer, Messica Demolition, in “costume creation” themed blogs. And we’re going to feature our musical machine. Sean “Brother Keys” Bayntun, in a blog showcasing how he breaks down each track and charts it out like the crazy talented motherf*cker that he is. As a live music and burlesque collective we have a large team of people to keep the fabulous standards high! We feature professional singers, professional dancers, burlesque artists, and, of course, five (or more) absolutely stellar professional musicians- not to mention relying on a few very talented designers to make our custom costume dreams come true. At our shows you can always expect to hear smokin music and see variety in with top-notch tease artists. That’s just how we like it. No element is more important than the other. It’s all about quality entertainment, baby!
Our next show is on June 11th (we’re on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at Guilt & Co) and our lineup is Burgundy Brixx, yours truly, Miss Fitt, Voracious V, and the newest Pandora and The Locksmiths member will be keepin us all (and our costumes) in line, August Wiled! Doors 7 pm, show 9 pm. Admission by suggested $10 donation. (In addition to bringing you the best quality, we like to be accessible, so you can still have a wonderful scotch to accompany the show without breaking your wallet!)
Here’s hoping these photos will tide you over until we get our next batch of glory in from one of the talented photographers that we’re so lucky to encounter in our performances!
xox
Nicky Ninedoors - and the whole Pandora and The Locksmiths gang!
This Glorious Weekend
Hiiii! It’s Nicky. (shocking)
I cannot even explain how many times I’ve cried watching the amazing talent and creativity this city has to offer. Pandora and The Locksmith’s Night Owl Revue production at The Rio Theatre really kicked off the festival, and it’s just continued to soar throughout!
Since I’m writing this, you’re going to be subjected to my opinions and thoughts. Lucky!
On Thursday I was overwhelmed with gratitude for the amazing team I am a part of. While it’s fairly common knowledge that I’m a driving fire under the powerful hindquarters of Pandora and The Locksmiths, there are so many facets to our collective that are absolutely crucial. I mean, you can’t get by on just hindquarters alone, right? Gotta have legs and brains and arms and crazy hard workers and positive attitudes, and most of all, sheer talent to work with. All of our members seriously brought it, and continue to bring it during the festival. I’m so full of joy it’s ridiculous. (FU super moon, where the f*ck did my waterproof liner go?!). I can’t wait to see tonight’s show at The Vogue with reigning queen Indigo Blue, and one of my favourite people- our very own legend- Judith Stein.
Last night I performed at The Vogue Theatre with my brother, Sean Bayntun. If you missed it, we did our Radiohead/Sally Rand/live music tribute of “Nude”. I won’t lie, when I get footage of that, I’m sending it straight to Thom Yorke. Dear Thom. Enjoy. From Nicky and Sean, with so much love. The performers last night were incredible. I could tell you which were incredible, or I could just tell you to look at the program and understand that every single person was AMAZING. No exagerration or lying whatsoever. There is, however, a special place in my heart for one of my very best friends, Voracious V. Hit me. Good god, hit me. And another special place in my heart for a friend I am lucky to have made- Jesse Belle Jones from Seattle’s Sinner Saint Burlesque troupe. I have never felt so amorous about a hobo before. ANYWAYS.
I’m going to the festival tonight. You should go, too. If you see me, come say hi and tell me what you think about the festival. I’m a huge dork and I love hearing everyone’s different favourite moments!
And now…. I shut up. And give you eye candy. (Expect to see a lot more in the next few days- this was the first batch I got my hands on. There will be lots of shots of Burgundy lighting the place on fire coming!)
Enjoy!
Photos by Cameron Brown Photography (thank you so much!)
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- If smiles were dollars… Photo by Cameron Brown
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- Gams! Photo by Cameron Brown.
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- Sometimes being at the back of the stage is where it’s at. Miss Kiss singing her heart out. Photo by WeDo Photo
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- Butterflies (Photo by Cameron Brown)
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- Sometimes you just need a little colour in your life. Photo by Cameron Brown.
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- and Rainbows. Photo by Cameron Brown
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- The Purrrrfessor. Photo by Cameron Brown
Jazz, Burlesque, and Voodoo Bill
First up- have you heard about Vancouver’s hottest burlesque event of the whole YEAR?
It’s time for the Vancouver International Burlesque Festival!
Running May 3rd through the 6th, it is packed with glamour, innovation, incredible performers and a whooooole lot of wicked striptease!
Thursday, May 3rd, is held at East Vancouver’s Favourite Cinema, The Rio Theatre- and it’s devoted to live music and burlesque!
Pandora and The Locksmiths will be showcasing “The Night Owl Revue”- our funk and soul spectacular. Big props, big hair, big grooves, big vocal numbers (Nicky here. So many harmonies. So many singers… I AM STOKED!!!) and a huge cast- 17 people! Following P&L is the acclaimed Beatles Burlesque, and Bender in Bermuda!
Friday, May 4th, is held at The Vogue (shazam!) Theatre on Granville Street. An absolutely fabulous lineup- including the incredibly naughty Voracious V, as well as a Radiohead/Sally Rand inspired duo by yours truly and Sean Brother Keys Bayntun! Hosted by one of our favourite people, the faaaaaahbulous Crystal Precious! FIERCE!
Saturday, May 5th, is also held at The Vogue (take that, mainstream entertainment!) Theatre on Granville Street. Also an absolutely insanely talented lineup- including our friends from The Cabaret Du Passe, and of course the inimitable Burgundy Brixx! We cannot WAIT to see her act on the big stage OH MY GOD. Did we mention that Saturday is hosted by The Purrfessor?!
Get your tickets. This is THE burlesque event to be at in Vancouver. There are amazing acts, amazing vendors, amazing amazing amazingness… !!!! See you at the festival! Or, you’ll be seeing us. A lot of us. WINK!
Here’s a teaser video….
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Okay! To all those who came to our show at Guilt & Co last week, thank you so much! Your continued support tickles us in all the right place. We hope you know it! Our next show falls right after the burlesque fest on May 8th!
We had a guest photographer in the house capturing the finer moments of the evening, and, accordingly, the rest of this post is devoted to his eye popping eye candy. Big thanks to Voodoo Bill for bringing his talents out! He is a fabulous photographer and a gem to work with!
And so it begins..
Visual Sass
Short and sweet, this is all about our January show at Guilt & Co., and all the photos are by Rufio Van Hoover.
You can catch our next show at Guilt and Company on Tuesday, March 13th. Doors 7 pm, Show starts at 9- and if you want a seat get there early!
Don’t forget, Carole Brunette is back in action for that show- so don’t miss your chance to see this beautiful and foxy lady!
PS- Voracious V really, really does not like sharp objects. We’re pretty twisted, making her our official balloon girl 
Voracious V and Mama Kay pop it like it's hot
Our glamorous host for the evening, Mama Kay!
Our double duty bellydance burlesque star, Delilah Dare!
Miss Fitt is made of motherf*ckin magic!
Nicky Ninedoors sings the blues
The temptress Burgundy Brixx!
And into intermission…..
Getting cozy during intermission
Beautiful people with Trevor Grant
What can we say? We've got a very good lookin audience!
Straight back into it, it’s time to show you another side of us…
Nicky's tailfeathers
The triple threat (seriously, what doesn't she do???) and absolutely smokin' Burgundy Brixx!
Miss Fitt + Whiskey + The Doors = sassy chair dance awesomeness.
Delilah Dare destroys the final act of the evening (and leaves a huge trail of sugar in her wake... to mix with the glitter... the cleaners must love us!)
The End!
The Loudmouth Is Back Online!
Hallo! First things first- upcoming shows, and now you can follow us on Twitter!
Pandora & The Locksmiths
Wednesday, February 29th at Electric Owl Social Club: The Night Owl Revue
Tuesday, March 13th at Guilt and Company
Highly related and recommended:
Kitty Nights- Every Sunday with Burgundy Brixx and The Purrfessor!
Tuesday Feb 28th at Guilt & Company: The Decadent Eccentric with Luciterra and Chris Murdoch, with fancy lighting by DJ K-Tel
Tuesday March 6th at Guilt & Company: Guilt-a-Go-Go with Miss Fitt’s Hot Pants!
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Let’s start this off with a super rad announcement:
Pandora and The Locksmiths have been accepted into the production evening of the Vancouver International Burlesque Festival, held at East Van’s favourite theatre, The Rio! Catch us on May 3rd- and come to the rest of the festival through the 6th!
A big-ass, big hair, big groovy tunes ALL FUNK AND SOUL SHOW! Oh snap! Featuring…..
BURGUNDY BRIXX
CAROLE BRUNETTE
DELILAH DARE
MISS FITT
VORACIOUS V
MAMA KAY/CAMERO LUVROC/CAMEO LECROCK/WHATEVER THE HELL SHE WANTS TO CALL HERSELF
ME!
AVA LURE
RUTHE ORDARE
MISS KISS
REBEL VALENTINE
DOUG THOMS
SEAN BROTHER KEYS
ALISON GORMAN
DOMINIC CONWAY
JOHN BEWS
TREVOR GRANT
Holy smokes! What a cast! We can’t wait to do this production! It’s going to be seriously badass. Or goodass, if you know anything about our ladies. WINK WINK!
AND- at the Burlesque Festival Showcase (The Vogue Theatre, drooooollll), you’ll see Burgundy Brixx perform, as well as a duo from Nicky Ninedoors and Brother Keys!
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Okay, onto my own personal ramblings of what has happened to me in the past month!
This past month has been, quite literally, a huge roller coaster ride for me. I have been having recurring dreams about being on The Coaster and fastening up my “optional seatbelt” -which doesn’t exist on The Coaster in Real Life, but my brain feels the need for one right now, apparently!
A day after a fabulous show we performed in at The Rio, I was in a massive car accident. My trusty Honda Civic- the one that you may have seen an upright bass, feather fans, a travel case, a costume bag, an amp, music stand, mic stand, myself and John come out of- seriously took one for the team. She was accosted by an aggressive Nissan and ran to hide in a telephone pole and some hedges. Maybe not the best hiding spot. Poor Samantha Civic. 
It was the scariest sh*t in my life. I got taken away on a stretcher to the hospital (cue the discovery that I really dislike neck braces) and a wonderful woman named Jeanette picked up my boyfriend from work and took him to me. My parents arrived shortly after and much emotion and anxiety ensued between all of us. I was mostly in shock at that point but was occasionally very cranky (they wouldn’t let me have water! and I had just come from hot yoga! GODDAMNIT!) or occasionally very sad, or occasionally laughing. Roller coaster!
I didn’t break anything. What I walked away with was whiplash, and a sprained (albeit severely) wrist. My right wrist, I might add. Cue ANNOYANCE.
Five days after the accident…. I moved. Do you know how hard it is to move when you can’t bend or pick things up? Man was I useless! Cue more annoyance and feelings of helplessness! Dislike! You all know I’m a go getter… I do not like being held back. Especially by physical limitations.
Needless to say, I’ve not being go-go-going as hard as I was pre-accident. But I’m making good progress. I have my off days (yesterday) and my on days (today, and lots of other days) but I am very, very thankful that I was in great shape before the accident and that my commitment to yoga and bellydance (Luciterra does a body good) and ballet classes with Burgundy at the VBC were merely put on pause for one week.
The other thing I walked away with was an incredibly feeling of luck and gratitude. If I had been going 5 km/hr faster I would have been t-boned and I guarantee I wouldn’t have walked away from the accident in the shape that I did. I’m so so thankful for Jeanette and her help that night. When I was super low in the couple days after the accident I would remind myself of her and how she was there for me even though I was a complete stranger to her, and it really, really helped me out a lot. Human beings are inspiring. Love.
Right now- I’m f*cking loving my new place. I just moved into The Artiste, and we just set up our workspace/studio. After living in a basement suite I cannot even explain to you what 10.5 ft ceilings do to me. Other than shiver in pleasure and dance around scantily clad, much to the benefit of my neighbours. I taught my first lesson in the new place yesterday and I just felt so inspired the whole time (Thanks, Ava Lure, for being a great student!) and I can’t wait to teach more. If anyone is wondering about singing lessons, piano lessons, bass lessons, or theory/harmony lessons, John and I have got you covered. Our rates are affordable, we’re passionate about what we do, and we love to help open people up to their musical inspiration! You can contact me at ninedoorsproductions@gmail.com regarding voice and piano, and contact John at johnbews@gmail.com regarding bass and theory/harmony.
Also right now- we just got a new car. My Civic and my parents combined as one super awesome force and now we have a 2006 Subaru Outback XT or whatever the heck. I dunno, it’s a sweet car. It is turbocharged and manual and glorious. I kinda feel like I’m living someone else’s life, to be honest, with the big package of changes that have just happened. I think I like it? Traumatic, but upgraded! Ta-da! I’m not totally settled in yet. The car accident was pretty intense and I admit, I have only driven my new car once since we got it… for ten minutes. That was a big step for me. I drove past where I got hit and managed to not throw up. YAY. Seems small, but I felt a big sense of triumph. I still need to get comfortable driving with more vehicles around, but it’ll come with time.
Onto things I’m looking forward to:
I’ve decided this year I’m going to start applying to out of town festivals, and trying to get my sassyass out there as much as possible! It’s TIME, my friends.
I’m also really excited about the ginormous ostrich feather boa I’m picking up from Catherine D’Lish (ummmmm pretty much my favourite burlesque star ever.) and the private lesson we’ll be doing with it. Because seriously, as if I’m going to figure out how to weild something so large on my own. Cue awkward boa dance. Not pretty. Did I mention I’m going to be singing while I use it? Yeah, I probably didn’t have to.
Here’s my “More Than You Know” act that Brother Keys and I created last month- those fans were custom made for me by Catherine. And if you’ve seen my recent version of “Black Coffee”, you’ve seen the robe she made for me, and the beautiful custom beading that Messica Demolition put all over it. Divine. (I wonder if PETA has just ignored burlesque artists because they know there’s no point? I write this as I fondly look at my double fox pelt boa lounging on my chair….Thanks Ruthe Ordare for having the fur hookup!)
I think I might have to end this blog. Not because I can’t think of anything else to write, hahaha, but because I’m supposed to be bedazzling the f*ck out of some panties for the lovely Camero Luvroc/Cameo LeCrock/Mama Kay. I should finish that.
Oh yeah, in the next two weeks… I’ll have my website up and running! Yippee!!
So, I hope to catch you at our next show at Electric Owl Social Club- remember, it’s this coming Wednesday February 29th, doors at 8 pm, show at 9 pm, and admission is $12 at the door. I’ll be molesting furs, and bump n grindin for your viewing and listening pleasures.
XOX
Nicky on behalf of Pandora & The Locksmiths
- So. Soft.
Photo by Baron S Cameron from our Valentine’s Spectacular at Guilt & Co!
If you want a photo and video heavy blog entry, click to tomorrow. Or today. Wow, writing things after the fact gets confusing.
