Merry Stripmas!
Coming Up Next…
Pandora & The Locksmiths at Guilt&Co!
That’s right, darlings, we’re back at guilt&co in Gastown for a holiday extravaganza. Saturday, December 26 will be a riot of a sexy time. Singing! Dancing! Balloons filled with prizes! Jazz! Funk! and striptease! You know you’ll need to drink away your awkward Christmas dinner, do it with us, why don’t you?
On stage that evening:
AVA LURE
NICKY NINEDOORS
MISS KISS
CAROLE BRUNETTE
RUTHE ORDARE
With the melodious accompaniment of that smokin’ 6 piece band,
THE LOCKSMITHS
And hosted by:
MISS KISS aka STRIPPER JESUS
Doors 8 pm
Show 9 pm
Suggested minimum donation $10 with all proceeds going to the performers. See you there!
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In the Giving Spirit
Sooo, if you ever run into any of us over the holidays, we hope you’ll be in the giving spirit! The ladies of Pandora have some pretty fun wish lists this year, why not make our dreams come true? Last year, Miss Kiss asked for dragon wings, but for 2015, she’s asking for the whole dragon (with treasure, an added bonus)! Ariel Helvetica wants an unlimited travel budget and if that can’t be done, feathers of her own. Superstripper Nicky Ninedoors would like fetish boots and lingerie – no messing around! August Wiled would like a Time Turner… wait, no, just more time to spend with friends. Last but not least, Ava Lure is still wishing to add to her kitty family – an exotic shorthair would be perfect!
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Looking Snappy!
A little while back, the whole group did an in-studio photo shoot with the fabulous people of Fubarfoto. Check out our awesome team!
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- Ava Lure
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- Ariel Helvetica
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- Sean – Keys
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- Voracious V
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- Miss Fitt
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- Dominic – Sax
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- August Wiled
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- Miss Kiss
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- John – Bass
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- Carole Brunette
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- Nicky Ninedoors
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- Alison – Trumpet
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- Ruthe Ordare
Striptease Superstars!
We’ll be seeing you soon…
That’s right darlings, we’re planning a show! Everyone knows that November 1st is the true beginning of the Holiday Season, let’s not deny it. Well, we can’t wait for present time so we’re putting together a little show for Boxing Day featuring a lineup of Pandora superstars. Guess where – at Guilt & Co! I heard that Stripper Jesus might be there, so don’t miss it (cause we know you miss us). We’ll be announcing the full lineup later on, so make sure to check back here.
In the Meantime
You can catch the members of Pandora around Vancouver, Western Canada, and even in the U.S. of A!
Just returned from her tour of Europe, Ariel Helvetica is not slowing down any time soon! She’ll be heading down to Seattle this week to teach at Burlycon, a burlesque education convention. You can also catch her at Silk Tease in Seattle this Wednesday and at The Orchid Club at the Fox Cabaret November 24!
Ruthe Ordare just made her NSFW: Hip Hop Meets Striptease debut as a sexy sock monkey! Something only she is capable of. Ruthe has also recently stepped up as Associate Producer of The Orchid Club and will also be performing in this month’s edition. Producer pants look good on this one!
Nicky Ninedoors also slayed at NSFW this weekend. You want more of her stripper magic? She’ll be bringing her act around B.C. and Alberta so keep an eye on her Facebook page to see when she’ll be in your town!
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Summer Dreams
The last time we were all together on stage was way back in June – woah! Even though the Winter Solstice is approaching, we can still fantasize about the Summer Equinox, no? Thanks to these pictures from fubarfoto, WE SURE CAN!
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- Ginger Avenue joins the sunrise.
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- Brother Keys!
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- Ruthe Ordare soars.
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- Miss Fitt at the river.
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- Ava Lure’s farewell to Spring.
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- Peakaboo Freakin’ Pointe!
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- Dominic on sax!
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- Miss Kiss and Nicky Ninedoors rock it!
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- Hello there, Ariel Helvetica.
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- Ava and August’s duality.
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- The one and only Lola Frost, our FemmeC for the evening.
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- Miss Kiss is way cooler than Lestat.
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- August Wiled brings the feels.
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- Peekaboo Pointe stunns.
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- Awoooo! Howl at the moon.
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- Hey, Liam!
Stepping Out
Coming Up Next…
Pandora & The Locksmiths Present: “Awakenings” featuring Black Dog String Quartet and Peekaboo Pointe
On the cusp of spring and summer, celebrate the many facets of femininity as they emerge into the beckoning day and smoulder through the intoxicating evening. Fierce and beautiful burlesque unfolds to the lush interpretations of a 10 piece orchestra playing classical, jazz, and modern day music. Our first independent, full-length production, “Awakenings” is a coming of age for the group and we’d love for you to celebrate with us at the Rio Theatre this Saturday, June 20! Tickets are available here and at the theatre with doors opening at 8PM.
On stage:
Ruthe Ordare
Ariel Helvetica
Miss Kiss
August Wiled
Nicky Ninedoors
Ava Lure
Voracious V
Miss Fitt
Carole Brunette
Ginger Avenue
and
PEEKABOO POINTE (NYC)
FemmeC for the evening:
LOLA FROST
Music from:
THE LOCKSMITHS
With special guests:
BLACK DOG STRING QUARTET
We’re so excited about the amazing artists we’re collaborating with for this production. Want to learn a little more about them? Read on!
Lola Frost
Guiding you through the evening will be Vancouver burlesque luminary, Lola Frost. As Vancouver’s Rock’N’Roll Flapper, Lola Frost is best known for combining her anachronistic styles of vintage and modern – a true 1920’s starlet with a kiss of Ramones grit. Her pieces are a sensorial experience to behold; an elegant blend of dance, theatre, and fervent striptease.
Performer, teacher and mentor, Lola is co-director of the Vancouver Burlesque Centre and integral member of Sweet Soul Burlesque. She has been internationally recognized at Tease-o-Ramma and the Vancouver International Burlesque Festival, where she was awarded “Sexy, Sultry, Sizzlin’ Striptease” (2009) and “Most Dazzling Dancer” (2013). She has, with great honor, competed at the Burlesque Hall of Fame in the categories of Best Debut (2010), Best Duo (2012 & 2013), Best Troupe (2010), and in 2013 won 2nd runner up in the category of reigning Queen of Burlesque – Miss Exotic World.
A published and noted writer she has been featured on the 21st Century Burlesque Magazine site and in the Berlesker: Handcrafted Literary Journal along with keeping her own blog with a steadily growing following.
Black Dog String Quartet
Black Dog String Quartet will be joining The Locksmiths to create a 10 piece orchestra and a truly unique sound. Formed in 2007, the Black Dog String Quartet is comprised of some of Vancouver’s finest young musicians. The group has appeared on the recordings of artists such as 54-40, Marianas Trench, Bleeding Through, and many others. Individual members have performed live on stage with some of the world’s top acts, including Kanye West, Sting, Michael Buble, Mariah Carey, The Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and Video Games Live.
The quartet’s excellent playing and reputation have landed them in studios with producers like Warne Livesey (Midnight Oil, The Matthew Good Band), Dave Genn (54-40, Hedley), and Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad). Recent performance highlights include appearances with Tambura Rasa, Vancouver Peace Choir, and Karen Flamenco Dance Company.They’ve been a featured ensemble at the Sonic Boom Festival of New Music and at Classical Revolution Vancouver, and all four members play regularly with multiple regional symphony orchestras.
Their solid classical background, high skill level, and collective open-mindedness set the Black Dog String Quartet apart as one of Vancouver’s most unique and versatile ensembles.
Peekaboo Pointe
All the way from New York City, Peekaboo Pointe will be headlining this Saturday’s production! Peekaboo Pointe, known as the “Fastest Tassel-Twirler from East to West,” has graced the stage of nearly every burlesque show in New York City, and continues on her mission of “Seducing the World, one stage at a time.”
Peekaboo started out as a classically trained modern dancer studying under Bill T. Jones, Mark Morris Dance Group, and a host of other notable choreographers. With an early background in ballet and tap, she eventually ventured off on a rare and unusual tour of Cuba studying Afro-Cuban Dance with the group Cutumba. Since then, Peekaboo has applied her extensive knowledge of dance to the nightlife of New York City and turned it into striptease gold. She embodies classic burlesque glamour, but can’t resist throwing a little seductive shock into each of her performances. As if that’s not enough, Peekaboo’s talented tassels spin not only on stage but also on a higher level. Adoring audiences are left breathless as she performs her rare and impressive shows of skill on the pole!
Peekaboo and her twirling tassels have wowed crowds all over the world! Most recently touring with the highly acclaimed show “Cabaret New Burlesque” for 2 tours all over France. She has performed in St. Petersburg, Russia, headlined the Austrailian Burlesque Festival 2012 and another coast-coast tour of Australia with the Burlesque Ball 2010. She was a featured performer at the 2010 Edinburgh Fringe Festival with the award winning show “Vive La Cabaret”. She did a 6 week tour of the UK and Ireland and Sweden. She performed in Venice Italy for MTV, and almost every city in Spain with Los Straightjackets and the Pontani Sisters. Not to mention a US tour headlining the Dos Equis Midnight Revue, and several US tours with Burlesque-a-Pades. She has even made it all the way to Russia to perform! When at home in NYC she was a cast member of the long running shows “This is Burlesque” (2007-2009) and “Guilty Pleasures” (2006-2007) and has performed at over 100 different venues in New York City including Duane Park, Slipper Room, Highline Ballroom, and The Box, just to name a few.
The excitement is growing, make sure you don’t miss out! Let us know you’ll be catching the show by clicking “attending” on Facebook. See us step out on our own this Saturday!
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Vancouver International Burlesque Festival
“Awakenings” was last seen in 2014 at the VIBF. With added material, a larger cast, and our wonderful guests, the upcoming production of the show displays the overall progression of the piece. In May of this year, we debuted another production, “Visions of Lore” at the 10th annual Vancouver International Burlesque Festival. Reimaging myths and legends, we brought our brand of dark magic to the stage. Take a look at these amazing photos by Fubarfoto, Cameron Brown, and WeDo Photo!
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- Carole Brunette guides Pandora through visions of lore.
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- Aura: The Divine Personification of the Breeze
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- August Wiled
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- The Moth: Flying Towards a Flame
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- Ava Lure
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- Narcissus: In Love with a Reflection
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- Ariel Helvetica
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- Ginger Avenue assists with setup.
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- Varcolac: Devour the Moon
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- Voracious V
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- Sirens: The Song of Total Knowledge
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- Sirens
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- Our butts!
Debuting a Dream
Coming Up Next…
VISIONS OF LORE at the VIBF
This Saturday, a brand new production will come alive on the Vogue stage. Visions of Lore dives into the world of myth and legend to reveal new truths. Join us! You can buy tickets in advance here to make sure you’re part of this show’s very first audience.
Bringing you their interpretations of timeless tales:
VORACIOUS V
RUTHE ORDARE
MISS KISS
MISS FITT
NICKY NINEDOORS
CAROLE BRUNETTE
AUGUST WILED
AVA LURE
with musical magic from:
THE LOCKSMITHS
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Last week, we shared a bit of inspiration with you. Curious for more? Read on to discover the final three mythical creatures we created acts around.
Narcissus
Known for his beauty and loved by the gods, Narcissus famously fell in love with his own reflection. He could never obtain the object of his desire, though, and wasted away at the side of a mirror-like stream.
Varcolac
The varcolac can be released from within at times of deep darkness. Taking over the host’s body, the creature longs to devour the moon and in doing, remove all light from the world.
Sirens
Undeniable seductresses, sirens lure sailors onto their island with a song of ultimate knowledge. Whether portrayed as half-bird, half human or as beautiful mermaids, sirens are sure to entice and entrance. Let yourself fall under their spell!
We are so excited to share this new production with all of you! Join us for the 10th Annual Vancouver International Burlesque Festival this Saturday, May 2!
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More March Photos!
This post is all about giving you more, so here you go! Feast your eyes on some of the performers who will be bringing Visions of Lore to life. Thank you, David Tresham for the photos.
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- Nicky Ninedoors soothes the crowd.
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- Ruthe Ordare is a candy princess!
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- Ava Lure gives you a sneaky peek!
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- Fly away Nicky.
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- John Bews plays it!
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- Shoosh!
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- Ariel Helvetical defies physics!
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- Smokin’ hot Ruthe!
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- Doing lunges with Ava.
Soul, Funk, Fringe Fest and more!
Up next, we’re taking you to….
Pandora and The Locksmiths are taking you on a 60’s and 70’s FLASH-back (pun intended!) on tuesday August 13th as we dive into a cool pool of retro-sexy goodness we like to call FUNKY TOWN!
With performances in the 60’s and 70’s groove by:
CAROLE BRUNETTE
RUTHE ORDARE
BURGUNDY BRIXX
and
NICKY NINEDOORS
plus DOUBLE TROUBLE stage management and siren skills by
MISS KISS
and
AUGUST WILED!
With classic funk and soul to spice up your hot August night by our 5 piece band, THE LOCKSMITHS!
And hosted by the the rip roaring vocal talents of
DOUG THOMS!
The show starts at 9 pm with the band while our balloon babe gets all her prize filled balloons popped! We highly recommend arriving early so you may enjoy the amazing cocktails and tapas at Guilt & Co.
Admission is a suggested $10 donation*
Join us for an evening of delightfully indulgent entertainment!
*Here at the Risque Cabaret, all donations go directly to funding the performers you see on the stage! Thank you so much for your continued support in making Tuesday night the hottest night in town!
* * *
Super Awesome Reminder: We’re in The Vancouver Fringe Festival!
This is the show you’ve been hearing about and your chance to see it fully staged at the beautiful historic theatre at The Cultch is just around the corner!
Join us on a racy romp through the golden age of burlesque and experience Minsky’s famous Burlesque Follies as remembered by the one and only Gypsy Rose Lee!
Starring BURGUNDY BRIXX as burlesque legend GYPSY ROSE LEE!
The PURRRFESSOR as comedian RAGS RAGLAND!
And in tribute performances to these other legendary burlesque queens:
NICKY NINEDOORS as extreme edyciast MARGIE HART!
APRIL O’PEEL as the tassel twirling CARRIE FINNEL!l
AUGUST WILED as the ever-elegant SHERRY BRITTON!
and MISS FITT as the feisty fireball GEORGIA SOTHERN!
Plus
SOCRATEASE
And RUTHE ORDARE, VORACIOUS V, and AVA LURE as The Famous Minsky Rosebuds!
And live music and fun with our HOT jazz band, THE LOCKSMITHS!
Sean Bayntun on Keys
John Bews on Bass
Alison Gorman on Trumpet
Dominic Conway on Sax
and Liam MacDonald on Drums
A production of Livestage Performance in association with Kitty Nights Burlesque and Pandora and the Locksmiths as part of the Vancouver Fringe Festival. Inspired by “Gypsy Rose Lee and the Minsky Follies” as produced by Albert Garzon and Ixion Burlesque
Here is the full schedule of when you can find us!
Sept 6 @ 8:55pm
Sept 7 @ 10pm
Sept 8 @ 1:45pm
Sept 11 @ 9:45pm
Sept 13 @ 5pm
Weekend Fringe Festival show tickets are just $12 each, and weekday shows are only $10!
More info on the Fringe Festival here:
http://www.vancouverfringe.com/
* * *
So awesome. Reminder, if you want to follow us on twitter we’re @livejazzburlesk
on instagram we were allowed more characters in our name (yay!) so we’re @pandoraandthelocksmiths
Tweet at us and let us know what you think of our shows! We love interacting with our guests all over the place!
* * *
Hmmmm…. I wonder if we have any other news.
Well, it is a month and a half until our third anniversary! That’s pretty spectacular. We have a lineup featuring almost every single one of our members, a show full of duets, plus two gorgeous group numbers, a new solo from one of our founding members (she is very excited about it, so you should be too!)
AND
We have a burlesque debut. (!!!!)
I’m getting choked up just typing this sh*t, I’m so excited.
You’ve seen her in the incredibly talented fusion bellydance group, Luciterra.
*deep breath*
LAURA!
Here’s a cute picture of her on the right (from my wedding after party, actually!) with one of her Luciterra sisters and one of our Pandora sisters, Delilah Dare! Delilah will be our stage manager in the show. I can’t wait to watch her face watching Laura! Oh, sister love. ❤
This is so damn exciting. I love our extended collective family!
I might add that you can find Luciterra performing at Guilt & Co on the last Tuesday of every month. They also teach classes- many of our members have been in their workshops getting our shimmy on. Check out their website if you want to learn more!
Photo by Amanda Flagg
* * *
Okay, I think that’s it for announcements. I can breathe now. My heartbeat can return to a slightly less elevated rate!
Except now it’s time for gorgeous photos taken at our most recent Guilt & Co production, by Jess Desaulniers-Lea.
Heart races. Swoon.
The Heat of the Night
Summer is here! And it’s glorious! We’ll be celebrating by disrobing… tell all your friends 😉
As warm breezes sweep through the city,
And the sweltering sun starts to set,
We’d like to invite you to join us inside,
Where we’ll tease ’til you work up a sweat.
Pandora and The Locksmiths are happy to present you with with a sizzling show that’s sure to raise your temperature!
Featuring:
CAROLE BRUNETTE
AVA LURE
AUGUST WILED
MISS KISS
VORACIOUS V
We are also incredibly pleased to have the stunningly sultry NICKY NINEDOORS singing steamy tunes, and keeping our ladies in line.
Not only will we satisfy your eyes, but you’re ears will be delighted with smoking hot music by the fabulous five piece jazz band THE LOCKSMITHS! If you thought it couldn’t possibly get better, the always scorching MAMA KAY will guide you through the evening and keep the mercury rising.
The show starts with the band at 9pm while Nicky NineDoors gets all her prize filled balloons popped; a rare treat indeed! We highly recommend arriving early so you may enjoy the amazing cocktails and tapas at Guilt & Co.
Admission is a suggested $10 donation*
*Here at the Risque Cabaret, all donations go directly to funding the performers you see on the stage! Thank you so much for your continued support in making Tuesday night the hottest night in town!
Whew! That show is sure to be a hot one. Don’t worry, Guilt & Co has air conditioning, so all that heat is going to be strictly internal, and our fault. Oopsies.
Before we get to some jaw dropping photos, we have a couple other things we would love to promote, because they are awesome.
Avenue Q!
Go see the incredible hit production that is getting rave reviews across the city! It’s innapropriate, it’s definitely not PC, and it’s fabulous! We were going to link to all the reviews to prove how awesome it is, but there are SO many. We’re not just saying that. Google is your friend. Avenue Q was over 80% sold out of the ENTIRE RUN until August 3rd, and then they extended it until August 17th due to demand. It’s amazing. It’s totally side splitting. Do yourself a favour and go.
Also, our own Brother Keys aka Sean Bayntun is the music director! And Mr Ninedoors is playing bass in the band with Sean!
Find out more and get tickets here!
and…
The Burlesque Assassins!
Reasons why we love this film:
1) “Rather than a film about burlesque, it is a burlesque film”- This is Cabaret
The BA features hugely inspirational performers such as Roxi D’Lite as the leading lady, plus our good friend Amber Ray as one of the dancers in the club! (There are so many inspiring performers in this film it’s kinda hard to list them all.) It’s a salacious romp of espionage in the land of absurdity. Love. which leads us to our next reason we love it…
2) Hello, cult hit!!
3) It’s Canadian made!
4) And bonus, they launched the film in Vancouver because they love Vancouver. Awesome. Nice work, guys!
If you’d like to buy this movie or rent it, please click here! They are doing an affiliate program with lots of burlesque community members, so a portion of the sales go back to to the community! We think that’s super awesome.
Know what else is awesome? If they do well selling this film, they plan to make another movie!! AWESOME!
Follow this link! Watch the preview! Purchase the movie! Support the little guys- they do big things!
Okay. Now that you’re done with our opinions, you may have some eye candy. Please enjoy a single serving of each of our performers featured in our upcoming show at Guilt & Co!
xo
Great performers love great photographers!
Well Hello, Miss Fitt here! Last month I did a shoot with a lovely photographer named Laura-Lee (My City Photos ). She was excellent to shoot with for a few reasons. First of all, she allows the model lead the creative process while providing a good balance of direction. This is essential for the client, as time is not wasted on images that don’t have good potential. She also managed to bring out my ‘real’ smile, which is a feat for any photographer 😉 This is because she provided a comfortable and fun atmosphere for the shoot. She was very in-tune with my comfort level, open to ideas and was a good communicator.
I decided to post this to emphasize the value of great studio photographers from a performer’s point of view. Some people have an artistic and technical eye for pictures and can take a great shot. It is an entirely different skill to be good at conducting a shoot. This is also especially important for me as a burlesque performer. First of all, photos are a valuable tool for promotion and marketing. Moreover, photos represent an artist in a unique way and can give an impression of a performer’s style and energy without words. In this case it is key that the photos reflect who I am or the persona that I am embodying.
Another important consideration for me is that I like to play with some images that are risqué. Cooperation is needed to achieve a certain creative vision. As you can imagine, when you are taking shots that involve any sort of nudity, the comfort and trust factor is of high importance. In my opinion, the more confident the model feels, the better the shots will be and the potential for creativity is greater.
I have been lucky to work with a number of other photographers in the studio here in Vancouver who share these qualities such as Shimona Henry, David Denofreo – black opal images, and Voodoo Bill. Although these photographers are all very different in their style and approach, they each take beautiful shots, create a comfortable and collaborative atmosphere and are supportive to performing artists. There are also a number of other awesome, talented photographers who support the Burlesque community (we are so spoiled!); although too many to gloat about in this post, but it gives me a future blog project 😉
Anyway, here are a few of my favourite shots from My City Photo!
Ta-da!
Well, I decided that I’m going to take a day off tomorrow, so you get lucky and get the last photos from William Stewart today!
Continuing on in the back story…
So, a little while after our first meeting, I was sad to discover that I wasn’t able to take the burlesque course that I wanted exactly when I wanted, and that I was going to have to wait until the next session. BOO. How would I continue my friendship with the mysterious little pinup with the helmet-wearing friend? Displeased! But, to be honest, it gave me time to warm my mom and dad up to what I was doing anyways. Don’t get me wrong, my parents now come to every show and sit pretty much front row whenever they can, but there was a famous quote uttered once…
“What, are you going to do burlesque as a career?”
“Well… why not? I’m good at it.” 🙂
It only took a couple shows for them to figure out where this was all coming from, and how it was actually preeeetty much what I’m made to do (ie. make a spectacle of myself), so I won their undying support in short order!
So, in January, I went to my first class…. and who walks in, but that quirky lady again! Turns out we were completely on the same page and fate decided to keep us together!
That’s pretty much it. We went through Screaming Chicken Theatrical Society’s Becoming Burlesque together, then decided we would hang out all the time, then Pandora & The Locksmiths was formed, and the rest is history in the making.
Oh yeah… hope to see you at our next show at Guilt & Co on June 11th. Voracious V is performing, and we’ve got a new naughty duet we’ll be debuting….
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- Nicky Ninedoors – Nude
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- Voracious V – Geisha
Pandora and The Locksmiths 