I get up on stage and dance in my underwear, very expensive, jewel encrusted, underwear
Burlesque isn't lucrative- money wise- but, the friendships, travel opportunities, creativity and if you're a vintage hoarder like me- costumes finds- are incredibly rewarding.
They say the third time's the charm, so what do should be expected on a fourth visit?
I have been to the Big Apple three times, the first as a nine year old where my mum, two brother's and I navigated the cold dark pre- Giuliani streets.
The second time was in 2008, after a stint as a camp counselor in a Pennsylvanian Summer camp.
I spent five glorious weeks living in Harlem, enjoying an Indian summer in Central Park, discovering Angie Pontani, Peekaboo Pointe, Indigo Blue and so many other performers at the Corio's This Is Burlesque and the New York Burlesque Festival.
Statue of Liberty in 2008, rocking my Camp Saginaw appropriate denim shorts!
My third visit was in 2011, my mum and one of my brother's for four weeks my trips to the New Orleans and New York Burlesque Festival's acting as bookends, defining the beginning and end of a family holiday.
Empire State Building September 2011
Canal street in New Orleans 2011
My family accept and now champion burlesque but they haven't actually seen what I do... so I got on stage at the Bowery Poetry Club for Dr Sketchys and Geek Girl Burlesque, on the floor at Hotel Chantelle and stage kittened in the NOBF and NYBF while they explored Manhatten in their own way.
Bowery stage
Backstage at the Bowery getting ready for NYC Dr Sketchys!
The artist let me keep this cutie!
Quick photo shoot in NYC with Ron Gejon
Imagine- John Lennon memorial at Central Park on 11/09/11
backstage with Green Carded burlesque Genius, Bettina May
Emcee for the night, World Famous Bob
Bettina May and Dave Bishop- opens the shows and manages with a hand mightier than Gods...
So I'm pretty chuffed to tell you that I'll be heading back to the Big Apple, for one quick week in September- for when else could I visit!
This time I'll be attending the New York Burlesque Festival as a performer and I'm looking forward to seeing some familiar faces- not just Americans (and ex Canadians)
A wealth of Aussies are making their way to the US to perform Becky Lou for NYBF and NOBF, Ms Strawberry
Siren, Agatha Frisky and Becky Page for NOBF but hopping it to New York
to watch (and party)
I'll be performing a new Erte inspired act on Sunday night at the Highline ballroom.
A candid moment on stage... Agatha Frisky, Frankie Faux, Luna Eclipse, Danica Lee, Becky Lou, Ms Strawberry Siren and me!
I can't wait to soak up the sun, some food (half a bagel will hurt but it won't harm) check out Chelsea Flea market, straggle into the FatCat jazz club to warm my throat with some Korean liquor and wander Manhatten's streets in the pre traffic rush- dawn light.
I used to imagine it as SATC's character, Carrie's New York, but now I know it can be anyone's New York, even an adventurous tourist from the Apple Isle.
Photo by John Leonard. Perle Noire and Coco Poppin. Conga line curtain call in the background
I cannot get enough of Perth. There, I've said it. I am in love with this sprawling, mis- matched metropolis.
Amazing cafes, welcoming, talented denizens- it makes me sad to think that I can't spend every weekend dancing on your stages and eating all your food.
Well most of your food. You can keep the meat and gluten options. I'll have all the coffee!
The Perth International Burlesque Festival is now in its second year and I was pretty chuffed to be returning as the list of performers was impressive.
I flew in on Friday night and was promptly collected by Ben, one of my hosts and DJ at Saturday night's after party at Defectors bar.
with Perrie, Ben and Anne at Defectors
Ben swooped down and picked me up, taking me off to Maylands where I was greeted by Missy, a very old dog and Lady who I had met last year at the first PIBF. Lady showed her love by leading me to her empty bowl, looking up at me and meowing. This didn't stop all weekend long. Whoever said the way to a man's heart is through his stomach never met this cat.
With Lady
I retired to bed- I know... I disappoint those of you who want debauched tales worthy of pages in an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel but it's true, I am the laziest showgirl.
Anne's drawing, Ben's script!
A relaxed start to my Saturday; brekkie and many cups of tea at Chapels on Whatley with my former Hobart housemate Erin, who I hadn't seen in an age! We made hay while the sun shone and reveled in the chance to catch up.
Then it was all burlesque, all the time until I made it onto my plane on Sunday. I left Maylands and was dropped on King st in time to greet Hobart's Miss Kitty's Meow who had been making envious purchases at Wheels and Dollbaby.
Miss Kitty's Meow ready to go onstage!
No time to join them on a shopping spree, I had a workshop with Perle Noire to get to!
Amongst the crowd upstairs at the King st Arts centre, I found some friends, a familiar face from PIBF 2012, Dollar Dazzler, Nahiid Stevens who distracted me with some bright floral shorts and Virtue Von Tassel who I last met at the opening night of Bohemia, a good year ago!
Working our primary colours!
Having seen Perle on stage, I knew that the workshop would get me moving- but oh, how I moved! It flummoxed my brain and made me re-think my choreography for that night's show, all those bumps, grinds and cobra, cobra, cobra!!
(If you want to know more then you'll have to book yourself in for a workshop, well worth the money, in fact I'll be getting a private when I visit NYC in September!)
Virtue bundled me into her car after the workshop to take me to the Astor theatre in Mount Lawley for tech before I settled in downstairs and rediscovered my camera.
Perle and Indigo being amazing...
What do you call a grouping of showgirls? Renee in pink, Claire, Tamara and Nahiid amongst the blue!
Tamara one of the gorgeous stage kittens for the night (also one of the chorus gals)
Dolores Daiquiri and Jon Madd watch from side of stage
Indigo Blue twirlin'
Prop or refreshment... with Banbury Cross
Some ceilings are never high enough... The AMAZING samba gals!
Sugarblue Burlesque filmed the entire festival so if you didn't make it to this year's Festival you can watch it on the Sugarblue channel!
We all headed across the road to the after party at Defectors. It was so busy that we were almost turned away! But we made it in and I was delighted to find that performers from the previous night's shows had stuck around for the weekend, people I rarely get to see because I live on the island... Cherry Lush, Ginger Leah Raye, Venus Vamp, Kerry X got their groove on and danced the night away while gogo dancers and spot performances from Ginger La Minge and Virtue Van Tassel caused a crush towards the tiny stage.
Ready to perfrom my peacock act!
I was so happy to be accepted into Perth again this year and it was really something to be able to compare it to the first year (2012) and see the calibre of performers and the energy of the audience rise.
To anyone thinking of applying- do it, to anyone considering buying a ticket to the 2014 Festival... bookmark the page, it's worth the wait!!
