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Tuesday Tease: Portland’s All That Glitters Burlesque Academy

DSC_3544-e1384568325700Exciting news! Portland, Oregon’s getting a brand new burlesque school!

I recently got an e-mail from Holly Dai, who used to be with the Frim Fram Foxies, (who we did a feature on back in July of 2012) among other troupes, and she told me about her exciting new venture: the All That Glitters Burlesque Academy. Her partner in this new venture is Tana the Tattooed Lady, who is a veteran of the Seattle burlesque scene and a former member of one of the pioneering Northwest burlesque troupes, the Atomic Bombshells.

It’s always an exciting time when you see burlesque schools start to pop up in towns like Portland because it’s a sign that the scene is growing and certainly, will continue to grow as students leave to produce their own shows and form their own troupes. I’ve certainly seen the Portland burlesque community grow significantly over the last three years. While the scene still remains relatively small, I think in a couple years, Portland’s burlesque scene will rival that of Seattle or San Francisco. I also have a feeling that All That Glitters will be, in no small part, responsible for that growth.

Holly also teased (how appropriate!) some exciting news. Oregon may be getting its very first burlesque festival! They aren’t saying much at this point but we’ll be waiting with bated breath to hear more news on this exciting development.

We sure appreciate Holly and Tana taking time out of their busy lives to chat with us about All That Glitters, their influences, their history, the Portland scene and more. They even offer a little advice to those of you out there that’d like to start your own burlesque academy.

So, without further ado, I give you Holly Dai and Tana the Tatooed Lady!
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Tuesday Tease: Toronto’s St. Stella

twitter_godessToronto’s burlesque scene is blowing up! The Canadian cultural hub has always been known for producing great art and its contributions to the burly world are certainly no exception. Some of the best performers that I saw at the Great Burlesque Exposition back in March hailed from Toronto and I was especially taken with St. Stella, who performed an amazing routine with James and the Giant Pasty at the Rhinestone Revue, the weekend’s opening show.

What set Stella apart for me was her obvious dance experience. While many burlesque performers have dance backgrounds, I’d never seen a performer incorporate classical dance moves so seamlessly into a burlesque routine. It gave her routine a sense of sophistication and grace that set it apart from anything else in the show that night.

I caught up with Stella for an interview about her experience, influences, the Toronto scene and her upcoming show Meet Me Under the Bleachers. She was kind enough to take time out of her busy schedule to chat with me and she even offered some advice to burlesque performers just getting started.

Ladies and gentlemen, I’m proud to present the lovely St. Stella. Enjoy!
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