Dances of Vice: The group hosts enchanted evenings that are equal parts party, performance and fantasy

Dances of Vice


by Natasha Tauber Whether performing at the annual invocation of Edward Gorey on Halloween, creating a ’60s spy film (complete with a femme fatale) or working with the Japan…

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Behind the Scenes at Strip Strip Hooray: Mechanical bulls, confetti cannons and fog machines jazz up Dita Von Teese’s traveling burlesque show

Behind the Scenes at Strip Strip Hooray


“They come dressed to the nines,” says Justin Moyer, production manager for Strip Strip Hooray. He’s referring to the pantheon of fans that flock to the performance, one of the preeminent shows in the neo-burlesque scene….

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Stockholm Burlesque Festival

Sweden’s neo-burlesque celebration of pasty-twirling, glitter and skin
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With winter clipping at the heels of the Northern Hemisphere, what better way to celebrate being indoors than by seductively disrobing? Opening 27 October 2010, the first-annual Stockholm Burlesque Festival invites striptease fans and performers alike for four days of pasty twirling, fan shaking and coquettish pouting in the appropriately faded glory of the Berns Salonger. Alongside Scandinavia’s finest burlesque artists—including The Amazing Knicker Kittens, Miss Lilly Deluxe, Bettie Blackheart and the world’s quickest showgirl, Kiki Hawaiji—the event heats the city up with some of the scene’s top performers from around the globe, including Miss Indigo Blue, Trixie Little, World Famous *BOB* (the incredible female-female impersonator) and holder of Mister Exotic World 2010, The Evil Hate Monkey .

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Lending support to the Pink Ribbon Campaign for breast cancer relief, the cleverly-named Octbooberfest showcases amateur talent with the Tassel Twirling Championship, open to anyone with ta-tas who wants to shake them.

Saturday’s events include the world’s most seasoned burlesque stars, who will stun the crowd with their ingenuity, experience and innovation. The fantastic lineup includes The Evil Hate Monkey, World Famous *BOB*, Miss Indigo Blue and Trixie Little performing all strands of this genre of performance.

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Sunday finishes the weekend with a more civilized schedule inviting guests to dine well with afternoon tea and buffet while enjoying yet more sumptuous delights of the Amazing Knicker Kittens—a perfect way to wind down before rejoining the realm of the clothed.

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As well as the evening (and afternoon) entertainment, Stockholm’s Burlesque Festival has organized a series of workshops led by some of the evening’s star performers. Choose from learning about The Art of the Tease or Tassel Twirling for the Twenty First Century, both led by Miss Indigo Blue, and World Famous *BOB* will be divulging tips for confidence building in her own special way, as well as leading a workshop on stage beauty techniques.

Considering this is the premiere for this event, organizers have set the bar high for what promises to be one of the future highlights of the European burlesque calendar.


Le Cointreau Privé

One of our favorite Parisian hotels hosts Dita Von Teese for a month of burlesque affairs

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Having visited the Hotel Particulier Montmartre when it opened in 2007, we recently returned for another stay in the artfully decorated private-residence-turned-hotel. While some of its charms remained the same—such as the view of the pétanque players in the neighboring courtyard, a curious collection of art books and fashion-forward magazines, and the feeling that you’ve stepped into an eccentric French fantasyland—the hotel’s ambiance and decor is consistently evolving, thanks to the vision of co-owner and conceptual artist Morgane Rousseau. (See more images here.)

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As the former curator of the renowned Château de Bionnay, a massive castle near Lyon that’s now a residence for artists, transforming the hotel periodically comes naturally to Rousseau. Its latest incarnation, a tasteful burlesque theme, was designed to serve as the home to Dita Von Teese, who will perform there nightly for the month of October 2010.

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The event, Le Cointreau Privé, is part of Von Teese’s ongoing collaboration with Cointreau dating back to 2008. Accessed by a bracelet, the exclusive cocktail club includes signature drinks and private meals held in each of the hotel’s five rooms (for guests who’ve been personally invited by Hotel Particulier).

A place where reality and dreams blur, Hotel Particulier Montmartre is the perfect place for a romantic visit to Paris.

Rooms span €290 to €590, to reserve visit Mr and Mrs Smith.

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