This is it! My new website and this - my new blog, where I will be sharing all the secret details of backstage in the life of a burlesque performer. The grit, the grime, the glory and heartache, and a healthy dose of glitter. Forgive the grammar however, my mother in particular would be underlining large sections of this to send back to me corrected, but you'll just have to put up with it! My thoughts are neither spell corrected or grammar perfected.
The beginning of this website is rather poignant in a way. It heralds a new phase of my life and career. Reflecting on the past year or so I have much to be grateful for and proud of.
The first of these points was a fortuitous introduction to the Pulp Press people in Brighton, deftly handled by Peter Von Sleaze to whom I am forever grateful. Danny who was preparing for the launch of his latest book Killer Tease was so impressed by my my performance at the launch, along with his bosses that they took me on as official Burlesque dancer for the Pulp Press publishing house! Being part of the Pulp family is an honour and a pleasure.
The upshot is that with the Pulp fiction inspiring me I created a new performance, a rip-roaring go-go dance to Miserlou by Dick Dale. Pulp does give me licence to use more aggressive, fun, 50s and 60s inspirations which balances the more elegant glamour of the 30s & 40s inspired teases I've created on so far. It's important to have balance and I like using music that makes the audience want to get up and shimmy with me.
Second important part of last year. BW bought me a sewing machine and an MP3 player for my birthday. What a man! Burlesque can be expensive work if you're not smart about it and making part of your own costumes is essential to save the pennies.
I'll be honest, I was crap at home ec. I think we made a pair of shorts and I ended up getting the girl next to me to sew most of mine, and I've heard some horror stories about students putting sewing needles straight through their fingers, eugh. But I've discovered that I'm actually a dab hand at whipping up a costume and now one corner of the living room looks like a craft store exploded in a nasty accident involving many, many sequins.
But the most important part of the gift was the meaning behind it. Who would have thought a bit of domestic hardware could mean so much. Burlesque widows are aplenty in our industry. They are the supportive rocks of our private lives who feign interest at endless soliloquies on the merits of lilac hotfix crystals, accept the chaos and dry our tears when highly anticipated bookings fall through, and they do on occasion, and it stings. But BW makes it that little bit easier to brush myself off and focus on the next fabulous performance.
Last big (and I mean big!) moment of the year was London Burlesque Festival 2009, Battle Royale. I will elaborate another time but suffice to say it was a fantastic night and I was beside myself with excitement when I won 2nd place Best UK Newcomer. As much as you have to be thick skinned and full of self confidence in this industry, it feels incredible to have the blood, sweat and tears acknowledged officially. What a night.
So, I look to the next phase. I have much more to share with you but I have a large pile of vintage clothes sitting on the sofa waiting to be sorted, my bedroom is a state and I'm still in my nightgown so I suppose I should get on with the day before it slips from under me. Hope you will come back for a peek now and then on my ridiculous life.
xx Bella de Jac
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