Jo Weldon's New York School of Burlesque

About ten years ago I began a website called G-Strings Forever!, a tribute website to both strip joint strippers and burlesque. I was posting fuzzy digital photos of the scene I knew and setting up links and writing articles without the benefit of much site programming ability, and without blogging technology, flickr, or youtube. Inspired by the original Velvet Hammer website, I interviewed curfnt performers and burlesque legends. I wanted desperately to convey what was amazing and inspiring about these art forms and the people in them. Fortunately, as the School of Burlesque and The Burlesque Handbook have begun to keep me busier and busier, other, more able people have picked up that job, and one of the most inspiring is Holli-Mae Johnson, Editor-In-Chief of 21st Century Burlesque. Above: Holli-Mae, The Editor-In-Chief. How did you become interested in burlesque? Well, I suppose it was likely that, as a performer and with the friends and interests that I had, I would come across ...

"DIRTY MARTINI AND THE NEW BURLESQUE explores the tantalizing world of the performers who created the new burlesque scene in NYC: Miss Dirty Martini and her friends Julie Atlas Muz, Bambi the Mermaid, Tigger!, World Famous BOB and others. Dirty is a classically trained dancer who struggled since childhood to overcome criticism of her size. Like Bette Midler, she became part of the downtown drag scene where she was finally accepted for her talent, and went on to develop her act in the East Village drag clubs. The movie’s seductiveness comes from its sexy acts as well as its dark exploration of these performers’ struggle to pay their bills, their quest for romance and inability to envision life after the world of burlesque. In addition, many topics are explored such as the relationship between sex work, burlesque and feminism. The new burlesque, which is defined as performance art combined with modern dance and political satire, is exploding in New York as well as other major cit...

I saw a burlesque show produced by the Pontani Sisters and hosted by Murray Hill at the Slipper Room in 2002, when the current burlesque scene was just a sparkle in all our eyes. Now it's a worldwide phenomenon producing some of the most spectacular performers burlesque has ever known, and Murray and Angie brought together a group of those fabulous performers in New York City, where burlesque striptease once flourished, was outlawed, and has bloomed all over again. The Queens of Burlesque show on March 11 was held at Le Poisson Rouge, a gorgeous red and black venue with great sightlines. Featuring Murray and Angie as well as Immodesty Blaize , Dirty Martini , Michelle L’amour , Julie Atlas Muz , Miss Indigo Blue , Perle Noire and Catherine D’Lish , it was properly touted as the burlesque show not to miss. All of the performers were award-winners in the Exotic World/Burlesque Hall of Fame pageants, and they proved that these awards go to the most glamourous, charismatic, dedicated...

I've been stalking around taking pix of burlesque performers for several years now. My friends have been infinitely patient with me and very accommodating on occasion. Here, my friends viewed in part...the whole of which is greater than, which is saying something, judging by these exceptionally fine parts. Dirty Martini's Bust Ms. Tickle's Waist Nasty Canasta's Leaf Clams Casino's Behind

I'm not much of a traveler; I'd even describe myself as being a bit provincial, keeping in mind that the province is New York City . In January 2007 I embarked on my first tour since 1994 when I was a feature dancer , heading out with the Sex Workers' Art Show to cover 33 cities in 35 days . Fortunately, I had one of my best and most-traveled friends with me, Miss Dirty Martini. I was doing a talking and teaching gig on the tour, while Dirty, Cono Snatch Zubobinskaya, and Bridget Irish, who split the tour with Julie Atlas Muz, provided the dance and burlesque. Dirty was a fantastic travel and hotel room partner. I also loved hearing her stories about all the places she's been, and I'm very excited that she agreed to be interviewed about what it's like to be a burlesque performer and world traveler. Dirty tributes Zorita in Las Vegas at the Exotic World Striptease Reunion. Photo by Jo Weldon. Dirty, when did you first perform burlesque? Before I was Dirt...

I'm incredibly lucky with some of the access I have to take photos. I try to make the most of it! Here are some of my favorite shots I've taken of Kitten DeVille . Onstage with the Pontani Sisters' Burlesque-A-Pades in NYC, 2006 With Dirty Martini at Starshine Burlesque , NYC, 2006 Backstage at Exotic World , Las Vegas, 2006

These are photos I took backstage at the Heavens in Seattle, right before I left for the Sex Workers' Art Show tour. Pictured: Lily Verlaine at the dressing table, Dirty Martini's dressing table space, Lily wearing pasties molded from the nipples of Paula the Swedish Housewife with Paula in the background, and Indigo doing her makeup. http://www.myspace.com/lilyverlaine http://www.missindigoblue.com/ http://www.swedishhousewife.com/ http://www.missdirtymartini.com/ More backstage photos by Jo Weldon