Powerfully seductive on stage, Dita Von Teese is the softly-spoken Queen of Burlesque with unparalleled attention to detail.
Known for her haute-couture costumes and embellished sets with Swarovski to spare, Dita is heavily inspired by the Golden Age of cinema, pin-up style and vintage lingerie. “I'm always inspired by movies from the past and finding ways of turning my favourite scenes from classic films into striptease moments,” she says.
“I don't really come out and say 'I'm an artist'. But it's nice when other people say it. I love creating shows, I love the art of burlesque, so of course there's a lot of creativity involved in creating a show like this…”
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Her show, 'Burlesque: Strip, Strip, Hooray!', will tour Australia for the first time in June. “I've toured the show for about four years and it has evolved for sure. There are a few things I've added, but I'm definitely bringing the crème de la crème – the very best of.”
MC’d by Murray Hill, the deluxe evening of glamour and comedy will of course feature Dita’s iconic ‘Martini Glass’ routine alongside performances by Catherine D’Lish, Dirty Martini, Perle Noire, Ginger Valentine and Jett Adore. “It's hard not to be having fun up there when you're riding a pink Swarovski-covered mechanical bull. It's funny, so I'm enjoying the energy and showing people what I've made.”
Born Heather Renée Sweet, the natural blonde grew up in Michigan and lived in Orange County from her teens. Her image transformation came upon discovering red lipstick at 13, which soon led to a cat eye, dying her hair black and tattooing a beauty spot on her left cheek – now, her signature look.
The change from a classic California girl came with criticism during the '80s and '90s she told Into The Gloss in 2012. “People love to point at you and say, ‘You remind me of this’. I would get a lot of Dracula and Elvira. And when 'Pulp Fiction' came out, people were like, ‘You’re the girl in 'Pulp Fiction'!’ People have a really hard time just looking at you for you...”Having worked in lingerie stores since she was 15, and with a budding interest in burlesque, it wasn’t until 1991 when Dita wandered into a strip club she thought to unite her passions. She had a different look to the women on stage; with her pale skin, dark hair and vintage style.
So Dita began to perform in strip clubs, to a predominantly young, male crowd, while posing for Playboy and other magazines as well. Gaining popularity from her sophisticated, sexy style, lingerie line and more recently books, her audience has shifted dramatically to become more female-oriented.
“I think [women] need more examples of diversity. That's one of the reasons a lot of women are attracted to 'Strip, Strip, Hooray', because it's made up of a cast of diverse, show-stopping performers. There are a lot of different body shapes, different ethnicities, different ages. It's something I think people need to see... imperfection to be inspired. To see how someone who might be considered by the mainstream media as less than perfect, really shine. These are some of the things I'm most proud of with this show. I think people walk away with that feeling. They saw someone they can aspire to be like. Their mind is changed on what it takes to be beautiful.”
An advocate for self-creation, Dita not only styles herself, her entire show is self-directed and financed. It’s her own lust and desire to create something that didn’t exist that’s led her to become popularly known as the Queen of Burlesque.“I'm not someone who dreams beyond what I'm doing. I just try to do my best in the moment. For instance I've never had any big dreams of superstardom, I was just a girl making shows I thought were fun… I was just thinking of being my best at everything, whether it's small or not.”
Both femme fatale and glamour girl, Dita is ultimately feminine in everything she does. Identifying as a feminist, she clarifies it's in the sense that women should be able to do whatever makes them feel empowered. "I've been called anti-feminist before and it makes me really mad. I don't do my job for men, I do it because I love the make-up, the costumes and the history of showgirls.
“The things that really frustrate me are the certain things people will say or ask about that I think 'uh, they wouldn't ask me this if I were a man?' They wouldn't ask 'what are you going to do when you're old and not sexy anymore?' I mean, what an awful thing to say to anyone! That's the assumption that that's the reason I got where I am. Well it certainly isn't otherwise we'd be watching some 25-year-old supermodel doing my show better than me. I find that distressing because I think of how many other women are subjected to this ageist and sexist mentality.
© Kaylin Idora“I'm someone who believes in letting criticism fall off me like water off a duck's back. I have my ideals and what I believe in and I just want to do and be at my personal best. I can't remember a time where someone gave me criticism I took to heart.
“I have this saying that you can be a juicy, ripe peach and there is still going be someone who hates peaches. I genuinely believe that unless you get a little bit of criticism, what you're doing is most likely mediocre at best. I don't really pay attention to people who don't like what I'm doing, because there's always someone who does. If you exist to try to please everyone then you're not really existing.”
Her final words of wisdom, for any woman with a big idea who hasn’t yet acted, come straight from the heart. “I would tell her a story about a young girl who wanted to be a striptease star but everyone said that was not something that would happen in modern times. I would tell her to dream big.”
Dita Von Teese Tour Dates
Mon 4 & Sun 5 June – Big Top, Luna Park (Sydney)Tues 7 & Wed 8 June – The Tivoli (Brisbane)
Fri 10 & Sat 11 June – The Forum (Melbourne)
Mon 13 June – Adelaide Cabaret Festival
Fri 17 - Sun 19 June – Astor (Perth)
Thurs 23 June – Adelaide Cabaret Festival
Sat 25 & Sun 26 June – The Forum (Melbourne)
Tues 28 June – Enmore Theatre (Sydney)
Fri 1 July – Jupiter's Theatre (Gold Coast)
