‘Sugar Blue Seduction’ in Out In Perth 16th October 2007
Article by Megan Smith in Out in Perth, 16th October 2007.
Prepare to be teased! Sugar Blue Burlesque babes A’dora Derriere, Scarlet O’Harlot and Miss Bonnie Fox will be tantalizing audiences in the Pride Party Cabaret Lounge. After much begging and pleading, OUTinPerth convinced A’dora Derriere to let us in on (some of) the burlesque secrets of seduction…
OUTinPerth: How did you first get involved with burlesque?
A’dora Derriere: While traveling overseas,we caught a small burlesque performance by chance. With our swing dancing and performance background, my business partner Miss Bonnie Fox and I both fell in love with the art of burlesque and agreed we could do a much better job than the performances that we had seen. As I am a costume designer, the idea of creating the gorgeous burlesque silhouettes with corsets, lace, sequins and feathers galore was too good to be true.
OiP: Your performances take in a lot of different genres and styles, who and/or what are your major influences?
A’dora: The Burlesque stars from as early as the turn of the 20th century have been huge influences in our performances. Sally Rand who made the Fan dance popular in the 1930s, demonstrated how even though her performance of dancing with huge ostrich feather fans while being nude underneath was seen as very racy, it was also an artform and full of class and beauty. Josephine Baker is also a very important influence for me. She was very popular in the 1920s and made the banana costume famous in 1925 when she performed the ‘Danse Sauvage’. She was ground breaking, raw and exotic and a Burlesque icon. Gypsy Lee Rose is another very influential burlesque icon of the 40s who I love and admire!
OiP: How do you choreograph your performances? Where do you start and how do you know when you have ‘it?’
A’dora: Performances are usually catered for each event that we do. Miss Bonnie Fox, Scarlet O’ Harlot and I always begin with the piece of music, which automatically invokes the style that we will be performing. We take on the character and the attitude of the piece, and create a story within the music. As all Sugar Blue Burlesque performers are dancers, choreography is exciting and fun and a very flowing process.
OiP: What is the key to giving a truly sexy show?
A’dora: A truly sexy show is all in the tease! Having the audience dying to see even your sexy hand as you peel off that glove… now that’s tease!
OiP: Do any shows spring to mind as personal favourites?
A’dora: I always love performing as a troupe, but performing as A’dora Derriere in an individual act is so much fun. I do a marionette act, which is so theatrical and very sexy and the costume is to die for! I’ll be performing it for the Pride Party show.
OiP: Any good stories from your recent trip to America? Any tricks you’ve brought back to Perth?
A’dora: The New York Burlesque festival that Miss Bonnie Fox and I attended was fabulous. We saw so many feathers, sequins, corsets, tassels and pasties… It inspired me to create more elaborate costumes and performance pieces with are comedic and really sexy!
OiP: Does performing for a gay audience differ from performing for a straight audience?
A’dora: Performing to a gay audience is so exciting as the appreciation for the artform is a lot stronger! We love seducing the gals out there with our saucy movements and entertaining the boys with our costumes and antics on stage!
OiP: What do you want people to get from seeing you perform at this year’s Pride Party?
A’dora: I am really looking forward to all the fun and frivolity… I want people to feel inspired and feel sexy themselves from watching our performance. I want the audience to feel involved in our acts and feel like it is almost a private show. The crowd is going to love our new fan dance and also Scarlet O’ Harlot’s hot Marie Antoinette act! We also will have a special performance by Dizzy Lizzy, an amazing artist doing a burlesque hoola hoop act!
