July Performer Spotlight: Nikki Nuke'm

Photo by Trent Chau Photography

I met Nikki Nuke'm almost a year ago at the open house for The Atlanta School of Burlesque.  She was an amazing teacher, a wonderful person and with Ursula Undress's recommendation I began hiring Nikki for Tease Tuesday shows that evolved into her having a open invitation to perform with Syrens of the South whenever she was available.  She's a great addition to the Atlanta Burlesque community!

1. How did you come up with your stage name and tag line?  Does it have a special meaning to you?

I came up with Nikki Nuke'm while I was driving in my car coming home.  I was thinking about my persona...whacky, daring, almost cartoonish.  Nuke'm (like Nuke Them!) holds a special place in my heart from my love for the Fallout franchise and all things post-apocalyptic themed.  

2. How did you get started in burlesque?

I was first introduced to burlesque by Ursula Undress, Lola LeSoleil, and Fonda Lingue!  I saw them perform at the South East Mosaic Festival last year and became enthralled with this fabulous art and dance form.  Within a month of moving to Atlanta I was performing in local burlesque shows as a fire eater and snake dancer and before I knew it...I bought my first pasties!

Photo by Lisa Eckman June Tease Tuesday

3. What has been your best moment as a performer so far?

Honestly it would have to be when I was stripping for the first time and my tearaway pants got stuck in my butt cheeks.  I was SO scared all night that my butt was going to grab hold of those pants and I was going to be so embarrassed.  And it happened.  But it really wasn't as dramatic as I thought it would be.  Everyone laughed and cheered anyway and no one died and I relaxed way more with my mistake.  Mission accomplished.

4. What is your favorite act to perform?

I really love eating fire and it's the act I perform the most.  I love the "rise" I get out of the audience!  But honestly...I would have to say my favorite act to perform is anything with my ball python Mordecai.  A lot of people have misconceptions about these gentle creatures and at EVERY SHOW I bring him to, I get to show people just how sweet snakes can be!  Some people who were too scared to be near him will have him around their necks by the end of the night!

Photo by Broken Skulls Productions

5. What is your burlesque dream show?

Oh gosh...I don't really know!  I'm still so fresh to the burlesque scene I haven't even witnessed a fraction of the possibilities!!  I guess...I would be tickled pink if I could see an all "legends" show...I have a love for classics and to see women who ruled the stages then, take those stages yet again, would be really amazing to me.

6. Where do you see your self in the next five years?

TAKING OVER THE WORLD!  But no seriously, I see myself getting more involved and more brave and going on tour--with fire, snakes, swords, canes, and more!  And of course...making more and more sparkly costumes for people I adore!

7. Tell us something outside of burlesque that you are involved or interested in.

Outside of burlesque, belly dancing is actually my main source of income.  But I could talk about dancing all day!  My actual hobbies include:  swimming (recreational and dance, of course), exercise and weight lifting, video games, and drawing.

8. What do you think is your greatest skill, not including burlesque?

I'm a pretty great swimmer, not gonna lie.  Not just swimming laps I mean, but modeling underwater, inversions, free diving, coaching, etc.

9. What are you most looking forward to this year as a burlesque performer? As a civilian?

As a burlesque performer, I am most looking forward to learning!  There is so much history and knowledge for me to access that I can barely contain myself.  It's like entering a huge cave system--but instead of stalactites, it's tassles!  As a civilian, I love how many shows there are in the area that are so easy for me to access.  As someone who performs constantly for a living, it's very refreshing to have so many options to just put on a nice dress and grab a cocktail and see a show.  

10. Who is your favorite performer to watch?

Photo by Trent Chau Photography

That's a tough one...there are so many I love to watch!  But I'll go ahead and choose the latest celebrity performer I saw--Franki Markstone.  Her muscular isolations, her smile, her costumes... everything!  She's funny and has a great stage presence.  And she's super sweet to boot!  She's definitely someone I look up to now.

Spot Light on Atlanta's Ruby Redmayne

Cave girl by Vinson Smith

I am going to continue to try to spot light these amazing performers in Atlanta.  We have such an amazing thriving scene here and it has so much community and family in it that it should be celebrated!  

Ruby Redmayne has been on the Atlanta scene since 2010.  I actually found (back when my flip camera worked) that I had done an interview with her the day of her debut and thought it might be a fun thing to share as well.  So you get two interviews!

1. How did you come up with your stage name and tag line?  Does it have a special meaning to you?

My first performance name which I registered was Suki Tawdry, which I still love and may use again one of these days. I changed it to Ruby Redmayne because my hair is such a major part of my identity, and I have yet to perform as anything but a red head.

Panty throw by Wombat

2. How did you get started in burlesque?

I had one of those "big birthdays"  and realized my life had become very mundane. I didn't intend to perform, but I signed up for the Syrens of the South classes before I had even seen my first burlesque show. Its been an incredible journey. 

3. What has been your best moment as a performer so far?

I love performing in places and shows that have an audience that doesn't see burlesque regularly. Performing at the Goat Farm for a radio fundraiser, Killer Creek Harley Davidson for St Patrick's day, the High Museum with a production by Talloolah Love, 7 Stages with AXA and Krampus Xmas, DooGallery for an art opening~and last but not least, opening the WigOut drag show at the Atlanta Eagle! 

I treasure these shows because they are challenging and exciting.

White crinoline by Rose Riot

[Editor's Note: You have no idea how happy it made me to see multiple shows she did with Syrens of the South in her favorites.  This is why I keep producing and cultivating shows!]

4. What is your favorite act to perform?

SHAKEWEIGHT! Yaaaasssss. Haha. Also, Bouncy Ball and La Vie en Rose. 

5. What is your burlesque dream show? 

I love the shows most that mix burlesque, drag and variety. I can't get enough of those. 

6. Where do you see your self in the next five years?

Oh honey, I'm lucky to make it through the next five minutes. 

Wait!  Laws of Attraction....I see myself in Tahiti with four Polynesian lovers.  

7. Tell us something outside of burlesque that you are involved or interested in.

I'm an exercise nut. Its 99% of what I do. The remaining 1% is I make Crappily Crafted Crafts and give them away. 

Valkyrie and nihilists by Greg the Mayor

8. What do you think is your greatest skill, not including burlesque?

Im very verbal and I like people in general. 

9. What are you most looking forward to this year as a burlesque performer? As a civilian?

As a performer, I'm always looking forward to inspiration. Whether I do a number one time or many times, I am passionate about freedom of expression. That is what I appreciate most about this art form.  

Civilian wise?  I travel for my birthday. Got a good plan this year. I need it. 

10. Who is your favorite performer to watch?

I adore Salome Cabaret out of Knoxville. As a group or individually, they blow me away. 

And now for your super special ancient bonus video!

Spot light on Sunny Midnight (or why I suck)

So back in March for her (our) birthday month I asked Sunny Midnight to do an interview as I would like to keep spotlighting performers from around Atlanta much like I interview all the Burlesque Legends whenever I get a chance.  She turned it in on time, I got slammed with doing all the things for Mass Transit Muse and never bothered to post it.  Better late than never, right?

Shaped Light Photography

1. How did you come up with your stage name and tag line?  Does it have a special meaning to you?

The lovely Ursula Undress helped me come up with it when I was in classes(ABC &123s of Burlesque). I didn't want to get "trapped" or pegged with a name that wouldn't allow me to explore different avenues of my persona. I.E.-something too sweet/nice that would not necessarily be able to do something dark, etc. So Sunny is my bubbly, extroverted self andMidnight can refer to the sexy/dark/mysterious things that can happen at that time. It's a nice juxtaposition.

2. How did you get started in burlesque?

I went to a show at The Masquerade and saw some awesome performances that piqued my interest so I inquired about classes. Next thing I knew, I was signed up for classes with Syrens of the South. Best.Idea.Ever.

3. What has been your best moment as a performer so far?

Performing at DragonCon (one of my favorite conventions) in front of roughly 1200 likeminded nerds. It was mind blowing.

Lucky Pinup Photography 

4. What is your favorite act to perform?

My housewife number to Etta James's I Just Wanna Make Love To You

5. What is your burlesque dream show?

Ooooo...hmmmm. A show filled with all my favorite performers from all over the world and me being front and center to take it all in. I know it's probably weird I'm not in it, but I so love to watch without the burden of getting prepped for the show or watching backstage.

6. Where do you see your self in the next five years?

Hopefully, more involved. A title or 2 under my rhinestoned belt and more travel for festivals.

7. Tell us something outside of burlesque that you are involved or interested in.

I am a huge nerd. I love going to DragonCon, the East Coast's answer to San Diego Comic Con, and am getting more in to cosplay. I also am a contributor for both Shauncastic (shauncastic.com), a nerdy podcast on pop culture and Traumatic Cinematic(http://traumaticcinematic.com/), a podcast/website that focuses on horror mostly.

Richard LaMarre
Tara Hymen, Sunny's 70s blaxploitation alter ego

8. What do you think is your greatest skill, not including burlesque?

My ability to empathize and see most issues from all sides. Also, my uncanny ability to name most songs in 3 tunes. I wanted to be on Name That Tune when I was younger

9. What are you most looking forward to this year as a burlesque performer? As a civilian?

As a performer: Improving my craft and making quality/entertaining routines. As a civilian: Continuing getting better from my health issues from last year and seeing more shows/traveling as a civilian.

10. Who is your favorite performer to watch?

Perle Noire. She is such an inspiration and a beauty to watch. Full of so much grace and talent. You can't take your eyes off her. I wanna be her when I grow up.

Marc Turnley from BCC - Pinkie Pie!!

Resolutions, do they accomplish anything?

While most people are looking forward to their resolutions for 2014, I have to wonder what did I actually get accomplished in 2013?  Did I keep any of my 2013 New Years resolutions?  I looked, I couldn't find that I made any resolutions last year.  Was my 2012 resolution to not have any?  I'm super goal oriented so not making any resolutions doesn't mean I didn't accomplish things and move forward, I just didn't treat them as resolutions of "this will be different in 2013" because my goals didn't really change that much from the year before.

The biggest thing I accomplished in 2013 was I finished my last semester to get a degree in Technical Theater from Georgia Perimeter College.  This was a goal, but not a specific 2013 goal, I started going back to school while I was working at the law firm back in Spring of 2008 before I was laid off and then I started again once I was eligible for a Pell Grant in Fall of 2011.  Much more of a long term goal then one of a resolution for 2013, but since it happened in 2013 does it count?  I worked for a long time to keep up the straight As I got from Fall of 2011 through my final semester.

I did get to do my first professional (paid) lighting design for Lady Lay at 7 Stages Theater.  This is why I've been going to school.  So I would have enough skills to keep myself employed regardless of what the job openings were.  Stage Manager, Costumer, and now Lighting Designer.  I was also thrilled to add Production Manager to this list this year as well.  The only way to stay employed in theater is to be able to do ANYTHING so they can use you regardless of what they have available.  Make yourself invaluable and they can't help but want to keep you!

Syrens of the South lost a venue and then found a new monthly home at The Shelter and 7 Stages.  We had two super successful show at 7 Stages with Syrens celebrating its 6th birthday (we're now in our 7th season) and a SOLD OUT 7th Annual Tits for Toys for Tots show.  We ran a wonderful monthly show at The Shelter from May through Dec that brought together the community a great deal with helping fund Southern Fried Burlesque Fest as well as an outlet for performers new and old to test out new acts and get videos of performances.  Sadly, as of tonight the Shelter is closing but it has been very good to us over the past 4 years as we've performed there MANY times since they opened as guests, features and sometimes just because we were getting rowdy as customers.  But notice that it's a 4 year relationship with The Shelter and our 7th Anniversary.  We moved to 7 Stages because I started working there in 2012 and that relationship is what led to our shows being there, again not a 2013 only decision.

Southern Fried Burlesque Fest, I launched a Kickstarter to pay off the 2013 festivals bills and raise the money for the down payment for the 2014 festival and it was successful.  I was shocked, we even went a little over so we were able to pay off the SFBF credit card as well which was amazing.  We've actually already been able to pay $4000 of the $8500 we have to pay for the hotel space (not including air fare, hotels rooms, performance fees, etc...) which is a huge leap from where we normally are.  The Kickstarter may be the only thing that was thought of and executed in 2013, but Southern Fried has been my baby since 2010 when I began working on the 1st one that took place in 2011.

In January I began working at Studio Burlesque which later became The Atlanta School of Burlesque under Ursula Undress' leadership.  Not my first time teaching (obviously since Ursula was once a student of the Syrens of the South ABCs and 123s of Burlesque back in the day) but my first time having it be a main source of income and a steady job with a schedule.  A nice evolution of things I have been working towards since I started teaching in 2007.  (WOW, has it been that long already?)

So these were my big life changing things in 2013 which all happened due to YEARS of hard work rather than a major change in 365 days.  Maybe that's the point of this post, these things don't happen over night, they don't happen in the span of a year, everything we do leads us to our future and those are years in the making.  I think it is good to have goals, I like lists to check off to have a feeling of accomplishment when I am working on things.  Everyday we make choices, those choices pile up into our futures.  Instead of trying to change over night make one choice each day that makes you better than the day before and eventually you'll be the person your resolutions say you are.

And on that note, I guess I should have some resolutions that are doable.

1. Exercise for at least one hour three days a week.  I actually am usually pretty good about this and seeing as a teach two 45 minute classes per week this is a pretty easy goal.  I would like to get my yoga DVD back on my schedule and I think not having an 8:30am class will definitely help with that.  Also, I like short, easily accomplished goals so me and the 30 day challenges are going to probably become friends again.

2. Eat more vegetables.  I actually really like vegetables, my problem has been I have been super busy and my eating habits have been kinda crap.  I just generally need to pay more attention to what I put in my body.  I am not giving up anything or denying myself anything, I just need to add some healthy things in there as well.

3. See my friends more.  I have been so busy with work and school many of my personal relationships have suffered.  Even if I just go hang out once a week with someone I'll be doing infinitely better than I have been able to do.

4. Do more things...I need more adventures.  I need to say yes to more things instead of being weird about wandering out by myself or feeling silly.  Silly feels awesome and should be embraced more.

5. Organize my existence more.  I need structure to get things done, that's what being in school has taught me.  I work best with a schedule.  All of my other goals will be more easily accomplished if I do this one thing.

5 resolutions seems like a nice number so I'll stop there.  Am curious as to what other people's resolutions are/will be and how many other people accomplished from the year before.

RIP Shelter: End of an Era...

Syrens of the South has been performing off and on at The Shelter since it opened 4 years ago and since May we have been doing a monthly Tease Tuesday show as a fundraiser for Southern Fried Burlesque Fest.  New Year's Eve, December 31, 2013, will be The Shelter's last night open.  Sadly, it is not that the club failed, that it wasn't popular or that it had fallen out of fashion, it is for reasons out of the club owners control...stupid plumbing and the owners of the building will have to gut everything to fix it which is why we're loosing our home.  I guess it's better to go out the hero than stick around long enough to become the villain.  The Shelter is definitely going out the hero! 

This past Tuesday, Dec 10th, was our final Tease Tuesday there.  It was a fairly packed house, especially for a Tuesday, and we had a great last show.  Many of us are planning on spending out New Year's Eve at The Shelter so we can be surrounded by our friends in one of our favorite places one last time.

We are pleased to let everyone know that Tease Tuesdays aren't dying.  Syrens of the South will be at Red Light Cafe on January 14th with special guest Paco Fish headlining.  This will continue to be a fundraiser for the Southern Fried Burlesque Fest March 20-23, 2014.  We hope to see you there and see if Red Light Cafe can be our new home for our monthly endeavors!

2013-08-03 RIP Dixie Evans, the Marilyn Monroe of Burlesque

Dixie Evans, The Marilyn Monroe of Burlesque, press photo.

Dixie Evans, The Marilyn Monroe of Burlesque, passed away yesterday morning, she was 86.  Dixie was an amazing burlesque performer and performed Marilyn Monroe tribute routines due to her very similar look.  However, even though her career as a headliner was very impressive, what she did in her retirement would inspire generations of performers.

After Jennie Lee's passing, Dixie took over the Goat Farm and created the Miss Exotic World competition which would later become the Burlesque Hall of Fame.  The museum, the legend shows and panels, classes and sense of family that these events have brought to the burlesque community through out the world is because of Dixie.  I have learned more about the history of burlesque by sitting in panels, drinking at bars, and just being around the amazing legends that this weekend draws each year.

Myself, Dixie Evans, Talloolah Love and Siren Santina at BHoF 2008.

Dixie, herself, was a petite woman who was a class act all the way.  She was gracious whenever she met anyone, always willing to pose for a picture.  She wanted to meet everyone and was always encouraging newer performers to express themselves and make their act their own burlesque.  Dixie loved burlesque and the fact that it was evolving into something new, a cross between the classic elements and the influence of modern times.  I encourage everyone to read Jo Weldon Interviews Dixie Evans.  It is an amazing article from how she got into burlesque, becoming the Marilyn Monroe of Burlesque and the evolution of the Museum.

Thanks to Dixie keeping the art alive and available to future generations I will always know exactly where I was when I heard the news, I was at the Syrens of the South 6 year anniversary show.  The show I produce has been running for 6 years, it can now go to kindergarten.  With out Dixie's inspiration and love of burlesque we may never have even known about burlesque.  Burlesque has given me some of my most amazing memories, stories I will definitely be repeating while I'm in the old folks home, and friendships that will last a life time.  It is this amazing part of my existence and I have Dixie Evans to thank for that.

When Dixie suffered her stroke a few months ago the entire burlesque community came together from around the world to create Dixie Evans Week.  Syrens of the South's show is scheduled for August 27th at The Shelter in Atlanta.  We will still be doing that show in her honor because that's what she would have wanted.  There is discussion of having a legend's fund to help the burlesque legends with medical bills and such or it will be donated to the Burlesque Hall of Fame to keep her dream and what she started alive.

On a side not, Marilyn Monroe passed away on August 5, 1962.  Dixie Evans, the Marilyn Monroe of Burlesque, passed away on August 3, 2013 during Marilyn Memorial Weekend.  We got an addition 51 years of Dixie.  I know it's just a coincidence, but I prefer to think of it as dedication to her art, she stayed in character until the end because that's what class acts do!  We love you Dixie!

Tease Tuesdays with Syrens of the South at The Shelter

So this past Tuesday Syrens of the South descended upon The Shelter in an effort to raise money for the Southern Fried Burlesque Fest.  There were 10 amazing performances for only $10, there's not a better way to spend an otherwise dull Tuesday night.  All of the performers donated their performances that evening in an effort to help pay off the remaining of the past 2013 SFBF bills.  The amazing performers included the Students from my (Katherine Lashe) Wednesday night Beginning Burlesque Class at Studio Burlesque, Talloolah Love, Edie Akimbo, Rob Thompson of the Little Five Point Rock Star Orchestra, Tru Bliss, Persephone Phoenix, Tora Torrid, Bourgeois Betty, Nipsy Tussle of Knoxville's Salome Cabaret, and the 2013 Southern Fried Burlesque Queen, Atlanta's own Lola le Soleil!  We also had two raffles, one for some amazing prizes including a BHoF shirt, a variety of Starbucks Coffee, autographed pictures, a beauty basket, a 5 class pass from Studio Burlesque and a weekend pass for SFBF2014.  The second raffle was a 50/50 raffle where the winner splits the money with SFBF so each gets 50% of the amount put into the raffle.  The winner decided to donate the money back to SFBF which was very sweet of her.

It went so well that we're going to do it again on June 11th, in fact it will now be the second Tuesday of each month.  Each show will have 10 amazing acts for only a $10 cover.  Doors will be at 9pm and the show will be at 9:30pm so we'll be done before midnight, plenty of time for everyone to get home at a decent hour since it's a school night.  Some performers have opted to donate their performances for future shows as well and for that we're super grateful since SFBF is a very expensive event to put on and having the support of the Atlanta Burlesque community is amazing and very helpful!  We'll continue to bring an amazing variety of burlesque, musicians, magicians, aerialists, comedy skits, etc... to the Tease Tuesday shows so you'll never know what kind of show it will be!

Wow am I far behind....Playing Catch-up!

So when last we left our hero she was about to go and perform for the debut show of The Jewel Box Review!  Nestled in the down stars of Elliot St Pub, now known as "Club 51", it's a very intimate venue with only around 50 seats so everything is front row, but for the creme da la creme you can get a VIP table for four at only $150 that includes champagne and an up close and personal view of the talent.  Fonda Lingue knows how to put on an amazing show with some incredible talent from the burlesque and drag communities.  It was a wonderful mix of talents that kept the sold out audience completely entertained!  I think this is going to be an amazing adventure for Fonda and I was so honored to be a part of it!  The next one will be on May 18th so keep your eyes peeled for the amazingness and hope to see you there!  (Maybe I'll get to come back and play again soon)  PS.  Elliot St Pub as some of the most amazing sandwiches and a full bar in addition to some amazingly delicious ginger beer!

 So next on the docket.....

Devin Liquor won the Mr. Georgia USofA MI Classic, let's face, Devin's one of the greatest drag kings out there, and earned that title.  However, getting to the big event in Oklahoma City takes money, so on March 3rd a bevy of burlesque beauties and some of the most talented drag performers I have ever seen took the stage at Friends on Ponce for a fund raiser.  There were performances, raffles for some of Devin's personal belongings, tips being thrown, and a silent auction so you could have a piece of awesome to take with you for your help.  Johnny No Thumbs donated his time and ran sound for the event, I ended up helping with props and stage kittening.  It was so much fun and for such a great cause.  The Jello shots were flowing in Vodka and Champagne flavors.  It was a lot of fun for a Sunday night...almost too much fun when everyone had to go to work the next day.  So glad I got to go and enjoy an amazing show for a great cause!

And then.....

Prentice Suspensions had booked their March 4th show at The Five Spot back in January.  The hookers and the strippers got a long so well during Atlanta Xmas Apocolypse at 7 Stages that we decided to come play with them for this Monday night show.  So it was Prentice Suspensions, Syrens of the South, Little 5 Points Rockstar Orchestra playing selections from Dracula The Rock Opera and Ledfoot Messiah closing out the line-up.  It was going to be a small show, but then we got news...The owners of The Five Spot had decided to sell and this was going to be the last show before the doors closed under the management that we knew and loved and went to the new owners.  So this small show became a farewell to all the amazing people who have helped us, Prentice Suspensions, L5PRO, as we've all had a home there and we needed to give them an awesome farewell!  It was an amazing show and I am going to miss all the amazing times we spent there and look forward to meeting the new owners and hopefully they will be just as awesome!

Finally...

Southern Fried Burlesque Fest....yeah, that one's gonna get it's own post...

2013-02-09 Vixen's Valentease Burlesque Show

Each year Syrens of the South's two biggest shows are our Toys for Tots show and our St. Valentine's Day show.  I get the Toys for Tots show, it's the holidays, you don't have to be around your family and you get to help bring joy to children who would other wise not get anything for Christmas.  Valentine's Day, you're dragging your date out to watch other people get naked...I feel like we're either a preview for their evening or acting as a fluffer to help get them in the mood.  It's the most intimate I feel with our audience every year, either way I'm involved in the naughtiness that may be going on later in the evening.

Each show we pick a charity, this show's charity was Good Mews.  Good Mews is a no kill animal shelter that takes in cats and either cares for them there, finds them foster homes or permanent families.  They have been around for 25 years and have found homes for almost 7,000 cats.  A friend had told me that they had just lost their ability to get free litter for the cats so that was what we decided to have people bring to get in for half price, cat litter.  Sounds weird, right?  Well it kind of was, but it was for a good cause.  

The show itself was amazing!  I am so thankful to have so many amazing performers willing to come get naked with me on a Saturday night!  Special thanks to The Five Spot, out MC Cutty McGill, my Stage Kittens Victoria Rose and Sarah Femme, Lah Lah Luscious, Tru Bliss, Chad Sanborn, Edie Akimbo, Post Modern Collapse, Sally Strumpet, Evelyn Harleen Cassidy, Vivian Kyle, Secret City Burlesque, Moxie Minx, Sadie Hawkins, Persephone Phoenix, Sham Wow, Fonda Lingue, Lola LeSoleil, and The Gentlemen Callers.  All of these amazing people put together an amazing show to a sold out, standing room only audience.  We were able to fill up our Good Mews volunteer's car full of kitty litter to help them with their amazing efforts.

It is so amazing to be in the six season of Syrens of the South shows.  Hard to believe how time has flown by, here's to another six!

2012-12-08 6th Annual Tits for Toys for Tots Show

Flier by Design Kitty Studios

So last night I produced the 6th Annual Tits for Toys for Tots show for Syrens of the South at The Five Spot.  Each year we've managed to collect a bunch of toys to send home with the marine at the end of the night.  This year his car was so filled that there were still four or five boxes left behind for a later pick-up!  One of my favorite things about our holiday show is that it embraces all winter holidays.  Sure, we have lots of Christmas references, but we have also had visits from the Chanukah Fairy, Solstice fairies, Kwanzaa tributes, or just wintery snow angels gracing the stage and this year was no different.

We opened the show with Good Golly Svengali playing some amazing tunes for the crowd who got there early to ensure seating as we were standing room only again this year.  We did have a special guest MC for the show, Mr Cutty McGill was cracking jokes and introducing the acts for us on Saturday.  He's done a lot of work with 7 Stages over the years and we were thrilled to have him come play with us and he did an amazing job so I do hope he'll want to come work with us again in the future.  This show had a lot of firsts, Victoria Rose, Persephone Phoenix, Tru Bliss and Brie Brioche did their first show since graduating in August and they all did an amazing job!  Bourgeois Betty graced our stage again, but this time as an Atlanta local!  We had some Syrens debuts on stage as well, The Gentleman Callers from Athens did an amazing group boylesque routine that made me smile so much my face hurt and Vivian Kyle graced our stage for the first time with her amazing burlesque trapeze act where she went down to pasties for the very first time and Nipsy Tussle traveled all the way from Salome Cabaret in Knoxville to be a part of the holiday fun.

Photo by Fritz Pietrzak

We also had some of our long time Syrens veterans, Chad Sanborn dazzling the audience with his amazing magician skills, Rosie Palms (aka Kitty Love) doing her Christmas Island routine that has become a holiday staple, Brandy Noir shaking her martini, Ursula Undress debuted an amazing new routine that was tongue in cheek, or I guess I should say tail in cheek!  We also welcomed Burnadette Cinders back to the stage for the first time in almost 2 years!  Her last show with us was when we opened for The Dresden Dolls right before she left for maternity leave, we were thrilled to welcome her back into the family this past Saturday because that's what you do around the holidays.

We did have one bitter sweet moment with D'lilah D'lite as this was her last show with us as a local Atlanta performer.  With the new year she will be starting her new life in NOLA.  She has been an amazing performer, the queen of our pastie sweatshop, and has been teaching vintage hair and pastie making for Syrens for years now and has been a part of our family.  We all wish her the best and though we will miss her I guess this means we'll have to make a point to visit NOLA more and make sure to book her as a guest performer when she's in town!

Thank you again to everyone that came out and brought toys to help us bring some holiday cheer to those a little less fortunate.  Syrens of the South's next show at The Five Spot will be on February 9 for our Vixen's Valentease show and we hope to see you all then!  Charity is TBD, we are happy to take suggestions!

2012-07-10 Chair Work with Katherine Lashe

So tonight was both my chair work class and the half way point of the classes.  I was really excited that we had three new students sign up which would have made the class completely full, however the rain and thunder caused some accidents so one called in and the other went MIA, so we had a class of 8 and that proved to be plenty.  Everyone did a great job!  We went over the visual lines of the chair, tracing the chair and the body for emphasis, back bends, crickets, floor lifts and some body rolls from seated and using the chair as a base.  We had a few limitations do to a couple of injuries, but everyone quickly learned the rule of if you feel a little awkward it probably looks great from the audience, lol.  It was a lot of fun and everyone was working up a sweat.

One of our new drops ins did an amazing job with the chair so I got to teach her a chair roll spin which she was picking up super fast, the chair may end up being her thing.  Everyone was eventually able to do the kick spin into the chair and over the back as well which usually takes the longest unless you have some flexibility already, which luckily everyone had.

Hope to see everyone again next week! I'll be teaching my costuming class and bringing in a bunch of my costumes for people to play with and try out the different ways they come apart on July 17th from 6:30-8:30pm at Spinarella Pole/Dance/Fitness.  If you'd like to sign up for this class please go to www.syrensofthesouth.com and reserve your spot!

2012-06-26 Aural Mixation with Lola LeSoleil

On Tuesday, June 26, I walked into Spinarella Pole/Dance/Fitness to find Lola LeSoleil setting up her computer and projector and one fo the students already there eagerly awaiting instruction...the class wasn't scheduled to start for another 15 minutes, but everyone was excited!  As she was setting up the rest of her class came in, nearly sold out, people were huddling together around tables and outlets to plug in their laptops.  


The class covered an explanation of why and how music is used in performance to help portray mood, setting, and what other information the audience gets from the music before you ever walk out on stage.  How moving to the beat, the melody, etc.. will change your message and will impact different things.  Once she finished going over how to pick out music she began going over the fine art of splicing!  She took two songs and some sound  effects and showed the class how to loop, cut, paste, etc... to make a song the right length, flavor and anything else you may want to have for your sound.  There was debate as to style, what you should look for for different effects and multiple websites to find sound effects.  The students had lots of great questions and Lola had a lot of great answers.


The students are starting to have some amazing ideas for their routines for the student showcase on August 24th.  It's going to be a great show and have some amazing new talent!


PLEASE NOTE THERE IS NO CLASS ON TUESDAY, JULY 3RD!


The next class will be Chair Work with Katherine Lashe on Tuesday, July 10 from 6:30-8:30pm at Spinarella.  You can purchase your class online at www.syrensofthesouth.com.

2012-06-19 You've Got It, Now Flaunt It with Rosie Palms

On Tuesday, June 19th Rosie Palms came and taught the third class in the summer session of Syrens of the South Tease U burlesque series.  Rosie Palms, who celebrates her 4 year anniversary of graduating from our first student showcase this August, comes with 20 years of exotic dance training.  We've very lucky to have someone who has so much experience willing to provide her time to the students.  We had a sold out class (though one student NCNS, so we hope she's okay) which is always a great feeling for the teacher and a great way to start a class!

Her class focuses on body image and movement with pointers on how to find your center and being comfortable in your own skin.  In two short hours she took the class from being stiff and unsure to loose and moving around like they'd been dancing for years.  She went over some basic stretches, struts, and some strip tease with over sized button down shirts.  The girls were really getting into it and having a great time.  One of the things I love is the sense of camaraderie that occurs with the ladies in the classes.  As each girl strutted across the floor and did their thing the rest of the class clapped and applauded for each other.  That is the best thing about these classes are the friendships that develop through this shared experience.

Next week will be Aural Mixation with Lola LeSoleil.  For those who plan on performing with the student showcase this is a great time to narrow down your choices for your music and play with it a little.  It's also a great time to ask about music ideas and where to go with your act from a music stand point.  You can purchase your class in advance at the class page.

2012-06-12 Tassels and Glove Pulls with Katherine Lashe

So this past Tuesday was out second class in Syrens of the South's Tease U: 10 week class series, we went over Tassels, Assels and Glove Pulls, OH MY!  We had 7 lovely students for this class, the 4 from last week all returned and 3 new ones!  I do love when people have so much fun in class that they convince their friends to come and take the classes with them!

First we at down and sorted out the pasties so everyone could find the right size and discussed the different techniques for applying them and how to do an instant boob lift using only strategic pastie placement.  Once everyone had their pasties we divided up gloves to make sure that everyone had a pair and then we got started.

We went over the basics, how to get floppy fingers, pulling from a varity of angles including using your other hand, mouth, knees and your shoes to take off your gloves.  Once we worked on that we switched to pasties.  Everyone was twirling tassels in multiple directions by the time we were done going over the basic movements.  After that it was time for Assels.  Assels are exactly what you think they are, they are pasties attached to the hiney so you can twirl tassels on your butt!  I did the demonstration and they let everyone that wanted to try it out do so.  Only 3 of the students felt froggie enough to do it but all that tried were successful.

Once we had gone over the glove pulls and the tassels we gathered everyone back up and using the basic dance routine we did last week we added in glove pulls and tassel twirls to the routine as a refresher of last weeks basic moves (and as an intro for those that missed last week) and showing a way to incorporate the new skills they learned in this class.  Everyone did a wonderful job!  Next week Rosie Palms will be teaching You've Got It, Now Flaunt It!  There are still spaces available if you'd like to sign up please do so on the Syrens of the South Class Page.

2012-06-05 Burlesque History and Beginning Movement with Katherine Lashe

So on June 5 we began Syrens of the South's 8th class series at Spinarella Pole/Dance/Fitness.  Hard to believe that on August 24th, we'll be celebrating our 5 year anniversary and our 8th student showcase, where has the time gone.  Anyway, we had 4 lovely ladies come into the class a little nervous, a little unsure but very eager to to discover the shiny world of burlesque.

As this was the first class we did introductions, I told them who I was, made sure no one had any injuries that I needed to be aware of, and then I asked the question I always ask on the first day, "What made you want to take burlesque classes?" There's always the joking comment about shiny things and then the nervous laughter that comes before people get to the root of it.  People get into burlesque for different reasons, because they love to perform, because they like shiny things, they saw a show and it looked like fun and then the one that breaks my heart every time, "I want to be more comfortable in my skin because I think I'm fat/ugly/unsexy/need to get out of my shell/etc..."  These are the ones that make me cry a little when they make it onto stage as they're trying to work through something much deeper then a need to be shiny.  Many times our students turn into performers, we've even had quite a few go on to the national festival circuit and even earn awards.  Let me tell you, nothing makes me feel more like a proud momma then seeing my students continue performing and earn national recognition!

I love teaching history and going over the intro to basic burlesque movement.  Burlesque's history goes back so much further then most people think.  My class starts at 44BC and goes through modern day.  Yup, BC, you read correctly.  The basic movement we go through is bumps, grinds, and some basic shimmies and then we put them all together in a little mini routine to work on transitions and movement, each one ending with the front bump because EVERYONE SHOULD EMBRACE THE FRONT BUMP!  They did a great job and I can't wait to have them come back next week so we can continue down this path together.

2012-05-19 Burlesque Invasion

On Saturday, May 19th, Atlanta, was invaded by performers from Knoxville and New York for an evening of burlesque not regularly seen in our neck of the world!  Rhinestone Gorilla Burlesque contacted me back in March or April about coming to Atlanta and The Five Spot had given me May 19th, the exact date they asked about, we decided it was meant to be and made it happen!  As we had a show the night before opening for Unknown Hinson we figured this also would keep us from over saturating with Atlanta performers.  All in all, the perfect plan!

We were joined by ladies from Salome Cabaret in Knoxville as any excuse to have them down is good enough for me.  Delinda d'Rabbit and Kisa von Teasa came down to perform with us both nights so we had an entire weekend of Knoxville goodness!

John Carney opened the show with his Burlesque Show song (Muppet Show theme song rewritten to be about burlesque) and then we kicked off the routines with Kisa von Teasa's sympathy for the devil act, I never get tired of seeing that number.  it has come so far from the first time I saw it almost 5 years ago.  Next came Gemma Stone with her Air Sex routine, it was so simple and yet so brilliant.  By herself she went through a very excited night for the crowd to see.  It was super high energy and the crowd laughed and got a little turned on all at the same time!  Following her was Avian Rush's Bittersweet routine which was beautiful.  It was a fan dance that became a black light routine with her painting her self so you could discover her in the dark.  Seriously elegant and beautiful!  Debra Delorean (which I totally love her name) was next with her Peanuts routine.  Dressed as Lucy, with Gemma Stone as Schroeder, she did everything she could to get his attention away from the piano.  After stripping down she showed off her busts of Beethoven before scampering off the stage.  We then had two local Atlanta favorites, Lola LeSoleil with her Girl from Ipanema routine and then Ursula Undress with her Rockin' Venus routine!  We then went to intermission for a moment of cigarettes, merchandising booze and bathrooms, because that's what intermissions are for!

I opened the second half, debuting/sneak previewing my routine I intend to take to Carolina Burlesque Fest in a few weeks.  I spent all last week working on the costume since I'd been in school for so long and just hadn't had time.  It was the routine I wanted to do at Southern Fried, but I just couldn't get it together in time.  After me we went back to Gemma Stone with The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, I sadly was still putting my clothes on back stage so I missed it, but the crowd loved it and that's good enough a review for me!  Debra Delorean came out in a graduation cap and gown and showed everyone how excited she was to be out of school.  Avian Rush then came out as a G.I.Joe doll and did a very structured strip down to a Barbie doll including having an amazing prop where she came out of the G.I.Joe box and finished in the Barbie box.  Next was Delinda d'Rabbit with her Grindhouse fan dance routine which was high energy and she gave great face!  Closing the show was Kisa von Teasa with Sister Burlesque, nun to Catholic school girl and then bathing in glitter holy water at the end!

Over all it was a fun show, we got to have some amazing performers from out of town and we gathered a bunch of food for the PAWS Atlanta food bank, all in all, a total win!

What people don't realize about running a festival....

is that it's scary as shit.  This year marked our 2nd Annual Southern Fried Burlesque Fest here in Atlanta, GA.  It was amazing, it was spectacular, it was truly breath taking and it almost didn't happen.  It costs us around $17,000 to produce Southern Fried Burlesque Fest 2011, so last year we were in the hole around $5,000 (maybe more, I'd have to check) at the end of the weekend.  (And no, Ursula Undress and I do not get paid and have, in fact thrown personal money into it that we know we'll never get back)  We knew it was a risk, but we did it anyway because we love burlesque, we love the community, we love being able to offer classes and performances that you cannot normally find in Atlanta and most of the Southeast.  We also really wanted it to all be in one location so people wouldn't have to find rides, stay at different hotels, etc... so people could actually spend time together and make actual friends.  A wonderful person who wishes to remain anonymous loaned us the money for the deposit this year we were able to start on 2012 while we finished paying off all the bills from 2011.  Thanks to a fundraiser with The 2011 Queen of Burlesque, Miss Indigo Blue, in November we returned the loaned hotel deposit then and SFBF 2011 was paid off in December of 2011 thanks to a very successful Tits for Toys for Tots show by Syrens of the South.  So we started 2012 at zero towards SFBF 2012.

As people purchased weekend passes we bought everything we knew we had to have: air fare for the guests we flew in; actual badges (you have to admit, they were awesome); programs; and miscellaneous items like the crowns, ink, labels and paper for the printers, etc....  Come February we were starting to freak out, what if no body came to the festival, what if we bought 144 t-shirts (the shops minimum) and no one bought any, etc....these are all things that every producer is terrified of, but with an $18,000 bill, it's that much more terrifying.  There was some praying, some soul searching and many, many back up plans for the what if scenarios, but people came!

People didn't just come, but people came in droves.  People volunteered and we had help this year! (Last year we had, and I am not exaggeration, 4 volunteers)  The shows were amazing, the class schedule was amazing and everyone who came brought a special part of the festival with them and made the entire weekend magical.  So thank you!  Seriously, I mean that will all of my little black heart, THANK YOU!  I won't lie, we still didn't break even.  Syrens is going to throw in money to help cover the difference (that's the point of owning a production company, right, to help with productions?) and there's a chance that Ursula and I may have to turn tricks (I'm kidding) but we were so close and that's with starting at zero on January 1st.

So what does this tell me?  We're definitely doing it again next year!  With not having as much to pay off from the previous year 2013 should be much easier for us to put together.  Less heart attacks all around for everyone.  We've learned a lot this year from issues that have come up and we think that we're finally getting in a position to make it truly amazing as we have some of the very best volunteers in the world so it is not all on myself and Ursula.  So next year should be bigger and better then 2012, just like 2012 was bigger and better then 2011.

However, you guys will have to be patient as one of the big things we learned was pay off the previous year before starting the next one, so please be patient while we do that and then we'll be announcing next year's Southern Fried Burlesque Fest!

PS. Please note that these are my opinions and not necessarily those of Ursula or anyone else as I didn't ask them, lol.