Frankie Tease Blog

There is a new confidence in the world of the burlesque revival. The annual Burlesque Hall of Fame which  took place June 2-5th in Las Vegas, and the Miss Exotic World which took place the same weekend in Las Vegas show no signs of slowing down. There are at least four movies that involve burlesque as a topic in post-production or theaters right now, and we can all agree this genre isn't going anywhere. But more than this, the first major-hitting burlesque 'agency' has just expanded from production and booking to instruction.  The worlds' first Burlesque Entertainment agency,  The Bijou Group  was formed in 2010 and is growing strong. The agency carries the most highly recognized artists in burlesque entertainment today with the likes of: Catherine D'Lish ( Miss Exotic World '94 and '92 coach to Dita Von Teese ), Dirty Martini (Tournee', Tease-O-Rama, Vogue Curvy) and Roxy D'Lite ( Miss Exotic World 2010 ) to name a few. This power-pac

I was wondering what every day beauty tip I could write about for the upcoming July fourth holiday weekend, and then I remembered the old argument I have about oils versus talcs. Little did I know with a small amount of research that it would turn up kind of an important fashion decision. Let me explain. When i lived in Pasadena and worked at a horse ranch in the La Canada hills, it was my first time encountering mountain scorching heat. Being around the horse riders I began using talc powder to keep the moister inside of riding boots to a minimum during major heat waves. We are pretty fortunate to be blessed with moderate weather here in the Pacific Northwest, but a few months out of the year it can get pretty hot. If 2011's July fourth is a scorcher, here is a few beauty tips I recommend for anti-chafing. Sometimes people think only the heavy-set has to deal with chafing, but that's not necessarily true. The combination of perspiration and rubbing skin can happen in

Shanghai Pearl by POC Photo One of the most impressive performers I have ever seen once came on stage in a gorilla suit, and high heels (as seen on America's Got Talent ). By the time she took that suit off she was in a bikini eating a banana. Who could I be talking about? None other than jet- setting, world class international burlesque instructor, performer, and costume-maker extraordinaire: The Shanghai Pearl . Below is the interview I conducted by chat, long-distance, with this amazing individual, June 27, 2011. FT: Where are you originally from? SP: I was born in Taipei, Taiwan. FT: What year did you come to U.S., was it first Seattle? SP: I came to this country with my mom when I was three, and grew up in Arizona. I've lived in Seattle for almost nine years now. FT: What year did you begin performing burlesque , and what or who was your inspiration? SP: I graduated from Miss Indigo Blue's academy of Burlesque in 2006. Before that I was a p

There are many types of glitters and there are many uses for glitter. In burlesque it can range from decorating your shoes with glitter, to using body glitter or preparing a glitter dump as a part of your act. If it is going to be flying through the air in any way, you must never use 'craft' glitter. It has sharp shards of metallic substances that can scratch or gash eyes and sensitive skin. It is not designed to be in contact with the body in any way and is used only for things such as wardrobe or props. CRAFT GLITTER Glitter for crafting can range from large flakes to fine dust. Craft glitters are poly coated dyes rather than poly coated (and sealed) cosmetic grade pigments. There are large and small chunk sizes, as well as glue with glitter already embedded in it. I found an amazing selection of craft glitters at 'Columbia Art and Crafts" [1515 East Burnside Street, Portland, OR 97214-1452(503) 232-2216]. GLITTER FOR SPRINKLING When using decor

You have committed yourself to perform, your costume is ready and you are excited to wow your audience. But wait, who is coming to this show? Unless you are hired for a private event, it is your job to inform your fan base of your upcoming performances. Nowadays promoting doesn't just involve passing out handbills, it is a sophisticated combination of posters, handbills, online invites, and calendar listings. The easiest way for you to manage updating your fans could be creating an email list, fan page, or group. Without delving into each and every medium a  little bit of basics you might apply to make everyone happy at your next show. Each place you play, you will get new fans. How will you keep them informed among all the other event choices they have?  First, make it easy for your new fans to follow you. I recommend you create a free blogsite that is easy to remember, something where your fans don't have to sign in to access (such as yahoo groups or facebook fan p

Choosing the right shoes  for your burlesque routine is like shopping for specialty fudge, you kind of have to know what you're doing. This 'how to' is about choosing the right shoes for what you're going to do on stage. Burlesque routines can vary in choreography as much as a good day of weather in Portland. What you're doing in your routine is going to determine the type of shoes you will want to wear. If you are planning to sashe across the floor gracefully, you probably won't want something too tall with a rubber sole.  Ballroom Dance Shoes  - Ballroom dance shoes are made for action. The average shoe has a suede based sole for moving on dance floors, and will run from $30 to $200 depending upon the quality of the manufacturer. A couple sources I recommend are  http://www.danceshoesonline.com  and in Portland:  The Glass Slipper  3106 NE Broadway, as well as  the Letoard  2432 NE Martin Luther Kind Blvd. 503 284-9244. Ballroom dance shoes can be fo

This issue is dedicated to applying pasties to your bosom for performance and modeling. Don't laugh, it's not as simple as it sounds. Basically the type of adhesive you use depends upon your type of skin sensitivity, what you plan to do on stage, and what you have on hand. Read below for all the choices in adhesives before you.Spirit Gum - One thing I've noticed is that at everyone swears by the adhesive they use, I swear by spirit gum. During my performance I do fleshy acrobatics and have had to find something very solid to depend upon. Spirit Gum is made of SD Alcohol 35-A and resin, which is the 'gum' [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit_gum ]. This type of adhesive comes in small or large viles and looks just like a 'cement glue' container, with a brush attached to the cap. The level of quality will vary greatly. In Portland you can find this at Hollywood Costumes 635 SE Hawthorne. They also have an ample selection of mustaches which can also be ap

In our travels and costuming, we try to make everything last as long as possible. This includes the longevity of stockings. How do you get the most out of your silk thigh highs, or nylon hose? I mean it's your favorite pair and you just got a run. How will you avoid this? It's all about the temperature. When I had a waitress job way back when, one of the requirements was to wear nylon hose every day. That meant going through a lot of hose. The company recommended we put the freshly bought pair of nylons into the freezer, as a way to preserve them. I didn't understand, but obeyed. Apparently, the freezing temperature of the freezer of your handy household refridgerator is a climate that will moleculary change the stockings, stronger once they are thawed. Leave in package in freezer overnight. Take them out and let them sit at room temperature. Take them out after a couple hours and let them air dry. You wil find a tougher hose than you ever imagined, saving you a ton

Frankie Tease sat down to talk with Matt Adamik about Ohio, New Orleans, photography gear, getting that perfect shot, and shooting burlesque shows. You might be surprised that a guy so quiet had a lot to say.  FT: How long have you been shooting cameras? Matt Adamik:  I've been interested in cameras since I was three, since I could comprehend what they did. FT: Is this an artistic fascination? How would you classify it? Are you a true voyeur of the world? MA:  Techniclly, I'm a gadget freak. I love the mechanisms of cameras like how the shutter works. Especially film cameras, I can sit there and play with broken lenses all day long. FT: Do you fix cameras? MA:  I fix my own gear as much as I can, if I can't fix it for myself I can walk into a shop and tell them what's wrong. FT: So you've been using film for most of your photography career and then recently switched to digital. When did that switch happen? MA:  I started shooting digital in 2006,