Frankie Tease Blog

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

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

Frankie Tease sat down with a local Portland Oregon patron of burlesque shows in town and across the nation, to find out what the heck the patron is thinking while sitting in the audience and enjoying the show. Here is what our new friend Rob had to tell us. FT: What do you do for a living? RJ:  I am Sr. V.P. at U.S. Bank. FT: You sound like my next sponsor!  I understand you are also a photographer. RJ:  I shoot in studio and landscape.  RPJoseph.smugmug.com  is a good way to see my work. FT: How long have you been in Portland RJ:  Originally I am from Missouri, but here via Phoenix Arizona. FT: What is the first burlesque show you went to? RJ:  Phoenix, 1989. I am not gay but I ended up at a gay burlesque show. FT: What was that like? RJ:  Comedy, stripping, drag, mostly drag. I like going to strip clubs but I always go with my wife. We always feel that it's a little sad, and it's younger women. Whereas burlesque is real women, older women, not as m