How to Survive a Burlesque Festival - feat Fish nor Fowl

The lovely Freya West, whom I've featured here a little while ago, has written up a wonderful list of tips and tricks for surviving a burlesque festival, whether it's your first time or your fiftieth. Click here to check out her list!

 

Freya West. I told you she was lovely.

Photography by LA Photographie

On the list such things as: gorgeous and uncomfortable shoes, false eyelashes, and a strong constitution.

This is a very good primer for what to expect to carry for a festival. For more of an in-depth look at the festival experience, I point you to my Toronto Burlesque Festival Recaps!

Wednesday

Thursday 

Friday

Saturday

Now, for some of my additions to Freya's amazing list:

1. Business Cards
 You may run into any number of people, from Producers of stage shows to Producers of all things TV and media-land. Business cards are the most basic of all professional items. Hand them out like candy, and collect them too!

2. Business Card Holder
 For all those business cards you'll be taking in return, you'll need a fancy little holder. I have an adorable polka-dotted one that helps me corral the little beasts so that I can follow up with all the contacts I've met after the festival.

Here's a cute one featuring Bettie Page 

from Pinup Girl Clothing! 

You can get them in a variety of styles. Check out places like etsy as well!

3. Small-but-Fabulous purse
 To hold your wallet, lipstick, business card holder, maybe some pressed power, raffle tickets, and anything else that you may come across! Bonus points if it's large enough to stuff your phone in beside your cash. Something like below would be cute!

4. Large-and-also-Fabulous Bag

 Something for toting around more substantial things, like a change of shoes (flats in case you have to trek somewhere!) notepads or notebooks, etc. Below is a really nice one, but you may want to go even bigger, like a tote bag (try leopard or zebra print!)

That's it for my additions!

Is there anything else you would add, lovely readers?

Be sure to have a look at Freya's website (recently made fabulous) and maybe join her in a Top Hat Tuesday?

~ Red Herring

Featured on 21st Century Burlesque

Like many burlesque dancers, I keep an eye on 21st Century Burlesque for news and articles surrounding our bedazzled world of booty and booby shaking. They bring several of the burlesque worlds' best writers to the fore, and handle the yearly Burlesque Top 50 (a feat, if any, that's sure to induce Boob Coma*).

I admit to having a favourite amongst their writers: Beatrix von Bourbon.

Beatrix von Bourbon (c) Rod Penn

She's sexy, sassy, and knows her shit, so when she put out a call looking for photos for one of her upcoming articles, I jumped at the chance and clobbered her DM box with pictures of myself scantily clad in a comic book store. That article has now gone live: Doing Your Research - Part 2

Red Herring by Craig Cochrane at Dragon Lady Comics **

This is how I shop for comics.

Check out 21st Century Burlesque and take a gander at what they have to offer. I barely scratch the surface here at chez blog. Over there you can dive into a world of rhinestones.

~ Red Herring

* Boob Coma - as coined by someone much more experienced in the burlesque world than I, is when you've seen so much burlesque, and so much boob, that boobs thereby lose their meaning, and despite the quality and excitement of the acts you end up slack jawed and possibly drooling from mammary overload.


** Keep an eye out for a special post on Craig Cochrane, an excellent photographer whom I adore more than possibly healthy.

Red Herring at the Toronto Burlesque Festival 2011!

I'm incredibly excited to announce that I will be performing this year at the 2011 Toronto Burlesque Festival!

Last year was a whirlwind rush of my first-ever Burlesque Festival, combined with opening the Rising Stars Showcase on Friday night!

Last year's fancy logo!

I met a whole cast of interesting characters at last year's festivities, and had the wonderful chance to hang out with the awe-inspiring Dirty Martini, save lovely Freya West (whom blog readers will know how I feel about*), be slapped around by Miss Sugarpuss, and learn wonders from the likes of Tigger and Miss Astrid.

I can only imagine what I'll get up to this year!

Take a look at the Facebook event page for more information, and be sure to come check out some of the amazing performers we have this year! 

Now, off to rehearse! I've got a brand new act, with a big new prop for this year's Sunday brunch! Last year I was a robot, any guesses for what's in store?

Toni Wallachy

Photo by Toni Wallachy of Orange Roads Photography

~ Red Herring

*dirty thoughts, creative thoughts, and mostly <3 type thoughts

Jeffrey Thomas - Femme Fatales

I was stumbling across the web when I came upon the work of character artist Jeffrey Thomas and found a wonderfully noir-inspired set of his, Femme Fatale.

Of course, Lady in Red was my favourite. It even has the title of one of my past productions.

Lady in Red by Jeffrey Thomas

I thought you lovely people would be interested in some of this lovely art, so take a look over at his blog or his deviant page.

Also of interest: his Twisted Princess series, of dark Disney Princesses. Pretty epic.

What other illustrators, character artists, or artists in general do you know of have great vintage/pin-up/burlesque art? Leave a comment and I'll check them out!

~Red