I have been MIA in many ways

I haven’t been up on my blogs or my Facebook or my Tweets, for that I am sorry .  But I have been very busy making new costumes and planning new ventures.  And one of them isn’t burlesque or performance related at all.  My partner and I have started a blog called Rainy Day Sales.  We have so frickin’ much to get rid of and we of course didn’t have a sale when the weather was nice.  So we have it all ready to sell, but it’s rainy and crappy outside.

Hence, Rainy Day Sales.  Please visit often, as we will post items that are for sale and soemtimes FREE things.  We will have set hours that we’ll be available for items to be picked up.  If you don’t live near here, we’ll have a Paypal set up soon and we’ll mail it to you.

http://rainydaysales.wordpress.com

XOXOXXX

Supermongral Studios

I had another fabulous photoshoot with Madeleine of Supermongral Studios today.  I have known Madeleine for years and I have always been a fan of your art.  From dance to painting to designing to photography.  She is amazing.

Her studio is set up perfectly for a variety of shots and styles.  She is more on the dark, naughty, seductive side of things.  Last time I did a some classic Sahara…burlesque costume and fun slightly trashy look.  I also did some not so classic Sahara…totally naked except for some lace fabric and topless sexy under the bust black sheer lingerie.

This time I did a not classic, not typical, totally not Sahara shoot.  But sexy none the less .  A sexy 50′s style kitchen shoot and a fetish domme shoot (complete with a sweet ass black/burgundy flogger).

Jodi was the make up artist again and she is crazy wicked with her style.  I always feel like a sexy ass porn star getting ready to film with Belladonna, lol!  I have such creative friends.

Photos coming soon!

XOXOXXX

It is time!

Now is the time.  I am gonna have my own radio show.  On this show, we will feature burlesque performers, performance artists, feminists, artists, LGBT icons, and many other fascinating individuals.  I guess you can say it’s a variety show.  The first show is set to air early October.  I hope that it will be received with open arms and an open mind.

If there are ideas or guests you’d like to see on the show, please let me know.

Stay tuned for more information!

Vlog versus Blog

I often get distracted with various things and tasks I remember I have to work on when I am on the computer.  I lose focus once I start to think of the work I have to do.  I see many folks I follow has switched to the video blog method of blogs.  The problem with that is sometimes when I’m in front of my computer and webcam I may not…shall we say, look presentable, lol.  But sometimes it’s just faster to talk into the half inch circle staring at me, than it is to type out your thoughts and spell check what you type.

I would love your opinion.  Which would you prefer?

Thanks for you help!

XOXOXXX

The BIG Art of Striptease in San Francisco, CA

This year, I will be one of the facilitators at the third annual Kaleidoscope.

Kaleidoscope is a national people of color cabaret event.  The mission is to entertain and cast light on the knowledge, actions, and transformations that pertain to people of color performance and race-positive sexuality.

Workshops take place on September 25th and 26th with the performance night on September 26th.  Visit the website for more information on the stars of the night on the 26th-http://www.kaleidoscopecabaret.com.

I will be leading a discussion on plus-sized burlesque in a small-sized community.  We will go over the history of plus-sized burlesque, what happen to the ‘curvy is sexy’ attitude of yesteryear, and we’ll also get up and shake what our mama gave us.

I hope you will join me in the fun, factual, sassy workshop.

$10-$15 sliding scale

Workshops are happening at Mission Cultural Center at 2868 Mission St., San Francisco, CA, 94110.  For a map, click here.

If you have any questions, please email me at saharadunes@gmail.com

I finally joined the club of cool kids.

I got a group.  I started a Yahoo group today.  So I invite all of you to PLEASE join, it will bring a smile to my face .  I will be posting upcoming events, appearances, performances, workshops, and seminars.

Click to join Sahara Dunes Presents

Femme in the Land of Butches-Day three

I woke up a little easier this morning and reported to duty as scheduled at the registration table.  It was already somewhat hectic from looking at the expressions on some of the volunteers faces, it seemed to flow a bit easier the second day. Once my shift was over, Butch Burlesque workshop was the next stop. This was taught by Papa Dino. We had a fun time and the audience had many questions for her. Although this workshop was late, so I ended up missing Ivan Coyotes workshop, I had a good time.

Lunch was at this delicious buffet about three blocks from the hotel. Fortuna Buffet had some of the freshest food I have ever had from an Asian buffet.

After lunch, I went to the Flirt Like You Mean It workshop presented by Q.  It was interesting.  We discussed the different ways to flirt and how to recognize when someone is flirting with you.  I am SO very oblivious as to when someone is flirting with me.  Unless someone straight up says, “I like you.”, then it’s up and over my head, lol.  So I got some good pointers out the workshop.

That was the end of my day at the hotel.  We left and went back to the apartment to start getting ready for ButchNATION.  I was volunteering for that as well.  NOW…I was assigned to be a stage hand.  In the world of burlesque art, a stage hand is a ‘pick-up artist’ or ‘stage maid’ or ‘stage kitten’ or ‘stage vixen/stud’.  They are as part of the show as the performers.  I chose to be a stage maid, complete with ruffle butts .

How can I describe this show? A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! More than amazing, spectacular is more like it.  The show opened with Pippa Flemming and O-M-G!  She was mind blowing.  Her piece was a spoken word piece that was about history and culture and pain and survival. SIGH.  It took my breath away.  Then everything else just kept getting better and better.  The butch anthem was spectacular.  Illicit Life Ent. just blew me away.  Momma’s Boyz were DAMN good.  And Ivan.  Oh.  My.  Goodness.  Ivan E. Coyote.  Can you say-heartfelt, passionate, moving, emotional?  I cannot believe the way Ivan spoke and the words were so powerful. SIGH! Fairy Butch was a fabulous emcee that kept the crowd engaged and was witty.  I could go on, but I think I’ll start to ramble if I do .  Just know, if you missed it, you missed a DAMN good show.

After that, I was frickin’ pooped and headed back to the apartment.  Everyone else either went to the after party, went to bed alone, or went to bed with someone they met that night .

Dreams do come true…

So I know that it is over a year away, but this is something I have been dreaming of for years.  I wanted to have one based on the NW, then I realized that didn’t satisfy my desires and left me feeling ‘blah’.  I marinated on it for a bit and it finally came to me.

SHADES OF BURLESQUE FESTIVAL

Shades of Burlesque Festival is designed to bring burlesque performers of color and our allies together and to form a truly diverse and uplifting community.

Our mission-To provide a nurturing and supportive community that educates, promotes, and uplifts burlesque performers of color and our allies.

Naturally we are in the VERY beginning stages, however I can say that we are have SoBF 2010 in Oakland in September 2010.  It will be 3 days long (Friday-Sunday).  We are gonna have workshops, panels, a dance party, a performer showcase, an art show and so much more.  Stay tuned for a website, Facebook page, and more information on the very first SoBF 2010.

Shades of Burlesque chair members (to date-will add more)

Co-Chair-Sahara Dunes and TBA

Co-Media-Lady Bomb Deluxe and TBA

Guest of Honor-Vagina Jenkins

Financial-Kentucky Fried Woman

Programming-Ginger Snapz

Co-Entertainment-Jacqueline Hyde and TBA

Volunteer-TBA

Logistics-TBA

If you’d like to help out and/or volunteer, please stay tuned on how you can sign up.  So mark your calendar and stay tuned for more info!

XOXOXXX

Food for Thought

I am so very excited to start on a new project… more to come on that soon.

But in my hunt for chair members, I have had some very interesting discussions with some talented burlesque performers of color across the nation.  So why are most burlesque performers of color NOT getting the exposure they DESERVE?  We are talented, put just as much effort into our routines, and spend just the same amount of hours rehearsing and planning and crafting.

I truly think… NO, I know that there are burlesque performers of color in most major cities that have the talent and the ability to blow folks out of their seats, but yet and still you don’t see them.  This is very interesting to me.  One of the performers I am working with said this, “Your audience is not their audience.”.  Really?  Is that the case?  Or is it the producers and performers themselves?

Burlesque can be a community, but for the most part it is a group of huge cliques.  Yes.  I said it.  Cliques.  Women that join forces and promote EACH OTHER, NOT the community as a whole.  Are all performers like this?  No of course not.  But the ones that you see the most, ARE.  Even when performers NOT in their ‘circle’ approach them, they do not work with them.

Promoters and producers are the same way.  What does a performer have to do to get booked in a show?  Well, it SHOULD be simple.

~Have a good media kit with photos and video

~Try to attend the show you’d like to get booked in

~Approach them in a professional manner

~Put forth your best if you have to audition

Does that work all the time?  No, especially if you are of color.  For some reason performers of color have to try EVEN harder to get booked.  For example, how many performers not of color are working as a full time burlesque performer?  Now look at the amount of performers of color who are working as full time performers.  Few and far between, right?

I would love to hear others thoughts on this.  I have NEVER been a person to look at someones color.  I have never played the color card.  But since having my eyes opened, it is hard to ignore.