How to avoid getting shot in the foot; or Burlesque photography etiquette for beginners

A couple of incidents recently have brought this topic to the forefront of my mind.  We are very lucky in the ACT we have a significant number of really excellent burlesque event photographers. They do amazing work are incredibly supportive and very understanding of the etiquette around shooting shows were people expose themselves.

However, occasionally we are unlucky enough to have significant misunderstandings with photographers we don’t know so well.  I’ve done some thinking about this and here are my top tips for avoiding misunderstandings and keeping stress to a minimum on both sides.

For Producers:
When engaging a photographer:

1/. Be CLEAR about what you want and what you can spend.  This might seem obvious but sometimes producers are so used to dealing with photographers that already know they forget to fill in the blanks when engaging a different photographer.  What do you expect? How much can you pay? When can they post the images?  These are all things that will need to be addressed.

2/. Explain the rules.  A new photographer may not know the burlesque etiquette we take for granted.  You know the ones; no pastie shots on the internet (without the performers express permission), which performers don’t like to photographed, only use stage names etc.

3/. Know the law.  In Australia copyright belongs TO THE PHOTOGRAPHER.  We have some limited control because events are usually private (ticketed and secure) but that control is limited.  Maintaining a good relationship with the photographer is the best way to ensure that photos don’t end up in places you don’t want them.

When a photographer approaches you at an event:

1/. Did they approach you?  You do not have to let them take photographs.  It is (likely) a private ticketed event and you have every right to request that they not take photographs.  If you let them shoot the event make sure you (or another organiser) have time on the night to explain burlesque photography etiquette to them.

2/. Tell them up front if they can expect payment for this or not.  You have no contract in place, you are not obliged to provide financial consideration and conversely, they are not required to provide you with images (see on copyright above).  If they want payment and you can’t afford it, politely decline to have them shoot the event.  I my experience my photographers who show up to a ticketed event (with a ticket) are pretty understanding, if they aren’t you probably don’t want them there anyway.

3/. CHECK WITH THE PERFORMERS!  This might seem obvious but if there is no agreement in place to photograph the show some of the performers may prefer not to be photographed.  Before you let anyone shoot a performance be sure that the performers are okay with it.  If they aren’t be VERY clear about who can and cannot be photographed.

For Photographers:

0/. (Yes, I made a zero because I think this one should go without saying.)  Want to shoot at an event? Ask.  Be prepared for the producer to say no, if they say no, don't argue.  If you shoot an event without express permission expect people to get upset with you.  Performers and producers go to great lengths to protect their brand/image and you're infringing on that.

1/. Same as for producers; be CLEAR about what you expect.  As I already mentioned producers are so used to dealing with photographers that already know they sometimes forget to fill in the blanks when engaging a different photographer.  What do you expect? What can they expect at the end? How much do you need to make the gig a reasonable one? When can you post the images?  These are all things that will need to be addressed.

2/. Be considerate.  This is slightly different than a regular gig, not only is this the performers brand, it’s their body.  It is fraught with all kinds of considerations.

3/. If you are approached by someone outside the event organisers (press, interested parties etc) for an image please check with the performer (preferred) or the producers before supplying that image.  This can cause huge amounts of anxiety that are not necessary.  You generally wouldn’t publish a photo of anyone else without permission the performers are no different.

4/. Please do not publish pastie shots. This is the final reveal, the punchline so to speak.  Some performers don’t mind but unless you have express permission to post these shots please don’t.

5/. Do not go backstage without EXPRESS PERMISSION. It might seem that this goes without saying but sometimes people get carried away wanting to capture the entire event.  If you don’t have permission to be backstage ask, some performers are very careful of how they allow themselves to be captured.

6/. Ugly faces.  If the body looks amazing but the face doesn’t, please don’t post it.  Burlesque performers’ faces sometimes do some funny things that don’t translate well to still images.  Crossed eyes, tongues out etc…  This is our brand, we rely on looking amazing EVERYWHERE.
 

In the end burlesque photography etiquette is easy, as long as everyone is on the same page.

Gal Friday - Tiffany Blue

 Photograph, Hair MUA and minxy smile by Tiffany Blue.

Today’s Gal Friday is sparkly dame with kooky kick! Producer of Naked Girls Reading - Canberra , founding member of The Sass and Tease Collective and Co-producer of DIE FRINGE BURLESK! (On tonight in Civic Square don’t miss it!)

She puts the sparkle in seduction: Tiffany Blue!

I caught up with her caught up with her for five quick questions before the show!...

What got you started in Burlesque?

I've been a dancer my whole life and I was looking for a performance outlet. My husband had been trying to convince me to do a Burlesque class for a while and eventually I caved in and then I couldn't stop!

What is your favourite Canberra venue and why?

I don't have a particular favourite because each venue has something that makes it great! Polit Bar is so intimate and lush, The Abbey has such a fun stage and atmosphere, it's always amazing to have a theatre to perform in like The Street Theatre or The Canberra Theatre... I could go on and on!

What is your most memorable performance?

The first time I nailed Burlesqueasaurus in front of an audience and hearing the whoops and laughter!

What is the sparkliest thing you own?

So much of what I own is sparkly! Costumes, shoes, jewellery, my dogs (on occasion!), my husband! (Local Boy-lesque performer Captain Spitfire)

What is your favourite thing about burlesque in Canberra?

The amazing skill and variety we have here! Our community is growing steadily and is filled with awesome!
 

Gal Friday - Deb Delicious

 

 Photograph by Dusk Devi Vision

Today’s Gal Friday is a performing dynamo, from classic to neo and back, with the twirliest tassels in Canberra the tasty but vicious DEB DELICIOUS!

I caught up with Deb for 5 quick questions...

What got you started in Burlesque?
  I think I was born to be a little bit of a striptease exhibitionist. My mother use to tell me that anytime I had the chance I would have my clothes off and run around the front yard in the nip for all the neighbours to see. These days I do it with some class.
All jokes aside, I’ve always had a love for the glamour and glitz of the vintage era.
Back before I discovered the art of tease I had no confidence in myself. I had very low self-esteem and suffered really badly from social phobia.

Then I came across a page on ‘Myspace’ (yes the social media of the time before Facebook).
It was a page for Miss Kitka’s House of Burlesque advertising classes in Canberra. I discussed with my very supportive partner about joining Miss Kitka’s classes and he said “go for it, I think it would be really good for you”. Little did he know after 5 years he’d be living with a Burlesque monster and a house full of glitter and feathers. We like to joke and call the glitter that has bombed our house ‘asbestos’ and he has ‘glitter lung’.

Burlesque has changed my life. It has given me so much confidence and the burlesque community gives me so much support. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, Cry and you never cry alone when you have so many burlesque beauties that have your back.

What is the strangest heckle you have ever heard at a burlesque gig?

All in all I’ve been very lucky that I’ve never had someone bad heckle me whilst on stage. I think they’re too afraid to mess with a mad Irish woman. Some guy once said to me when I was in full stage makeup “It’s hard to argue with a woman with makeup and lashes like that” He was trying to get into a show for free but unfortunately for him he met me at the door.

As for the worst heckle; once when I was a member of the audience, someone shouted “put it back on!” He was soon shot down with thousand death stares.

If you could perform in any city in the world, where would it be?

I would love to travel back home to Ireland and perform in the Dublin Burlesque Festival. I really don’t know anything about the Burlesque scene in my home country, but having had a good catholic Irish upbringing I really hope that Ireland isn’t as small minded and square as I remember it.
I’d really love to have my lovely Irish Ma see me on stage. She’d love it.

Today’s Gal Friday is a performing dynamo, from classic to neo and back, with the twirliest tassels in Canberra the tasty but vicious DEB DELICIOUS!

Canberra Burlesque Diary caught up with Deb for 5 quick questions...

What got you started in Burlesque?

I think I was born to be a little bit of a striptease exhibitionist. My mother use to tell me that anytime I had the chance I would have my clothes off and run around the front yard in the nip for all the neighbours to see. These days I do it with some class.
All jokes aside, I’ve always had a love for the glamour and glitz of the vintage era.
Back before I discovered the art of tease I had no confidence in myself. I had very low self-esteem and suffered really badly from social phobia.

Then I came across a page on ‘Myspace’ (yes the social media of the time before Facebook).
It was a page for Miss Kitka’s House of Burlesque advertising classes in Canberra. I discussed with my very supportive partner about joining Miss Kitka’s classes and he said “go for it, I think it would be really good for you”. Little did he know after 5 years he’d be living with a Burlesque monster and a house full of glitter and feathers. We like to joke and call the glitter that has bombed our house ‘asbestos’ and he has ‘glitter lung’.

Burlesque has changed my life. It has given me so much confidence and the burlesque community gives me so much support. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, Cry and you never cry alone when you have so many burlesque beauties that have your back.

What is the strangest heckle you have ever heard at a burlesque gig?

All in all I’ve been very lucky that I’ve never had someone bad heckle me whilst on stage. I think they’re too afraid to mess with a mad Irish woman. Some guy once said to me when I was in full stage makeup “It’s hard to argue with a woman with makeup and lashes like that” He was trying to get into a show for free but unfortunately for him he met me at the door.

As for the worst heckle; once when I was a member of the audience, someone shouted “put it back on!” He was soon shot down with thousand death stares.

If you could perform in any city in the world, where would it be?

I would love to travel back home to Ireland and perform in the Dublin Burlesque Festival. I really don’t know anything about the Burlesque scene in my home country, but having had a good catholic Irish upbringing I really hope that Ireland isn’t as small minded and square as I remember it.
I’d really love to have my lovely Irish Ma see me on stage. She’d love it.

Every showgirl has an emergency toolkit, what is in yours?

I don’t really have an emergency toolkit. I will always have my favourite pastie glue ‘Kryolan mastix’, or ‘who’d you rip a nipple off’ as I’d like to call it.
I always like to have just one glass of red before I go on stage and will always have a straw in my little burlesque tin so I don’t ruin my lippy. And somewhere hidden in my case is a wonderful postcard size photo of the amazing Jennie Lee. She is my tassel goddess. I know if I have her with me I’m less likely to pop a pastie.

What is your favourite thing about burlesque in Canberra?

Canberra’s burlesque scene is still an up and coming one. It is not as over saturated as Melbourne or Sydney. I find it quite surprising when I do a workshop or a hens party I will always ask my group of ladies and gents what they know about burlesque...If anything at all. It gives me an idea of what I’m working with and 8 out of 10 people have no knowledge about the art nor have ever been to a show before.
So as a burlesque performer in Canberra I love educating people of the true history of burlesque. I love the reaction I get when I perform as a lot of the members of the audience have never seen anything like it and 99% of the time their reaction is so positive. You will always have your haters and of course Canberra is made up of public servants that wouldn’t have a lot of exposure to the art. That said, I’m sure the Canberran burlesque community can broaden their minds and convert everyone. World domination I say! 

 

Exposing for exposure - Performing for Free

This image has been doing the rounds on and off for a while now and it always gets me thinking.  It seems somewhat hypocritical of me given that I spent over a year producing Mondayitis Cabaret a charity night that asked performers to donate their time and talents but generally I agree with this sentiment*.

 

The problem with working for free is that it can make even the most passionate hobby unsustainable.  Burlesque particularly is a very expensive art form, costumes, make up, grooming all take time and money.  There are several arguments that clients might use when asking artist to work for free.

 

 'We have a limited budget', often means 'We would like you to work for free or for 'in kind' payment. 'In kind' covers things like; food and drink or additional complementary tickets to the event. 

 

Food and drink as 'in kind' is a lovely idea but performers often do not have time to eat or drink at a performance.  The other thing that this does not take into account is that eating and drinking are not the costs a performer incurs at a performance, you need transportation to the gig, time spent rehearsing and preparing an act.  Unless you are performing at Rockpool or The Fat Duck the cost of a meal is likely to be much less than your regular fee.

 

Complementary tickets to the event is a cheeky way of making you feel like your in kind payment is of a higher value.  Whatever the event ticket price is for a 'for profit' event there will be a margin.  It is far cheaper for the producer to offer you some free tickets especially if it is an event that is unlikely to sell out than it would be for them to pay you the retail value of those tickets.  Unless it is an event you would have paid to attend anyway you are coming out worse off in this arrangement.

Additionally often paid gigs will offer 1 or 2 complementary tickets to performers and even if they don't your fee should be enough to cover a small personal cheer squad, obviously dependent on the ticket price.

 

The offer to include you on our press releases and media materials may sound generous but  in my experience I have received more media coverage for shows that I have been paid to perform in.  If a producer is paying the performers a fee they have a much more vested interest in ensuring that you're promoted in order to sell tickets.

Charity events are a slightly different affair; the call to donate an act or two is something that is up to the individual performer.  I used to produce Mondayitis Cabaret which was a fundraising night for the ACT domestic violence crises service for which I asked performers to donate their time and talents. I would never ask performers I didn't know well and I certainly never put pressure on anyone to perform.  If you aren't able to perform for free don't allow a producer to pressure you into it. 

I suppose in the end I agree with the final statement, if those creating the art aren't prepared to put a value on it even if it is only a nominal amount how can we expect others to value it? 

*This post does not cover TFP arrangements where artist collaborate in order to produce images or film that can be used by both parties.  This kind of work is a fantastic way for artists to build their portfolio.

Gal Friday - Sugar Starr

Sugar Starr.
Photograph by Annebelle

This week’s Gal Friday is arguably the blondest bombshell in Canberra’s burlesque scene. Performing burlesque in Canberra since 2010, she took out Kitten of the Year 2012 with her Bearded Lady routine. As gracious off stage as she is on.  The sweet and sparkling; Sugar Starr!

What got you started in Burlesque?

 I have always loved to dance, although have never had any formal training. I danced in ...high school Rock Eisteddfods. After uni I got the urge to get back into dance. I tried a few different classes, belly dancing, tribal dance etc, although I missed the performance part of it. Someone told me about Burlesque, and having always had a fascination with vintage glamour, I signed up. The thing I loved about it most was the opportunity to perform and get creative.

Who is your Burlesque Idol?

 Dixie Evans, the 'Marilyn Monroe of Burlesque' is my number one idol, rest in peace sweet Dixie. However, I also have a really quirky reason for loving Lili St Cyr. There is this story that I like to believe is true: Lili St Cyr taught Marilyn Monroe how to bleach her hair. I read about this in the book 'Norma Jean', by Ted Jordan. Ted was Norma Jean's boyfriend at the time, and he tells the story of Norma Jean going to one of Lili St Cyr's burlesque shows. Apparently Norma Jean became so obsessed with the show and so obsessed with Lili that she made him take her to every show, matinée AND evening while it was on. Ted says this drove him crazy, but Norma Jean was determined. She was also determined to talk to Lili and made her way back stage. It was apparently here that Lili and Norma Jean became friends and Lili said she would show Marilyn how to dye her hair the same as hers. As for Ted, he went on to marry Lili St Cyr!

What is your favourite act to perform?

 'The Bearded Woman'. This act to me speaks of pure vulnerability and letting that be seen. I still find it emotional to perform.

What’s the weirdest thing that’s ever happened to you at a show?

 Someone asking Carlotta to move her case over in the backstage area. I'll never forget the look on Carlotta's face.
 
What is your favourite thing about burlesque in Canberra?

That its growing! What I love about burlesque in Canberra is that we are helping women express themselves exactly as they are. We are helping them embrace their curves or their straight lines. The more women that can experience the power in accepting themselves exactly as they are and then getting on stage and showing that!...the better this world will be.

That's Not Burlesque

Burlesque – pronunciation: bəːˈlɛsk

NOUN
1 an absurd or comically exaggerated imitation of something, especially in a literary or dramatic work; a parody: a novel which is a burlesque of the literary life [mass noun]: the argument descends into music-hall burlesque
2 a variety show, typically including striptease: [as modifier]: burlesque clubs

VERB

parody or imitate in an absurd or comically exaggerated way:
‘a mock-heroic farce that burlesques the affectations of Restoration heroic drama’*

 

This post has been tumbling around in my head (and some peoples ears I know) for a long time.  One of my personal bugbears is when I hear anyone within the burlesque community opine ‘That’s not burlesque’.  Burlesque is a broad and evolving art form and I personally feel that it is presumptive and precious to try and pin it down to any kind of narrow definition. 

The other huge problem I have is that it is so often used to denigrate the hard work of others who might otherwise prove to be lively and interesting members of the burlesque community.  Most Frequently I hear it about the following forms:

1/. Jazz/Cabaret Burlesque

The majority of people outside our community picture one of two things when they hear ‘Burlesque’; Dita Von Teese or this:

Show Me How YOU Burlesque

Whatever you want to call it; Pussycat Dolls Burlesque, Cabaret Burlesque, Xtina Burlesque.  What it is, is recognisable.  It’s big, it’s sparkly, it’s escapist; something it shares with the burlesque theatres of the great depression.  Really if the majority of the population recognise it as ‘burlesque’ who are we to bemoan that it isn’t (I mean not really, right?).  We know better than the 1 million plus people who bought the DVD**.

Call it Jazz Burlesque, Xtina Burlesque, Pop-Burlesque or whatever you like but don’t try and denigrate it.  When you say it’s ‘not burlesque’ and heap scorn on the people who enjoy it you turn them right off.  That’s a huge potential audience you’re excluding.  If they’re looking for bowler hats and jazz hands that’s fine, just because it doesn’t fit our aesthetic doesn’t make it wrong, just different.

There are jazz burlesque classes in nearly every dance studio in Canberra now and you know what?  They’re fun, they’re silly and they are great for improving your choreography if, like me, you aren’t from a dance background. Sure you don’t remove much more than a hat and glove but burlesque is a world of less is more and if even one or two of their students comes to a show, signs up to a workshop or books classes to try another style, that’s one more person we didn’t have before.  Our community is not so large that we can ostracise these people for starting with something that’s ‘not burlesque’.

Welcome them, be excited about their experiences, their viewpoint and share yours with them, who knows you might learn something too.

2/. When clothes stay on

Some of the best burlesque I have seen has involved the removal of absolutely zero clothing.  Before you decry ‘Burlesque is striptease, if you don’t remove clothes (you guessed it) it’s not burlesque!’ I refer you to definition two above, the Follies Begere and Minsky’s!  Performers come to burlesque down all kinds of paths and like life there is no one right way.  As a performer I have learnt so much from performers who come to burlesque via butoh, clowning, absurdism, drag and even power-lifting.  I have learnt about controlling my body, about physical theatre and especially comedy, humour, make up and many other things from these performers, tips and tricks I carry with me and happily share with others.

These performers are an integral part to our community, back in the day these performers may have been called ‘specialty acts’ but they were an integral part of the burlesque theatres in the golden age of burlesque along with the comics who were the original main feature of the burlesque theatres.  Who are we to exclude them now because they don’t take off their clothes?  Sounds a bit silly doesn’t it?

3/. When you don’t like someone’s act.

This is the worst kind of denigration, it is hurtful and dismissive of other people’s efforts.  I have heard it more times than I would like to count and I have to bite my tongue whenever I hear it.  Just because you don’t like something doesn’t make it ‘not burlesque’.  Be honest about why you don’t like it, or the performer, that’s okay, you don’t have to like everyone but to dismiss their efforts out of hand because you don’t like it?  That’s revolting and it says more about you than the performer or performance you are denigrating.

Don’t do it, period.

I suppose what I’m saying is this, burlesque is a lot of things to a lot of people.  To me what appeals is the subversive element of burlesque, watching you, watching me, knowing I know you know etc, playing with archetypes, subverting tropes and challenging perception but if I were to decry everything else as ‘not burlesque’ I would be missing out on a startling array of performances and performers.  I would be poorer for it.  Our community is the same, the more we exclude the poorer we get.  So next time you feel those words fighting for space on your tongue, swallow them, HARD. Replace them with something constructive and share your passion instead of denigrating someone else’s.

*This definition was taken from the Oxford English Dictionary Online.

**Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burlesque_(film)

Gal Friday - Miss Kitka

As you may or may not know I am one of the administrators of  Canberra Burlesque Diary (CBD) on Facebook.  Recently I started a new project for CBD featuring and profiling local burlesque performers and personalities in a 'Gal Friday' spot. My first Gal Friday for Canberra Burlesque Diary is the woman whose classes taught most of Canberra’s Burly Girly’s to Strut, Shimmy and Sway.  Principal of Miss Kitka’s House of Burlesque, Producer of the Canberra branch of Dr Sketchy’s Anti Art School and balloon popping front page sensation! (Seriously who doesn’t remember that!).

Miss Kitka scandlises the front page of The Age.
Photograph by Maria Ramsden.

The indomitable, the indefatigable, the institute of burlesque herself; Miss Kitka.

I caught up with Miss Kitka for the very first Gal Friday Hot 5

What is your favourite thing about burlesque in Canberra?

We were one of the first to reintroduce burlesque in Australia many moons ago.

Who is your Burlesque Idol?

I would not say I have an idol, but I do have a lot of respect for Dixie Evans and the work she did in preserving the history of Burlesque

What is your No 1 piece of backstage advice?

Keep the ego for the stage

What got you started in Burlesque?

Running the Museum of Erotica*

You wake up after the 'glitter-high' behind bars, what do you do?

Think to myself 'Oh crap'

Don’t forget to nominate your favourite Canberra Burlesque Performer or personality!

 

*For those who weren't in Canberra at the time the Museum of Erotica was opened in March 2001, the collection was on public display for a year before being packed up and returned to storage, enquires about the Museum's many object can be directed to robbie@bodypolitics.com.au.

New Year, More Sparkle

So thus begins a new year.

2013 was a fantastic year, I joined a wonderful group with the Sass & Tease Collective.  Produced four shows with Mondayitis Cabaret; Roses and Romance, Pin-Ups on Parade, Before the Tempest and Theatre of Darkness,  and co-produced two shows with the Sass & Tease Collective; Jay Gatsby Requests... and SMASH HITS 80's Burlesque. I performed in a number of shows, the highlight being a multiple night run of Short + Sweet Cabaret produced by newly local artistic impresario Sarina del Fuego.

This year promises to be fantastic!  I am already resolved to take better care of myself and to focus more on my individual creative endeavours.  I am currently working on a couple of pieces I hope to debut at DIE FRINGE BURLESK! A show which I have been asked to co-produce.

I also have resolved to revitalise this blog so if you have any ideas of what you would like to see/read about on here.

Love and Sparkles, Ivy

An open letter to Mondayitis,

Dear Mondayitis,

Yes I’m addressing it like that, during my time as production manager I came to think of Mondayitis as its own little community; performers, photographers, sponsors and supporters, kittens, stage managers, techs, raffle girls, door bitches and of course our wonderful audience. You are all Mondayitis to me, even on the days when I was tressed out of my mind and panicked, we built it for you; and in the end with you because without you all there would have been nothing to build.

First and foremost; I want to say a huge thankyou to each and every one of you.  We have built a lovely and supportive performance community together that allows for freedom of expression, constructive feedback, informal mentoring and opportunity.  You have been wonderful, every show was exciting, to borrow a cliché, every show was like a chocolate box; we never had any idea what we were going to get.

To the performers, to each and every one of you who got up on that stage from our days at Kremlin and after the move to The Abbey; Thank you!  To the experienced and professional performers who donated their time and talents for a fantastic cause; thankyou.  I value your art and that you saw fit to donate it to us is a magnificent gift.  Seeing you perform is always inspiring, sometimes challenging and it was always wonderful to work with you.

To all the performing virgins; you rocked! I sat with you backstage while you fretted and worried, I bought you Dutch courage when you asked and watched you take to that stage and perform your hearts out.  That takes guts, that first step seems like forever and so many of you came back, watching you grow as performers gave me immeasurable satisfaction.  Keep coming back, we made this space for you; use it!

To the snap happy chappies (and the odd chicky) who documented our shows and brought our poster ideas to life; thankyou.  Your images are sexy, sensual, hilarious, grotesque, detailed, bizarre and magical!  Working with you was eye opening, you see the world differently, things jump out to you that I would walk right past.  Your capacity for seeing and capturing beauty in everyone and everything around you is magnificent.

To our key sponsors: The Abbey and Elite Sound and Lighting. Thank you!  The use of your venue and equipment has allowed Mondayitis to become what is has.  From I tiny (and VERY crowded) little club night we have become an amateur showcase with full light and sound.  We have had a ball and I hope Mondayitis continues with you!

To our raffle sponsors; Guerrilla Hair, Oya Yoga, Le Vintage Culture, Rockabilly Floral Lane, CaptaVitae Photography, Make Up by Shalini, Curiouser and Curiouser candles and anyone I have forgotten (hopefully no-one), Thank you!  Raffles made up such a key part of our donation prospects and they just keep getting better!  I’m glad that now I can enter the raffles without a conflict of interest!

To all our MCs, many kittens (and Tom Cats): Again thank you!  You flitted, stomped and sashayed across our stage in many different guises in costumes and character and kept the show ticking over, you surprised and delighted, titillated and terrified.  The time and thought you put into our shows, the material and patter you presented was brilliant, you tied the shows together and helped keep me sane!

To our stage managers; Thank you, the nights I took to the stage and my head was anywhere but on the show you kept it rolling along, wrangled the performers and resolved technical difficulties before I even had a chance to think about it. You know who you are and you were wonderful!

To the techs without you, we would just be a bunch of extroverts faffing about silently in the dark!  You kept the lights on and the music pumping!  You brought an extra measure of colour to our shows, as particularly special mention to our very first tech the mad Dr Daz you stepped in and helped me light our second show so our performers could actually be seen! A special shout out to  Simon the Ninja too, if you didn’t see him that cause he knows how to do his job.

To the gals, guys and queens who manned the door and sold the raffles; thank you.  You stood at the door, before anyone arrived looking fabulous, in theme and you were there until the show finished answering questions, selling tickets and guarding our raffle prizes. Those raffles became a massive part of what we could donate to DVCS after each show.  You sold the hell out those tickets!  Even to the point where we had to make up dodgy tickets to some of the raffles!

A final huge thank you to our wonderful audience and community.  Time and time again you rocked up to our shows, supported our performers, cheered them on and dug deep for a wonderful cause.  You raised thousands of dollars for the ACT Domestic Violence Crisis Service in the year and a bit I was production manager something you should ALL be hugely proud of! 

Mondayits will continue without me and that is how it should be!  We built this little community and for the present it is in the hands of Ms Chocolate e Claire who is now taking on the dual mantle of producer/director.  This is a big task!  If you are inclide to help out I'm sure she would welcome your assitance.

I look forward to seeing what direction it takes and where it goes from here!

Love and Sparkles,

Ivy.

Frocktober Day 30 - The Final Frock.



The final frock

Today was the last day of Frocktober! I probabaly thought far too hard about what I should wear and in the end I over slept and went for something that didn't need to be ironed! So 40's wrap dress it was with 40's hair and make-up to match.

Waiting for the bus,
it was too bright to look up!

Today was a fairly typical Wednesday, work, then off to trivia!  Trivia was good if slightly denuded, we were down to tweleve teams from our usual nineteen to twenty which made it easy to mark.

After quiz I headed home for a cup of tea and a cuddle with MOH and the poodle (you can see her in the background of the picture on the left!)

Tomorrow I get to wear pants!

Frocktober Day 30 - The Penultimate Dress

Can you tell this felt very awkward?...

 Today is the second last day of Frocktober... I must confess I've been wearing full make-up for so long now it's going to feel odd to not wear it, even my self image has make-up on at the moment.

Selfies at the bus stop.

Today was the first appearance of a Rosie the riveter do rag! I was chuffed when one of my colleagues walked up to me and said as much!  This do rag is just a fabric offcut I've repurposed.  It accompanied my knotty dress and cocktail cardi (availiable from Darling Central, best cardi I own).  No accesories rtoday I ran out of the hous ein a hurry so all jewellery was left off.

Today's photo was taken my MOH at the university before heading home to pat the dog.



Feel the ominous!



Waiting for the bus to meet MOH the sky became ominous... so naturally being the new instagram addict that I am I had to take a photo of it! I managed to avoid the rain long enough to keep my war paint intact.

Frocktober Day 29 - Discoveries!

Selfies at home in the polka dot dress

 Today I went for a very authentic 40's do becasue I was dragged out of bed early by a small brown dog desperate to bark at our resident possums.  Needless to say I locked her outside.  This worked for a grand total of 30 minutes when she realised I'd gone back to bed so she howled and grizzled at the door until I let her back in and then it was definitely up time.

Todays 'do' is another variation on snood style, I love snoods they make life so easy!  It based on the ever reliable victory roll only this time I've topped it with a curly pompadour, hy hot rollers were calling to me.  This is very 40s and very easy, it only took four rollers for five minutes to achieve it!



Incognito, see? I'm practically
invisible!



As alway on Monday's MOH was out hosting his regular quiz so I headed home on the bus, incognito behind my sunglasses... because I'm sure that is all that's required to go unnoticed when you look like I do at the moment.



Love my burgundy bed set too!



When I got home I pottered around changing the bed and cleaning up mine and MOH's room (it looked rather like we'd had our own personal blitzkrieg).  While doing so I discovered my parcel from What Katie Did! I realised I hadn't shown you what it contained yet so here it is! I have a padded bullet bra, a 40's reproduction bra, a beautiful set of french knickers and a new suspender belt!  So exciting, I will get to that post on the importance or undergarments I promise... I guess it will have to be tomorrow!

Frocktober days 26 to 28 - Of Tea and Foiled Plans!



Taking time to stop and smell the roses...

Day 26 - Went early 60's today with my first beehive of 2012.  I love wearing beehives, I get such a positive response.  Mostly from ladies my mum's age shaking their heads and laughing while they tell me about how they used to wear their hair just so!  That's part of the fun of doing something like this, being told that you look just like someone's mother.



The do, undented.

Wearing 60's make up today felt quite foreign, this is the decade when eyeliner migrated to below they ey as well, and it was OVER THE TOP. Like most of the decade.  Take for example, my lovely gizmo print.  Very typical of early 60's fashion it also would not have been out of place on someone's living room wall. 

Visit the Hug-man!

So sporting my 60's beehive do and my gizmo print (not to mention even more make-up than has been usual this month) I headed in town for an iced chocolate with MOH.  Who should I spot but this guy on the left!  He made my day, we had a little chin-wag about why he would choose to do this and what people's reactions were, and yes I did ask him before I took his photo for this blog!  If you need a hug he is in Garema place every Friday afternoon!  

Hooray! New favourite shoes!



Before meeting my beau I had a moment of grooming, after having my nails done yesterday I realised that it was getting to the point where I didn't so mcuh have eyebrows as  two giant hairy caterpillars battling for supremacy over my forehead.  It was time to call in the professionals and a very good job they did too!  I also had just enough time to make a new purchase for a burlesque routine I'm working on; a very glamourous pair of neon pink heels.  



Selfies in the mirror at home

Day 27 - Saturday! At last, time at home with the dog.  Only it rarely works out that way. Today it was my knotty dress again, if I can't wear scungy old comfy jeans this dress is the next best thing.  Treat it like a rag and it still looks fabulous. I teamed it with rockabilly hair and a little crocet bolero I got at the rummage!

The day at home thing was working quite well until lunchtime... We decided to go to Guzman y Gomez for lunch and stop by the art market on the way home. At Guzman y Gomez MOH ordered this little gem:



naturally/artificially flavoured



The English language pedant in me laughed and laughed. MOH didn't seem to find it as funny...

On our way to the art market we rescued a fledgling noisy miner bird (noisy miners are native, it was not an indian miner bird).  It had jammed itself into a hole near club lime on Marcus Clarke street.  We looked for it parents but couldn't spot a nest or any other birds and the poor thing looked like it had, had a run in with and ANU campus cat...  So no art market, off to the RSPCA we went.

They have many chickens, so guess where we will be going to get chickens for our coop?



Why? Oh why must you do this to me?



 Day 28 - Today was spent with the dog. Although at times I'm sure she wished it wasn't (see left).  We went to the dog park and then to Pet Stock for a bath and just to prove it; yes I do actually do just about everything in dresses during the month!



Playing 'Skip to my Lou'

 

After the bath we stopped by Pet Barn, just to have a look you understand. Which meant we had to stop at As Nature Intended for a coffee, of course. While we were having our coffees little Miss Em did her best to talk to everyone who happened to pass by (Especially small children, she loves them, my theory is they smell of more things, also they're at licking height). We go to listen to this lovely little folk duo who were playing in the piazza at Belconnen Markets.





After the Pet Barn we took Em to visit MOH's Nan.  She doesn't really like dogs but Em's never met a person she couldn't win over.  She'd made herself at home in the space of a heart beat.  After a cup of tea with Nan we headed to MOH's mother house for (you guessed it!) another cup of tea.  Again Em made herself at home in the space of heartbeat, on the furniture, in and out of bedrooms and the garden.  By this time it was 4pm and we still hadn't managed to eat lunch and the dog was tuckered!

Yet more tea....

So we went home for... drumroll please... more tea.  The dog promptly conked out on the couch next to us, we gave up on lunch and decided to eat dinner early.

Later in the night... we drank more tea!







 

Frocktober Day 24 - Going all Molly Ringwald.

Today I felt terribly pink!

Today was a flamingo day. I have been promising my lovely quiz contestants  that I would one day wear my Darling Central uniform to quiz for them. Well what better time than Frocktober?  So todays emsemble was very PINK. 

Bar the shoes and the terrible $4 stockings this entire outfit came from Darling Central! Flamingo skirt, collectif (his name is Frank), Flamingo shirt, also collectif (their names are Frances and Freida) and while you can't see it I have a Vive Dulce Marina cardigan which also has a flamingo on it (this one is called Fred).

The hair was rockabilly style, a pomp with a high pony tail (which was very fluffy due to humidity and the braid I sleep in so as not to smother MOH with my hair). Make-up was 50's style with serious barbie pink lippy, it feel odd to not be wearing red...



Thanks for the action shot...



As usual for a wednesday it was a busy day, I finished work and raced off to my lime green chaffer driven chariot to head down to Calwell for trivia.

My chariot awaits...

Not a bad night all in all, contestants were lovely as always one of them has just bought a house (if you're reading congratulations again!).  The babies are getting bigger and one team volunteered for a -5 point penalty because they were determined that they'd come first last week (an impressive feat given they weren't even there).

  

Frocktober Day 23 - Being Beatrix Potter



Make-up refresh before heading out from work.



All selfies today I'm afraid, it was a busy day at work and my fellow frockette and I didn't get the opportunity to step out of the office for a photo shoot. Today's ensemble was my super spy dress and a 50's style french knot; I overslept quite significantly and needed a quick dress and do!  I actually had someone comment of the different era of my outfit!  Nice to know some people are noticing.



Belt detail

I accesoried with my usual belt a cheapy purchase form ICE a number of years ago (I have actually included a detail of it to day) to accentuate the wasit on this frock and my resin poodle pin from the cat's meow in Degraves arcade in Melbourne (photograph als included).



Poodle pin



Tuesday is not ususally a busy day for us but MOH had to work a little overtime so I headed to the university to pick him up.  We were picking up a friend of mine who will be house/dog sitting for my parents to take them down and show them how everything works blah blah blah...

Sp back to picking up MOH,  wandered to his office and up to a place called the 'tank' to wait in the sun for him to finish and who should I see but Peter Rabbit! Actually about twenty Peter Rabbit's along with Flopsy, Mopsy and cottontails too.  Despite my firm belief that rabbits are vermin these little baby bunnies were more than a little bit cute!

Runny Babbit at the university!