17c起草社区

DITA VON TEESE, the world’s most famous burlesque star, says she’s just here to entertain you. She spoke with RICHIE BLACK ahead of her new Australian tour.

鈥滻 want people to just, like, let it go and have a great time for three hours.鈥�听

So says American cabaret artist, burlesque dancer, model, costume designer, entrepreneur, singer, and actress Dita Von Teese.听

But, of course, there鈥檚 more to that statement than meets the eye鈥攁ptly enough, for a performer who鈥檚 mastered The Art of The Tease.听

鈥淚t鈥檚 been a long hot [American] summer of working it all out鈥攂ut I really can鈥檛 wait to hit the road with this show,鈥� she tells the 17c起草社区. 听

Her latest spectacular is filled with original acts as well as fresh takes on classic hits.听

Not only does she engage in a collaborative t锚te-脿-t锚te with the likes of British designer Jenny Packham, French artist Sebastien Tellier and Australian electronic dance artist Andrew Armstrong of the band Monarchy鈥攕he鈥檒l be joined by burlesque stars including Dirty Martini and our own tease queen, Zelia Rose.

But this will be defiantly Dita鈥檚 show. Yes, she鈥檒l be appearing in a champagne glass. Yes, she鈥檒l be riding a giant bucking red lipstick. No, of course, she doesn鈥檛 take herself seriously. Or does she?听

Well, yes and no. 鈥楥os sex is serious. Except when it鈥檚 very funny. Capiche?听

And without wishing to state the bleeding obvious, sex is essential to burlesque鈥攁nd Dita is burlesque鈥� with judicious portions of glamour and humour in the mix.听

鈥淥ne of the great things about a burlesque show,鈥� she says, 鈥渋s you don鈥檛 have to apologise for being sexual beings.鈥�

Apologies aren鈥檛 part of Dita鈥檚 milieu. Her art is an expression of power and control鈥攗napologetically itself (and frequently rude). 听

鈥淎t one of my shows, [director] Tim Burton came backstage,鈥� she recalls. 鈥淲ith the crazy hair. And he鈥檚 like, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e the Mick Jagger of strip-tease! You drop a strap and you鈥檝e got 3000 people just going crazy!鈥欌��

These claims to female empowerment might subvert the expectations of those who associate stripping with the opposite. But subversion is key here. It鈥檚 pivotal to her process: one way through what she refers to, with a self-deprecating laugh, as artistic 鈥渟tripper-block鈥�.听

鈥淚 always think, like, what amuses me? What do I think that鈥檚 funny? What鈥檚 a sexual clich茅 that needs to be uncovered? What would be completely absurd and fantastical and over the top?听

鈥淭hat鈥檚 the kind of stuff that flicks my switch.鈥�

But she鈥檚 also serious about this subversion鈥攕he鈥檚 on a mission to flick your switch too.听

In particular, she鈥檚 keen to let the world know that sexual practices involving a little consensual punishment are no bad thing.听

鈥淚 really wanted to glamorise fetishism and show it in a new light鈥攖ogether with super high fashion,鈥� she says, of her latest work.听

鈥淚鈥檝e always loved that idea of taking something that鈥檚 risqu茅 but making it really sophisticated and elegant and glamorous.鈥�

There鈥檚 a lot to talk about here, as you can imagine鈥攕exual politics, never more so than in the wake of #metoo, are complicated.

鈥淲hen we鈥檙e talking about fetishism we can talk about this for hours,鈥� she says, almost wearily.

Consent, she makes clear, is the operative word in this territory and yet, 鈥淧eople are afraid of it and don鈥檛 understand it.鈥�听

 

People have often misunderstood Dita. When she was a young girl growing up in small-town Michigan, obsessed with the glamorous icons of yore, they thought she was weird.听

Back then, her name was Heather Renee Sweet. An ugly duckling with dishwater blonde hair (her description).听

鈥淚 remember thinking, 鈥極h, I鈥檓 going to grow up to be just like Rita Hayworth鈥欌�攂ut it didn鈥檛 really occur to me that that was not normal鈥攜ou know, in the time that I grew up, so I got made fun of a lot,鈥� she reveals.

鈥淚 still do sometimes. 鈥榃hy are you dressed like that? Why are you so dressed up?鈥� That鈥檚 been happening for me for 25 years.

鈥淸But] I feel like I didn鈥檛 really come into my own confidence and power until I started giving myself that big Hollywood makeover.鈥�

The same thing that happened to the ugly duckling happened to Heather Sweet鈥攚ith an embrace of glamour nostalgic for the 鈥�40s that is so quintessential to Dita鈥檚 personal style. 听

The transformation gave her power, let her own an identity that took beauty to an extreme, where nostalgia, pastiche and subversion all had a place.听

鈥淭he idea of becoming hyper feminine appealed to me,鈥� she says,听

鈥淐orsetry made me more hour-glass than I naturally was; high heels made me stand a certain way; long nails painted red, lips painted red 鈥� 鈥�听

Like many others, she found belonging in difference鈥攏ot least with the LGBT community, with whom she has always had an affinity. As she explains, 鈥淢y first experiences in the early 鈥�90s, I was big into rave culture in Los Angeles鈥攕o I was going out to all these parties and met all these drag queens 鈥� and it was being accepted into this world where you could wear whatever you wanted.鈥�

And so, girl became icon: along the way there was the 2002 Playboy shoot which broke her in the US, adult (erotic) films, celebrity endorsements, a marriage to Marilyn Manson, a spot in the Eurovision Song Contest, authoring of books, her own lingerie ranges, and so on.听

Dita鈥檚 history, thus uncovered, is a little complicated (like sex, as previously mentioned). But it鈥檚 also underpinned (like sex) by simple impulses. Like the desire to claim an identity.听

The desire to not 鈥渇eel like a meek little dishwater blonde from Michigan鈥�.

鈥淚 can be whoever I want to be. And if I decide I鈥檓 going to style myself like Hedy Lamarr and go out into the world鈥攚ell, that鈥檚 who I鈥檓 going to be.鈥�听

Australian audiences will have a chance to discover, or rediscover, who that is this summer. But be warned鈥攁udiences are encouraged to (re)discover and celebrate their own particular fetish.听

鈥淚t鈥檚 a scene,鈥� she says, 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just what鈥檚 going on that stage鈥攂ut what鈥檚 happening in the room too. And that鈥檚 what fuels me.鈥�听

The Glamonatrix tour, starring Dita Von Teese, will tour Australia and New Zealand in November and December, 2019. For tickets and further information, visit .听