Peaches 'n' Gin Burlesque

Burlesque Upon A Time: Cinderella

2011-02-11T17:06:00.001-08:00

Apologies for the long gap in between posts, 2011 has turned into a rollercoaster of a year already! If you've been hiding under a bridge, locked in a tower, or turned into a toad you may not have heard that Peaches 'n' Gin has a brand new production in this year's Adelaide Fringe Festival, called "Burlesque Upon A Time". We feel that many fairytale heroines, heroes and villains have never been able to tell their full story, and so we have given them an outlet through which to do so.

You can see the show on the following dates:

Feb 21 & 27 @ 7pm
Feb 25, 26, Mar 4, 5 @ 11pm
Nexus Multicultural Arts Centre
Buy your tickets through FringeTix

In the lead-up to opening night, I'll be talking to some of the cast about their preparation for the show, their thoughts and feelings, and other sentimental nonsense. Today I bring you the first of a series of interviews. This one, is with Cinderella.

Luna: Good morning, Cinderella! How are you today?
Cinderella: Not too bad, feeling slightly flustered!
L: Why so flustered?
C: Well, there is a lot to do, and I have had to do all the work on my own as the Prince has taken all of my serving ladies with him. Some sort of retreat or something...
L: A retreat? Doesn't it bother you that the Prince has run off with a bunch of ladies?
C: Oh no not at all. The Prince and I have a bit of an arrangement...

L: Erm....ok then....What are you hoping audiences of Burlesque Upon A Time will learn about your tale?
C: I'm aiming to show the audience what really happened after midnight. I mean, a fairy godmother can only get you so far. A girls got to have certain skills to get where I am today.

L: What is your favourite thing about your performance?
C: It's my chance to glow!
L: Don't you mean shine...?
C: No, definietly glow. You'll have to come to the show to find out what I mean! *wink.

L: Last question, is there any one in the show you don't get along with?
C: Yes, the Snow Queen is a real icicle. She seems to think she's better then everyone else, just because she's got big, sparkly wings.

Tune in later to see what The Snow Queen has to say about that!

Peaches 'n' Gin Burlesque
Adelaide's dynamite duo!
info@peachesngin.com
Ph 0431 949 703
Got a question about Peaches 'n' Gin or anything burlesque related? Send us an email and we'll answer it here.

Farewell 2010, and thankyou!

2010-12-28T18:26:00.000-08:00

As 2010 draws to a close I can't help but look back on the last year with a small amount of amazement at how far Peaches 'n' Gin has come. Here is a little look at the last year...

We kicked off the year a little late in April, with our "Burlesque Eggstravaganza", a show dedicated the fun and frivolity of easter eggs and bunny rabbits...naughty rabbits that is.

We then performed at the first Australian Burlesque Festival, which was an amazing experience. This is a snapshot of us backstage.

After the festival we took part in the Cabaret Fringe Festival for the first time, with our production, "A Burlesque Cabaret". It was a variety night with a real mish mash of acts.

In June, both Sapphire and I competed in Miss Burlesque Australia, where I was lucky enough to take part in the finals, earning myself the titles Miss Burlesque Adelaide 2010 and Miss Tassel Twirl 2010. It was a full on but fun experience. I blogged about it here.

August saw the grand opening of our Burlesque Academy, which is a constant source of joy for me, as I watch students master tricks of the tease, embracing their sensuality and feminity. Teaching burlesque is absolutely one of my favourite things to do! Next year is going to be a big year for the Academy, with a whole new set of classes in the works and shows especially for showcasing student performances. I can't wait!

Since August, we have had two shows, Belles of Burlesque, which I blogged about here, and Dear Santa, featuring performer and teacher Rosy Rabbit, which I blogged about in my last post.

As well as all these shows and performances, we have been kept busy with interviews with the press, performances at private functions, and pursuing our love of all things vintage!

Sapphire and I would like to extend a big thankyou to all those who have supported us. There are many of you who have supported us from the very beginning, and for that we are grateful. This year wouldn't have been so amazing if it weren't for all of our return audience members who line up for tickets at every show, and for all of our students who are a never ending source of inspiration. We look forward to celebrating the fabulousness of burlesque with all of you in 2011!

We would also like to thank all of our performers and support staff who have put their all into every show they have been a part of, Cara Louise, Rohan Watts, Joe Spades, Dave Salter, Jewel, Andrew, Caitlin, Emma, Enken, Ria, and all the ladies in Peach Blossoms. A special thanks to Ria, as she was one of the founding members of Peaches 'n' Gin. Whilst she has moved onto other things in her life, she has always been there to support Sapphire and I.

I would like to add a big thankyou to Sapphire, who's hard work and dedication is thoroughly appreciated. I'd also like to thank my parents, Kevin Godfrey, who is always there with camera in hand and a big hug for me at the end of every show, and Zalika Godfrey, who gives me honest and constructive advice and usually brings me chocolate backstage. Then there is my sister Jewel, and my boyfriend Jarryd, both who have encouraged me to continually improve myself and go after my dreams. There are also numerous friends, too many to list here, but you know who you are and I love you!

Happy teasing, see you in 2011!

Peaches 'n' Gin Burlesque
Adelaide's dynamite duo!
info@peachesngin.com
Ph 0431 949 703
Got a question about Peaches 'n' Gin or anything burlesque related? Send us an email and we'll answer it here.

Dear Santa!

2010-12-22T19:12:00.000-08:00

Our latest production, "Dear Santa", sold out both shows, with, once again, punters being turned away at the door. Remember to prebook your tickets folks! The star of our show was Rosy Rabbit, who is a Melbourne based performer and costume creator. It was such a pleasure having Rosy in Adelaide for the weekend. Her style of performance is very different from ours at Peaches 'n' Gin, and she brought a lot of glamour and glitz to the show. We find it hard to pull ourselves out of the cheesy and kitsch, so it was fabulous to have some slow, sensual striptease.

Photo by Darklight Photography.

Photo by Darklight Photography.

Photo by Darklight Photography.

Photo by Darklight Photography.

Rosy also taught some workshops whilst she was here, which I found very inspiring, and I know the participants did too. Rosy has such a warm and approachable personality, and her workshops were very much open discussions between herself and the students about many aspects of burlesque. I look forward to seeing her again at the Australian Burlesque Festival 2011, which will be announcing it's dates and venues soon! You can keep up with the news on the Festival on their Facebook page, and you can also follow Rosy at her blog.

The other big highlight at "Dear Santa" was seeing our students the Peach Blossoms making their debut performance. They put a lot of hard work into their routine, and I know there were a few pre-show jitters backstage, which they managed to shake as soon as they hit the stage. Sapphire and I are incredibly proud of them, and look forward to seeing them perform in our student showcases, which we will be starting in the new year.

Photo by Darklight Photography.

Photo by Darklight Photography.

Photo by Darklight Photography.

As well as performances by Rosy and the Peach Blossoms, Sapphire and myself premiered some new acts, as well as brought out some old favourites.

Photo by Darklight Photography.

Photo by Darklight Photography.

Photo by Darklight Photography.

Photo by Darklight Photography.

Sapphire also performed a saucy act with Joe Spades.

Photo by Darklight Photography.

My favourite routine to perform was a duo with Dave Salter. I had so much fun with Dave on stage. Re-enacting the love affair between Mrs Clause and Rudolph was a magical moment.

Photo by Darklight Photography.

Photo by Darklight Photography.

Photo by Darklight Photography.

Of course, we couldn't do it without our regular cast members, Cara Louise and Rohan Watts, who have been with us since the beginning. Their entertainment skills are astounding!

Photo by Darklight Photography.

Photo by Darklight Photography.

Photo by Darklight Photography.

We'd like to thank our official photographer, Darklight Photography, as well as John Rothe Videography for capturing the event on film. A big thankyou also to Emma, Caitlin, Andrew, and all the other Nexus Multicultural Arts staff who are always so supportive and helpful. We can't wait to once again be on the Nexus stage again for our Adelaide Fringe season of "Burlesque Upon A Time". You can expect to see lots of story time sauciness.

Happy teasing!

Peaches 'n' Gin Burlesque
Adelaide's dynamite duo!
info@peachesngin.com
Ph 0431 949 703
Got a question about Peaches 'n' Gin or anything burlesque related? Send us an email and we'll answer it here.

"No comment" dahling

2010-12-08T18:44:00.000-08:00

Well we certainly have been receiving quite a bit of media attention lately! With our upcoming show Dear Santa, we have been creating a stir amongst the press!

Our students, the "Peach Blossoms", as well as myself and Sapphire Snow brought some glitz to the pages of the City Messenger this week, accompanied by a fabulous interview with Sapphire Snow.

The "Peach Blossoms" also graced the pages of Adelaide Confidential, in the Advertiser, accompanied by interviews with our headline artist Rosy Rabbit and Peach Blossom Amity Nightingale.

You can also read the article online here.

And as if that wasn't enough, Sapphire Snow can be found in the next edition of Kryztoff Magazine, and I will be appearing in the Jan/Feb edition of Marie Claire magazine.

If you want to see what all the fuss is about, you better head over to Venuetix and pick up your tickets for Dear Santa!

Peaches 'n' Gin Burlesque
Adelaide's dynamite duo!
info@peachesngin.com
Ph 0431 949 703
Got a question about Peaches 'n' Gin or anything burlesque related? Send us an email and we'll answer it here.

I'm back!

2010-11-29T22:34:00.000-08:00

Hello ladies and gentlemen!

I'm BACK! Exams are over, I've been on a sweet dancing holiday, and I'm swinging into some really fabulous events and projects. I'm not going to be able to catch you up on everything I've been up to, but I will try and fill you in on some of the gossip!

Firstly, as you can see, I din't die from the stress of exams, but actually came out feeling fairly confident. This is the end of my undergrad and I am one step closer to making dancing and other manner of fabulousness my full time occupation. I celebrated my sweet freedom by taking a dancing trip to Melbourne for the 10th Melbourne Lindy Exchange, which is a huge swing dancing event, where hundreds of swing dance enthusiasts converge on Melbourne for 4 nights. I won't go into too much detail, as I'm hoping to revive my Lindy blog The Lunar Lounge, which has been dead for a while. On the Saturday night though, there was a USO ball at a hangar at Essendon airport, and there were some fabulous costumes. Sapphire and I love a good dress up.

In honour of my excitement for this theme, the last class I taught at the Peaches 'n' Gin Burlesque Academy was a military theme to everyone's favourite Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy by The Andrews Sisters.. Here are some pics to get you saluting!

The Andrews Sisters rally the troops. Image sourced from here.

Image sourced from here.

Image sourced from here. This link actually has an awesome article about women working unorthodox jobs in wartime.

There are some very exciting things coming up this month, including our next show "Dear Santa", starring burlesque sensation, Rosy Rabbit! I'll be blogging a little more about her later. This show is set to be a cracker (haha! Bring on the cheesy Christmas puns!), with a wide variety of acts.

Rosy Rabbit will also be teaching workshops while she is here, and I am very excited about that! The Adelaide burlesque scene is quite small, and I think an influx of some fresh talent and technique is going to be fabulous. You can find out all the details about the show and the workshops on our website. You can also get more information by email info@peachesngin.com or phoning 0431 949 703 or 0402 273 745. You can buy tickets from Venuetix.

Peaches 'n' Gin also have some other exciting projects and productions coming up, and I also have some individual awesomeness to pursue, but you'll have to wait to hear about it!

Until next time,

Happy teasing!

Luna

Peaches 'n' Gin Burlesque
Adelaide's dynamite duo!
info@peachesngin.com
Ph 0431 949 703
Got a question about Peaches 'n' Gin or anything burlesque related? Send us an email and we'll answer it here.

Ciaow, for now

2010-10-26T01:12:00.000-07:00

...or, Luna is slightly freaked out by her exams.

Not sure how many people actually read this blog, but just thought I'd let you know I'm taking a little hiatus from blogging over the next few weeks or so. As some of you may know, this is my final year and exams are looming scarily ahead. So once they are all over I will be back with a vengeance!

We have a new website in the works, so keep your eyes open for it!

Happy Teasing,

Luna

Peaches 'n' Gin Burlesque
Adelaide's dynamite duo!
info@peachesngin.com
Ph 0431 949 703
Got a question about Peaches 'n' Gin or anything burlesque related? Send us an email and we'll answer it here.

Interviews

2010-10-21T21:24:00.000-07:00

I was recently interviewed by ShoGo, which is a great online resource all about shows happening in Adelaide. I chatted about Miss Burlesque, Nexus, our upcoming show Dear Santa and plans for the Adelaide Fringe.

READ THE INTERVIEW HERE

And in case you are a perusal procrastinator like myself, here are some tidbits I've come across recently:

An interview with The World Famous *BOB* by Lillie McSmith on Lemondrop, click here to read the interview. It is a very inspiring read.

An interview with Australia's own Miss Kelly Ann Doll by Britt Warner on The Neave Online Publication. I've had the pleasure of meeting Kelly Ann and she is a lovely person and a truly inspirational perform. So much sass! Click here to read the interview.

Happy Reading!

Peaches 'n' Gin Burlesque
Adelaide's dynamite duo!
info@peachesngin.com
Ph 0431 949 703
Got a question about Peaches 'n' Gin or anything burlesque related? Send us an email and we'll answer it here.

Sapphire in Holland

2010-10-21T20:37:00.000-07:00

Sapphire Snow is having a grand old time in Holland!

Peaches 'n' Gin Burlesque
Adelaide's dynamite duo!
info@peachesngin.com
Ph 0431 949 703
Got a question about Peaches 'n' Gin or anything burlesque related? Send us an email and we'll answer it here.

Academy follow up: Vintage Hair and Sexy Chairs

2010-10-21T19:27:00.000-07:00

Hello ladies,

Sorry I've been so busy lately that it's taken me a while to do a follow up of our recent classes at Peaches 'n' Gin Burlesque Academy, so I'm combining the last two weeks!

Vintage Hair

Sapphire took us through some vintage hair techniques, and I know a lot of you left feeling a little frustrated! Don't despair, it just takes patience and practice. Soon a vintage do will become your 5 minute throw together and everyone will think you are pretty spiffy! To get you inspired, here are some of my favourite photos of vintage dos-just a few (click on the links below the images to see their source). For inspiration, typing "vintage hair" or "pin up hair" into Google images will bring you hours of perusing entertainment.

Image sourced here

Image sourced here

Image sourced here

There are a lot of online tutorials which are incredibly useful. Here are a couple you can play around with.

This works for shorter hair:

A more in-depth tutorial:

And this gal has stacks of awesome tutorials, I recommend watching them all!

Just remember everyone is different, and different methods work for different kinds of hair. It's a good idea to get a grasp of the basics and then adapt styles to suit your own hair, rather then rigidly following a particular style. At least, that's what I found works for me. There are also a lot of books on the matter, a search on Amazon will turn up many.

Just remember, practice makes perfect!

Sexy Chairs

This week I took the Academy ladies through a saucy chair routine. Remember if you are going to do a chair routine you need to have a solid, sturdy chair that is not going to fall over or twist when you try and do something fancy on it. Second hand stores are a great place to find sturdy, unique chairs. I recommend McKay's Mart on Unley Rd, they have fabulous bits and pieces. But there are many fabulous stores around.
Here are a few of the clips I mentioned in class, to get you off your arse! (or back on it, as it were....)

Mein Herr in Cabaret...my absolute favourite of all time!
I can't embed it so click here to watch the video

And here is one from Australia's own Sugar Blue Burlesque, based in Perth.

Peaches 'n' Gin Burlesque
Adelaide's dynamite duo!
info@peachesngin.com
Ph 0431 949 703
Got a question about Peaches 'n' Gin or anything burlesque related? Send us an email and we'll answer it here.

Final thoughts

2010-10-17T02:07:00.000-07:00

It's taken me a while to get everything about Miss Burlesque, so I apologise for just one last post! So here are the results from the competition!

MISS BURLESQUE AUSTRALIA 2010 is Rita Fontaine!

Photos by Dominic Kieler

First runner up....Briana Bluebell!

Photo by Dominic Kieler

Second runner up...Clara Cupcakes!

Photo by Michael Kery

Other titles at the competition:
Entertainer of the Year - The Strawberry Siren VIC

Miss Showgirl Couture - Peachey Dream VIC
Miss Congeniality - Ruby Right TAS
Miss Bump & Grind - Amelie Lulu QLD
Miss Fantastic - Flavella L'Amour SA
Miss Pin-Up - Becky Lou TAS
Miss Elegant - Ginger LaMinge WA
Miss Bunny Licious - Sapphire Demure SA
Miss Revival - Ellashaye D'More QLD
Miss Classic - Danica Lee NSW
And I came away with............Miss Tassle Twirl!

The show was of such a high standard, and I think without the rigid judging criteria given to the judges it would have been very difficult for the judges! Apparently it was very very close, and I'm not surprised. I was really impressed by everyone's professionalism and willingness to help one another. It was such a fabulous experience and I was just happy to be there. I think next years competition is going to be even tougher, as I think a lot of performers were waiting to see what it would turn out like (as this was the first year). I'm able to compete again next year, and it was such a fun experience I think I will! Thanks to Jac and Cass for running the event, and everyone who supported me! Especially my lovely boyfriend Jarryd who listened to me obsessing about the show for hours, as well as talking about it for hours afterwards. Obviously not everything goes to plan, but overall it was lots of fun and full of awesomeness.

Being the mischevous minxes we are, Clara Cupcakes and I decided to hold our own crowning ceremony in the bus after the show....

Becky Lou : Miss Boobalicous (she seriously has the most amazing boobs on the planet)
Ruby Right : Miss Sweet 'n' Sour (she seems all sweet but then comes up with weird zombie acts!)
Ginger LaMinge : Miss Mingearama (she made herself a ginger merkin which made an appearance in the final group performance).
Peachey Dream: Miss Smallest Chin (erm...inside joke)
The Strawberry Siren: Miss Plague (she was drastically sick and had to be quarantined)
Danica Lee: Miss Congenial Chaffeur (for helping everyone out by running us around, so nice!)
Ellashaye D'Amour: Miss Sunshine (if you've ever met Ellashaye, you'll understand!)
Sapphire Demure: Miss Rude Head (erm...another inside joke)
Clara Cupcakes: Miss Hump-a-lot (no explanation needed really)
Briana Bluebell: Miss Mess-a-lot (she bathed in a bath of glitter on stage that ran into the audience...lol!)
Amelie Lulu: Miss Herpes (for spreading the herpes of the craft world, glitter, all over the hotel)
Flavella L'Amour: Miss Sexual Innuendo (she handles a giant snake on stage, need we say more?)
Luna Eclipse: Miss Assles
Rita Fontaine: well, she already has an amazing title...who'd want another?

Now I'll finish with my favourite photo from the show, by Dominic Kieler.

Peaches 'n' Gin Burlesque
Adelaide's dynamite duo!
info@peachesngin.com
Ph 0431 949 703
Got a question about Peaches 'n' Gin or anything burlesque related? Send us an email and we'll answer it here.

Miss Burlesque Adelaide takes on the final! The Show part 3!

2010-10-13T21:07:00.001-07:00

Continued from part 2...

Peachey Dream (Miss Burlesque Melbourne) was also a wonderful person to meet. She has a witty sense of humour and many brilliant attributes. She is studying like crazy as well as forging ahead in the Australian burlesque scene, and I heart her! Her first show had her as a naughty but nice Alice in a Wonderland of booze glorious booze, and a teacup mysteriously appearing from her mouth! In her second show she was a stunning mermaid in a shell who suddenly discovers her feet.

Photo by Michael Kery

Photo by Dominic Kieler

Becky Lou (Miss Burlesque Tasmania) will always be fabulous in my eyes for introducing me to "Clitter" and for helping me develop my assle infomercials (haha private jokes are awesome!). She is also the sexiest woman I have ever met and I think I might have embarassed myself by telling her this repeatedly (I'm not a crazy stalker Becky I swear!). Playing an alley cat in her first show she made old banana peels and dead rats look sexy. In her second show she introduced us to her "twins", which are found on the most creative costume ever. I want puppets on my boobs!

Photo by Michael Kery

Photo by Getty Images

Clara Cupcakes (Miss Burlesque Western Australia) and I go back a long way. Ok, not so far back, but it feels like it! A woman of many talents, Clara is taking on the burlesque scene with a hula hooping, tassel twirling fury. She flew straight from the New York Burlesque festival to compete, lugging a stack of 30 hoops with her! I miss her and her crazy cupcake beanie! Her first show embodied a hula hooping fembot (Austin Powers anyone?) and her second show had her as the creamy filling of a giant cupcake. Love it!

Both photos by Michael Kery

Briana Bluebell (Miss Burlesque New South Wales) is a lovely lady witha bright and cheerful personality. Her costumes are stunning and so is she! I didn't get to see her first show, but I do now it included a lit up runway and "Highway to the Danger Zone" so I'm pretty sure I'm going to love it when I see the video! I did get to see her second show, and let me emphasize show. It was incredible! Giant ancient egyptian props adorned the stage, as well as hunky egyptian manservants. Briana then bathed in a pool of gold glitter. It was pretty spectacular.

Photo by Michael Kery

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Photo by Getty Images

Ruby Right, also known as Ruby Wrong, is Miss Burlesque Hobart. I didn't get to see either of her acts! I think she was on right after me or therabouts, so I wasn't hanging in the wings watching. Such a shame, because her acts sounded fabulous. Her first show seems to have involved baking and some strategically placed cupcakes, and her second act as a gore fest of zombies and sequinned intestines. Can't wait to see the video!

Both photos by Dominic Kieler

I am very happy to say that The Strawberry Siren (Miss Burlesque Victoria) was able to perform, after falling ill the day before the show. We stuck her in quarantine and she emerged a full of burlesquey goodness. I didn't see her first show, but her second show, a lyra piece, was absolutely breathtaking. I had a perfect view of the stage and it was absolutely stunning. Strawberry is also a lovely person to be around, very down to earth and humble. I hope to work with her again soon!

Photo by Getty Images

Photo by Dominic Kieler

And lastly...there's me! I feel pretty good about my performances, though they probably weren't the best. A combination of nerves and freezing cold back stage had my legs pretty wobbly, but I'm fairly happy with how I performed! I performed my "Lady Luck" act, which is fast becoming my favourite. I think I actually performed this better in the heats! I also performed a classic piece inspired by the myths of the east that were floating around in the 20s and 30s, using my favourite prop, my sword.

Photos above by Michael Kery

Photos above by Dominic Kieler

See part 4 for the results and my final thoughts on the competition!

Peaches 'n' Gin Burlesque
Adelaide's dynamite duo!
info@peachesngin.com
Ph 0431 949 703
Got a question about Peaches 'n' Gin or anything burlesque related? Send us an email and we'll answer it here.

Miss Burlesque Adelaide takes on the final! The Show part 2!

2010-10-11T18:31:00.000-07:00

So finally the show got on the road (after what seemed an agonising wait! I always get more nervous in the wait beforehand then any other time), starting with the evening gown and lingerie parades. Everyone's outfits were absolutely stunning! There are too many to post pictures of, but if you want to have a bit of a gander you can find hundreds of photos here.

Sapphire Demure kicked off the night with her classic routine, though her costume gave her a case of hayfever (stage hayfever that is)! This is one of my favourite costumes of the night, so many intricate details. Her unique routine later in the night was a feat of skill, as she cut up a rug 20s charleston style en pointe! I hope people realise just what an amazing skill this is. Sapphire is such a fabulous entertainer and person, and it was great getting to know her a little bit better. She was the wildcard entry from SA and I think she put on a fantastic show.

Both photos by Mike Kery

Next on stage was Ellashaye D'Amour. Ellashaye is Miss Burlesque Queensland and she certainly is a pocket rocket! (not the dirty kind, the cute, full of energy and amazingness kind). She is one of the loveliest people I've met, with some AMAZING costumes. Plus she has amazing control over her butt cheeks, which had the audience in stitches! Her first act was as Marie Antoinette, the dignified side and the racy side. Her unique show was a rendition of Marilyn Murnoe's "Heat Wave" with some spunky back up dancers.

Photo by Mike Kery

Photo by Dominic Kieler

Fellow South Australian Flavella L'Amour (Miss Burlesque South Australia) looked gorgeous in a costume draped in pearles and sequins, and looking absolutely fabulous peeking out from behind her feather fans. Unfortunately I didn't get to see that act, but the photos look beautiful and I look forward to seeing the video! Her second act was a knockout with her serpent companion, I'm pretty sure that's not what the audience expected her to pull from her box!

Both photos by Getty Images

Danica Lee (Miss Burlesque Sydney) looked stunning in the outfit for her classic routine. Unfortunately I didn't get to see this act on stage, but again the hoots from the stage told me the audience loved it! I did get to see Danica Lee's unique show, in which she emerges as a (almost) naked and innocent Eve in the Garden of Eden, only to have to don clothes (or fabulous feathers I should say!). However once that saucy bump n grind music is on, sometimes a lady just can't help herself! Danica was lovely to work with at the event, thanks for all your help Danica!

Both photos by Mike Kery

Amelie Lulu (Miss Burlesque Brisbane) seems like such a sweet and innocent thing went you chat to her off stage, but once she's on there HUBBA HUBBA! Such a sexy kitten. Her classic routine is another I didn't get to see, but the photos look hawt! Her unique act, involving her as a giant cotton candy with a bit of a fetish for lollipops was fantastic! I'd also like to say she was wearing the most beautiful dress after the show!

Photo by Getty Images

Photo by Dominic Kieler

Rita Fontaine was the wildcard entry from Sydney, and unfortunately I didn't get to talk to her too much, as things were fairly crazy in the lead up to the event! I managed to see both of Rita Fontaine's performances however, and they were stellar! Her first act as Julia Gillard had me (and everyone else!) in stitches. The sheer creativity and balls behind it were awesome. Punchline followed punchline. Her second show was as her male character, Johnny Castrati. I can tell you now, Rita Fontaine makes a devilishly handsome man!

Photo by Getty Images

Photo by Mike Kery

Ginger LaMinge (Miss Burlesque Perth) is an absolute gem. We hung out quite a bit whilst in Sydney and not only is she a hilarious and amazing performer on stage, she is a barrel of laughs and just full of awesomeness. I miss her already! Her first show was a tounge in cheek fan dance, and her unique act involved her twirling tassels on every possible surface (knees, elbows, head!) as well as an onstage brawl with her partner in crime, Peachey Dream!

Photo by Getty Images

Photo by Dominic Kieler

So as not to bombard you with super long posts I have split this one into two parts...

Peaches 'n' Gin Burlesque
Adelaide's dynamite duo!
info@peachesngin.com
Ph 0431 949 703
Got a question about Peaches 'n' Gin or anything burlesque related? Send us an email and we'll answer it here.

Miss Burlesque Adelaide takes on the final! Part 1

2010-10-09T03:47:00.000-07:00

Wow. I am exhausted! The last few days have been filled with crazy fabulousness. This post will probably be a long one, I tried to blog along the way but it was so crazy busy, so there is three days packed with stuff to tell you about! So grab a coffee (or a cocktail...I’m drinking gin!) and enjoy part 1!
I arrived in Sydney on Wednesday feeling pretty tired. Being a horribly nervous flyer I didn’t get much sleep, and the early morning flight meant I couldn’t calm my nerves with a customary swig of gin. I was greeted at the airport by Clara Cupcakes, Ellashaye D’Amore and Amelie Lulu. We waited for other burlesque babes Sapphire Demure, Peachy Dream, Ginger LaMinge, The Strawberry Siren, Ruby Right and Becky Lou. We were a hilarious ensemble with our piles of baggage. There was a giant lollipop, huge stack of hoops, my sword and many, many overstuffed suitcases. Those rhinestones and petticoats take up more room then you’d think! Cassandra and Jac were waiting with a minibus and trailer...which was only just big enough to hold everyone’s stuff. We headed off to the hotel, where we met the other finalists Flavella L’Amour, Rita Fontaine, Briana Bluebell, and Danica Lee. Everyone was pretty wrecked (some of the girls had overnight flights and had been up for almost a whole day!), but it was straight into the costumes and lippy to promote the final in Pitt St Mall. We certainly attracted a lot of attention. The poor fella trying to hand out MX just couldn’t compete with 14 larger-than-life ladies in saucy outfits. Plenty of photos were taken which I might be able to post later. It was a lot of fun but also very draining, travelling can take a lot out of you and no one feels glamorous sharing body heat in a mini bus!

Photo by Jac Bowie
That night some of the ladies went out for some celebratory drinks, but I unfortunately had a uni assignment due on Friday (same day as the final-lame!) so in a very uncharacteristic way I stayed in to finish it. I did however manage to sneak a few glasses of wine in with some others who had stayed behind. It was the first chance we’d had so far to start getting to know each other, so that was lovely (on a side note, Friday was such madness that I totally forgot to submit my assignment, even though I had finished it! Oops!).
We kicked Thursday off with a rehearsal for the final group act, with MC Cam Hot August Knight. I must admit, I was slightly concerned about how our rendition of Peter Gabriel’s “Steam” was going to go. Eighties stuff is not usually my thing! But everyone pitched in and it came out pretty great. Our costume was nothing but a white towel and I was fairly certain a bit of flashage would be occurring!
Rehearsal was followed by a photo shoot in front of the Syndey Opera House with Dominic Kieler. Everyone looked amazing, but if I had to choose I think Briana Bluebell’s lime feathery creation was my favourite! Such a great colour. Her shoes were also stunning...stunningly high that is. The photos look glamorous but she needed my hand to steady herself climbing up and down those uneven stairs! A broken ankle would not be a good start to the competition.

Photo by Dominic Kieler Photography
After the photo shoot we had the rest of the day off, so with some cheese and wine we chilled out in the common room, chatting about anything and everything as well as finishing off bits and pieces of costumes and props with every burlesque dancers friend, the hot glue gun. I was really amazed at how supportive and friendly everybody was, and I’m not just saying that! I was quite nervous coming into the competition, a little bit worried that people would be very much in a competitive mindset. I was pleasantly surprised. I also want to say a big thankyou to Danica Lee who drove many of us around to pick up last minute supplies. It was extremely helpful and really kind of her. Thankyou!
Friday arrived too quickly. The nerves hadn’t really hit me until late Thursday night, and whilst they weren’t debilitating that nagging anxiety just stuck with me all day. A great distraction was watching rehearsals in the common room. I was pretty happy I got to see so many people’s acts either on or off stage. I’m not sure the hotel management knew what they were in for when they let us all stay! There was hula hooping and puppeteering, prop spraypainting, and I managed to accidently flash my tassles to one of the staff. His double-take was pretty hilarious.
The big time arrived and all of a sudden we were in the dressing rooms of the Enmore Theatre in a whirlwind of hair, makeup and costumes. There were people everywhere. Lots and lots of photographers and videographers. At first it was fun to have our photos taken while we were getting ready, but after about an hour or two of it most of us had had enough. So many flashes! There are some fabulous shots though.

Photo by Dominic Kieler Photography
Now for what you probably actually want to read about, the show! But...you'll have to wait for Part 2 because I am EXHAUSTED! Time for bed, and I'll post again tomorrow.

Happy teasing!

xx

Peaches 'n' Gin Burlesque
Adelaide's dynamite duo!
info@peachesngin.com
Ph 0431 949 703
Got a question about Peaches 'n' Gin or anything burlesque related? Send us an email and we'll answer it here.

Sapphire out and about

2010-10-02T18:57:00.001-07:00

Sapphire at The Bay To Birdwood 2010

Peaches 'n' Gin Burlesque!
Adelaide's dynamite duo
info@peachesngin.com
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Introducing "the tease"

2010-09-29T20:10:00.000-07:00

I appeared in the *Adelaide Magazine on the 30th of September which can be found in the Advertiser. I was interviewed by Katie Spain who is a fabulous writer and who will also be making her Burlesque debut at the next Peaches 'n' Gin show!

Photo by David Solm

INBOX: Introducing the tease. Meet Luna Eclipse, an environmental management student who's a finalist in Miss Burlesque Australia

AGE: 23

STAGE NAME: She's been Luna as long as she can remember. It started as a compliment:"Who knows how much they were exagerrating, or if they were trying to get lucky, but someone said I eclipsed everyone else on stage".

DECKED OUT: Luna has more than 50 costumes. "My favourite is my poker costume - a tutu covered in cards, poker chip pasties, bright red shoes. What's not to like?"

MISCONCEPTIONS: "Some people still expect us to take everything off, or move in ways that leave nothing to the imagination. Burlesque is not always about stripping. Most burlesque is comedic, or even political. Whilst the glamarous striptease is an important part of burlesque, it's not the only aspect."

DAILY GRIND: As well as performing, Luna also teaches burlesque, swing dancing and belly dancing, and is completing an environmental management degree.

PARTY TRICKS: Luna has plenty of experience in belly dancing but can also "balance a sword just about anywhere, throw my fans around in the air, and twirl a mean tassel!"

HOME TOWN: "Burlesque culture in Adelaide is amazing! It's still a relatively new scene, but is charging to the forefornt."

GET INVOLVED: Check her out at www.peachesngin.com. "We can teach you to strut, sashay and shimmy like the burlesque stars of days gone by. Everyone has it in them to be a confident, sexy and glamarous gal."

Peaches 'n' Gin Burlesque

Adelaide's Dynamite Duo

info@peachesngin.com

Ph 0431949703

A very grand show

2010-09-28T20:09:00.000-07:00

Usually, I spend about an hour or so each day watching burlesque videos, reading articles about burlesque, and the rest of the day thinking about burlesque! Not owning a car can be awful but the long commute to work and uni allows for many pleasurable hours of burlesque discovery. I've watched many videos ranging from sideshow comedy acts to elegant and sensual shows. The thing that strikes me the most about these elegant shows is the props. They are often insanely amazing. The sheer time and money that must go into developing the props alone must be extraordinary, let alone the costume, act, lighting, music and production. So I thought I'd share some of my favourites!

Immodesty Blaize...what can I do but sigh? A stunning creature perhaps not from this world!

Atop her gigantic telephone, so femme fatale! Image sourced here.

Dita Von Teese is undeniably one of the most succesful neo-burlesque performers, she has become a household name!

Riding a mechanical Mac lipstick. It actually bucks like a mechanical bull! Image sourced here.

Okay, so she doesn't actually use it in a show, but I just had to include the Virgin plane Dita's image graces! Image sourced here.

Roxi Dlite was just crowned Reigning Queen of Burlesque at The Burlesque Hall of Fame Pageant.

They don't call her 'The Drinkin', Smokin', Strippin' Machine' for nothing! Image sourced here.

Catherine D'Lish is a woman of many talents! Her shows are breathtaking and her costume designs to die for.

Catherine D'Lish with the worlds largest feather fans. Image sourced here.

There are lots more but I've run out of time, hope you enjoyed!

Happy Teasing!
Luna

Peaches 'n' Gin Burlesque
Adelaide's Dynamite Duo
info@peachesngin.com
Ph 0431949703

Lili St. Cyr

2010-09-23T18:59:00.000-07:00

This post kind of follows on from my last post about some of the legends of Burlesque. I mentioned in class that I don't really know much about Lili St. Cyr, so I decided to educate myself a little! It was whilst reading a fantastic blog called Daily Burlesque, which is written by Jo Weldon, headmistress of the New York School of Burlesque, that I came across a post of hers with a link to an interview with Lili St. Cyr from 1957, on The Mike Wallace Interview. The interview is fascinating, as Lili talks about her disillusionment of the burlesque industry, and how keen she is to get out of it! At the time of this interview she has been doing burlesque for about 16 years, and I'm very interested to know more about her!

A screenshot taken from the interview, which you can reach by clicking here.

A book was written about her by Kelly DiNardo, called The Gilded Lili: Lili St. Cyr and the Striptease Mystique. Jo Weldon interviewed Kelly DiNardo about the book and DiNardos experience with Burlesque, and it's a great read! I am very intrigued and so will be getting my hands on a copy of the book post haste!

Click here to buy the book!

And to finish here is a gorgeous video of Lili, it's been edited which annoys me, but you can still see her gorgeousness.

Happy Teasing!

Luna

Peaches 'n' Gin Burlesque
Adelaide's dynamite duo
info@peachesngin.com
Ph 0431949703

Legends of burlesque class!

2010-09-21T19:04:00.000-07:00

This week at the Peaches 'n' Gin Burlesque Academy we had a bit of a burlesque history lesson, discussing some of the legends of burlesque. I think knowing the history of burlesque is really important for understanding and respecting the origins of the art form we all adore! In no particular order...

Tempest Storm
What I adore about Tempest Storm is her grace and elegance, and she is so darn alluring! Tempest Storm has one of the longest careers in burlesque, with her last performance only just last year. She told her story in the book The Lady is a Vamp".

Dixie Evans
Can you say sexy? Golly gosh! Dixie makes me all hot under the collar. Dixie Evans is an amazing, amazing woman. She is the curator of The Burlesque Hall of Fame and has done so much for the modern burlesque revival. She is famous for her Marilyn Munroe burlesque, which she performed throughout her entire career. Recently she taught the act to Kitten DeVille who performed it as a tribute to her.

Jennie Lee
The Burlesque Hall of Fame's collection began from Jennie Lee's personal collection of items from the golden era of burlesque. She passed away in 1990, but the work she did for the burlesque community is legendary. Her pectoral muscles are also legendary!

Gypsy Rose Lee
Gypsy Rose Lee was one of the most successful burlesque performers, celebrated as a striptease artist, actress, singer, and all round entertainer. There has been numerous books and movies about her life, all worth reading and watching. It was because of her "high class" striptease that the term ecdysiast was created by H. L. Mencken, however she was happy with the term "stripper". She was known for her humour and wit on stage, which can be clearly seen in this clip of her from the movie "Stage Door Canteen".

There are other legends to mention, which will come in part 2 of this post!

Happy Teasing!

Luna

Peaches 'n' Gin Burlesque!
Adelaide's dynamite duo
info@peachesngin.com
Ph 0431949703

Backstage at Dr Sketchy Adelaide

2010-09-19T18:29:00.000-07:00

Last night Sapphire and I joined the lovely ladies of Miss Kitty's Meow once again for Dr Sketchy Adelaide's All-Star Aphrodisiac night! Here are just a few shots from backstage, hoping to post some photos from front of house soon!
Peeking through the curtain to watch Miss Grace Cherry pose!

Grace Cherry in full made up glory!

Sapphire calls me a poser....pfftt, don't know what she's on about.

Then again, takes one to know one.

One of our gorgeous Academy ladies, Tamara, with her sketches of Sapphire and I.

Peaches 'n' Gin Burlesque!
Adelaide's dynamite duo
info@peachesngin.com
Ph 0431949703

We're back!

2010-09-18T20:46:00.000-07:00

Well, the start of this blog came to an abrupt halt when other things like show prep, day job, family happenings and all other oddities of life got in the way, but now the P&G blog is back! I'm determined to keep on top of it, and post all of the amazing things I come across in my burlesque journey. I recently decided to make burlesque my full time career once my studies are through, and so I am exploding with passion for burlesque and I want to share that passion with you!

Our show "Belles of Burlesque" recently went off with a bang, with guest performances by Miss Direction, Grace Cherry and Tiger Lilly of Miss Kitty's Meow, as well as our regular cast Cara Louise, Rohan Watts and Joseph Buckett. Let's also not forget Sapphire Snow and myself!

I had fun using my assets to twirl my "assles" Photo by SeeminglySane

Grace Cherry blew the audience away with her graceful and elegant fan dancing. Photo by SeeminglySane

Tiger Lilly went POP! Photo by SeeminglySane

Joseph Buckett and I expressed our darker desires. Photo by SeeminglySane

Sapphire performed her take on the Cinderella story. Photo by SeeminglySane

Cara Louise and Rohan always get a giggle from the audience. Photo by SeeminglySane
We will hopefully have footage up soon!

Peaches 'n' Gin Burlesque
Adelaide's dynamite duo
info@peachesngin.com
Ph 0431949703

The big day approaches

2010-07-14T17:22:00.001-07:00

As the day for the Miss Burlesque SA heats approaches, my nerves are getting more and more jittery. I'm starting to dream about it now, and my act songs are permanently on repeat on my ipod. I think I hate those songs, I listen to them several times a day. I run through my acts in my head before I go to sleep (an explanation for the dreams) and have my costumes hanging up where I can see them for motivation and inspiration. This is pretty usual behaviour leading up to a production, but why am I so nervous?
I'm pretty sure most people get at least a little nervous before a performance, and I am no exception. However, having been performing since I was about 8 years old, I've learnt to relish the nervousness and fuel it towards powering myself on stage. I love being on stage, I'm an absolute addict. Before a Peaches 'n' Gin production I am normally more nervous about things like ticket sales, enough seating, music and lighting, and all the other things that go along with running a show.
I think it has mostly to do with the fact that this is the first time I've been officially judged (we're always unofficially being judged by our audiences!) on my performance skills since those terrifying ballet exams when I was seven years old. It's also the first time I've competed with other performers (apart from the food fights I've had with Sapphire on stage!), and it's not helped by the fact that the SA entrants are all of such a high calibre! I've always considered myself a very confident performer, as I've said before, you have to drag me off star sometimes. But this competition has got all my normal performance feelings twisted around. Hopefully when it comes to those seconds before I step on to stage and the lights come up, the usual surge of adrenalin and excitement will carry me to success, and I won't drop my basket (or case!).

Luna Eclipse x

If you'd like to see Sapphire and I compete make sure you get your tickets and show us some love!

Peaches 'n' Gin Burlesque!
Adelaide's dynamite duo
Visit our website
ph 0431949703
Info@peachesngin.com

Welcome to the Peaches 'n' Gin Blog!

2010-07-02T23:28:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the fabulous world of Peaches 'n' Gin Burlesque! I decided to start a P&G blog to let you know what we're up to outside of the world of burlesque, as well as update you with all the burlesque news and gossip as soon as we hear it! I'll be posting lots of cool stuff I find, so make sure you stick around and see what's on offer.

The last few months have been crazy busy, and it's impossible to recap all the stuff we have done. The biggest highlight was performing in the Australian Burlesque Festival. We had such a great time and came away so inspired. If you didn't make it along this time I highly recommend you get along next year. I have a lot of ideas now for our upcoming production...details of which will be revealed soon!

Our latest project is preparing for the Miss Burlesque Australia SA heats, happening Sunday the 25th of July. We've both been busy burlesque bees. Personally, I've been biting my nails, changing my music everyday, and sequinning till my fingers bleed. Am I being overdramatic? Well there some pretty amazing dancers in this competition from SA, WA and NSW. It's going to be a cracker of a night! We'd love to see you there, with Peaches 'n' Gin banners, tshirts, knickers, ya know...whatever takes your fancy ;)

We are also extremely excited about our upcoming classes! We have lots of fun stuff planned. Our first free class has actually booked out. If you'd still like to come though, drop us a line at info@peachesngin.com. If we have enough interest we are going to run a second free class at 7.45pm, with performances in the middle. So get down and shake your thang!

Anyway, that's all for now!

Happy Teasing

Luna Eclipse xx

Peaches 'n' Gin Burlesque!
Adelaide's dynamite duo
Visit our website
ph 0431949703
Info@peachesngin.com