We at Java's
Bachelor Pad love burlesque gals. There's no doubt about it. We
particularly love modern-day burlesque gals. These gals amaze us with their
knowledge of those who went before them and with their ability to make
every bump-and-grind modern and edgy. One of the best shimmy-and-shake
gals around right now is the lovely Kitten DeVille. When
you see this blonde bombshell burst onto a stage, you can see why this
beauty is called "The Queen of the Quake." If that wasn't enough, DeVille
also holds the title of Miss Exotic World 2002. For all that
and more, we are happy to add her to our exclusive group of Modern
Femme Fatales!
Here now is an exclusive
interview with Kitten DeVille.
* * * * *
(Interview from August 2006)
Java's Bachelor Pad: I have to say right off the bat, you're
so fun to watch on stage. You have a shimmy that just won't quit. In fact,
when I saw you during the recent Burlesque-A-Pades tour,
you almost shimmied your panties clear off! How did you get started doing
burlesque?
Kitten DeVille: I have always collected old pin up magazines
and I loved the way the dancers and models looked in them. When I started
gogo dancing in gay clubs in 1990 I made all of my costumes to look like
the old burlesque costumes. Then in 1994, a friend and fellow gogo dancer
Michelle and Elvia thought that it would be fun to put on a valentine burlesque
show, I put on more clothes and danced one song and got paid the same as
if I had gogo danced for three hours. The show was a sold out hit and the
Velvet
Hammer was born!
JBP: In 2002, you won the title Miss Exotic World.
And it seems you haven't slowed down since then. Tell me what it's like
living the life of a burlesque star?
KDV: It is pretty great! I have traveled a lot and have had
a lot of opportunities to be in film and print.
JBP: When you dance, what is important to you? What do you want
the audience to take away from the experience?
KDV: I love my audience, I am very much an interactive dancer.My
routines are loosely choreographed so that I can have the freedom to interact
if and when I want to. I have so much fun on stage that I hope this is
what is given back to the audience.
JBP: You've also done a lot of pin-up work both for print and
for film. Is that a natural extension to your dancing? How is that different
from being on stage?
KDV: I feel completely free on stage as if the world stops
and I am in my own time.Doing print and movies is a lot of stop and go--not
a whole lot of rhythm and I do not get the instant satisfaction that I
do when I dance. It always comes later when the print or film is developed.
But don't get me wrong I love doing both I just feel more natural dancing.
JBP: You are a modern-day blonde bombshell molded in the likes
of Marilyn Monroe and Jayne
Mansfield. You have such a classic pin-up look. Is this something
you fashioned or have you always been like this?
KDV: I think that it is a little of both. When I was in Jr.
High, I read my first Marilyn Monroe book and fell in love. I started
collecting vintage men's magazines while in high school but I was also
into the 1980's punk scene so I in no way resembled a pin up queen other
then my thrift shop vintage dresses that you could buy for a few dollars
back then. When I started growing my hair out in 1983, it just became the
style that you see today. I have always love costumes and clothing that
shows off the figure. I mean if you got one why hide it!
JBP: During the most recent Exotic World (2006)
you did a tribute to Dixie Evan's
famous producer routine. How did that come about? I know I talked to you
afterward and said how impressed I was that on one hand you stayed true
to Dixie's number but on the other you made it entirely yours.
What was Dixie's reaction to your tribute? How did it feel
doing someone else's routine (and a famous one at that!)?
KDV: It was asked by Poo-la the Swedish Housewife,
who was producing EW 2006, if I would do a tribute number to a famous burlesque
star of the past. Naturally I thought of Dixie. Dixie loved
the idea. I spent a day out at Exotic World filming Dixie teaching
me her producer routine. She gave me a list of songs that she used but
insisted that I finished using my signature song "The Man With the Golden
Arm" and that I finished her routine by doing my own style of Burlesque.
Dixie
is a big fan of my shimmy. It was very intimidating thinking about doing
Dixie's
famous Producer number in front of all my peers and with
Dixie in
the audience! But once I hit the stage and the music started I had the
best time, I loved it. Dixie came backstage after wards and told
me how much she enjoyed it and that I even figured out how to work the
contract into it because she never could. Wow what a complement from such
a gracious lady!
JBP: You are going to be starting a series of burlesque classes.
How did this come about? It seems there's a ground swell of everyday
gals wanting to learn burlesque. Why do you think this is?
KDV: While I was up in Seattle Miss Indigo Blue invited
me to teach a master dance class. I had never thought about teaching before
and was not too sure that I wanted to give away my style of dance. But
I love a challenge so I did it. It was strange to try to figure out what
my hips were doing because they just do their own thing when the music
starts. I spent a few days breaking it down and came up with a dance class.
I had such a great time and the girls in the class were fantastic it inspired
me to try teaching burlesque closer to home. When I started burlesque there
was nothing like it to learn from, except of course old pictures in Magazines.
I mean--Something Weird Video was not around like it is now to see
live footage and we were the first of the "new Burlesque." So I looked
at the photos, put on the Cramps, and made up what I thought was
burlesque and just did it. To me Burlesque is the girl's Rock n Roll. I
think it has that power over people. I think girls go to shows and think
"I can do that " and they go home and start there own thing just like kids
starting there own band in the garage. It connects into that same glamorous,
sex and danger thing that good music and performers have always been able
to inspire.
JBP: What's next for Kitten DeVille?
KDV: I am performing in France next summer and I am starting
the Burlesque classes in a few weeks. There is talk about bringing the
Burlesque-A-Pades tour down South in the Spring. Pretty much I will be
out there performing. I like to live my life as if it is one big fun ride
and I am just seeing where it takes me.
