20 Questions With DUSK DEVI

Okay, well... this is a bit wanky because I'm the one writing this blog and asking these questions!  But I chose these questions for a reason, as I think they say a lot about the people questioned.  So why should I be exempt right?

It's still wanky... but seeing as I run the Australian Burlesque Calendar and DESTROY THE JOINT is a collaboration between AusBurlCal and event producer Aloha Creative... I'm just going to flow with the go...

I am a photographer, journalist, social media manager and professional Jedi.  My lightsabre was made by Nikon and I'm also a dork.  A really good one.  Someone really needs to pay me for this.


self portrait of a dork

 1. what’s your breakfast of champions?
I have a whole pre breakfast ritual prior to eating a big breakfast.  I don't want to get in to it here because you don't have all day.  Hell I don't have all day.  Just all morning.

2. Do you have a pre performance ritual?
I'm a Flamenco dancer and my performance ritual is to forget everything I know and freak out without letting it show. I forget my steps, my footwork, castanets, what my hands are supposed to be doing, etc and I seriously freak out and maybe vomit in my mouth a little.

This then gets my adrenalin going, which then ensures I have absolute clarity when I go on stage and am suitably powerful with perfect performer face.  Works wonderfully.  And no one knows. Except you but you'll keep my secret and please don't come and watch me perform.  Ever.

3. What inspires you?
What doesn't?  

4. what’s your last passport stamp?
Malaysia.  Drove all over the country, north to south.  Their highways are car-mazing!

5. Time travel; where, when and why?
Many moments in time.  Past and future. 
I want to watch Beethoven compose his Ninth Symphony. 
I want to go back and deliver that killer comeback to that vaintard at the gym.  
I want to see where we are 500 years from now.  And I really hope we're alive and flourishing and wearing Jean-Paul Gaultier's costumes from 'Fifth Element'. 

6. The book that shook you up was...?
Nancy Drew '99 Steps' when I was about 7... all that magic of alchemy mixed with girl detective stuff!  She was brilliant.  Plus she was the only female I have ever heard being described as Titian haired.  Titian himself woudn't have described his models as such. 

Nancy Drew was just... awesome.  I have such a crush on Titian haired, brilliant women with powers of deduction and who can also dance.  Sadly these Goddesses are rarities. 

Then later on in my teens, 'Cosmos' and 'Contact' by Carl Sagan. 
And then later on again...'Female Eunuch' by Germaine Greer.  Any book by Nancy Friday.
'Power of One' by Bryce Courtenay.  'Kite Runner' by  Khaled Hosseini.

Oh dear god I can't stop.

7.what’s your biggest indulgence?
Answering my own questions.

8.What do you want to be remembered for?
My fearlessness.  My empathy.  My Wonder Woman collection.  My ability to see inside people.  Through my photographs as well.  

9. Any fictional character most like you?
Dude.  Of course I'm going to say Lara Croft!  But that's because I want to be like her!!  BE her.  I'm about, hmmm, 1/1000th of the way there.

10.Who would play you in a movie of your life?
Christian Bale because I'm Batman. 
...and then I would totally have to play with myself... I mean, just look at me!

11.We all know you’re mega talented but what’s your HIDDEN talent?
Hmm... well... firstly, thank you Dusk for calling me mega talented.

(You're welcome Dusk)

...and secondly... well, it's not hidden from my family but... I do a mean Daffy Duck impression. My family still thinks this talent is hidden but what do they know.

12. A dinner party of 8; you and…?
witty, brilliant people.  Because I love a boisterous dinner party! So my husband... and 6 others.  Wow. Hard to choose.  I really don't know... because what comes to mind are my witty children and family and friends!  They would be my first choice, Always.

Celebrity wise, joining my husband and I... Graham Norton. Geena Davis. Carl Sagan. Ellen Degeneres. John Nettles. Dorothy Parker.
I'm quite happy to be the less witty and less brilliant of the lot!  Or witty and brilliant by association!

13. What’s your power colour?
Today?  Orange.

14. Swings or slides?
Hmmm... I can't answer my own question! 
Swings allow you to think.  Slides allow you to control your destiny.  Both are fun! Wheeeee!

15.the creative masterpiece you wish you had created?
Dammit, I wish I had created Lord Of The Rings, because then I would have created Quenya. 
Oh and 'The Matrix'. 
...and although I have said I wish I created 'Star Wars'... I mean the 2nd trilogy because these 3 prequels were utter shit and really, anyone could have done a better job....
The first trilogy was -IS- magic.

16. if you led the country you would...?

Make batteries and tampons free.  Scrap tolls. 
'Let' people marry anyone they wish because that's not my right to decide really.
Make cops, parents and teenagers undergo intense psychological tests before being handed a gun/baby/car.  Or car/gun/baby.
Ban bigotry and the 'colour' grey.
Make the use of "your" in place of "you're" punishable by death.  Kidding.  Sort of.

17.Sex is…
what powers us.  It is essential. It is our essence.  It is the 'big bang' of the YOUniverse. And it keeps us 'juicy'.

18.Equality means…
we have fulfilled our potential. 

19. Women and Men are...

2 halves of the same whole. Shakti. 

20. How do you DESTROY THE JOINT?

 By being me.  

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My photography page

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20 Questions with Lady Bird Blue

D E S T R O Y  T H E  J O I N T  B U R L E SQ U E !
Sunday November 25th at The Standard (click above link for more details)

The next burlesque STAR DESTROYER in  20 Questions: The Star Destroyer Series, is Melbourne based beauty LADY BIRD BLUE.

This stunning, multi-talented woman is an artist, Seamstress, MC, Burlesque performer and "general all rounder for your entertainment.  In no particular order." 

Alas, Lady Bird Blue is retiring soon to focus on her business and family.  We are honoured to be the stage for her last performance before she flies away...



Lady Bird Blue by Matchless Snapshots



L A D Y  B I R D  B L U E !

1. what’s your breakfast of champions?

poached eggs, kale, mushroom, goats, cheese, avocado on sourdough.

2. do you have a pre performance ritual?

Say thanks to the universe

3. what inspires you?

Dark and light

4. what’s your last passport stamp?

Mauritius

5. Time travel; where, when and why?

It's a good idea in theroy but at the moment time travel doesn't really interest me.

6. the book that shook you up was...?

'Room' by Emma Donoghue

7. what’s your biggest indulgence?

Coffee and fabrics

8. What do you want to be remembered for?

How can one answer that you wont know 'til you are not here... then what?

9. Any fictional character most like you?

No idea

10. Who would play you in a movie of your life?

My sister



Lady Bird Blue by Matchless Snapshots



11. We all know you’re mega talented but what’s your HIDDEN talent?

Well if I tell you it wouldn't be hidden would it?

12. A dinner party of 8; you and…?

My sistas' and siblings

13. What’s your power colour?

Gold and blue

14. Swings or slides?

ummmm both?

15.  the creative masterpiece (book/film/song/painting/photograph/etc) you wish you had created?

My wedding dress.

16.  if you led the country you would...?

Make people grow their own food.

17.  Sex is…fucking awesome

18. Equality means…nothing if we dont practice it.

19. Women and Men are....always going to be different but thats what makes it interesting

20. How do you DESTROY THE JOINT?

By purely existing.

THANK YOU STAR DESTROYER!

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Lady Bird Blue Facebook Page

Lady Bird Blue's custom designs Facebook Page

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20 Questions with Sheena Miss Demeanour

D E S T R O Y  T H E  J O I N T  B U R L E SQ U E !

Our next burlesque STAR DESTROYER in  20 Questions: The Star Destroyer Series, really needs no introduction... If you don't know SHEENA MISS DEMEANOUR, well then, you don't know burlesque.

Good things come in small packages and this package packs a punch! 

She is "a pint sized tapper, a ballerina stripteaser and a Polerina" as well as a choreographer and teacher. 
Sheena's comedic flair, elegance, brilliance, sassiness and HOTness make her Sheena, Queen of The Stage.



You can never get enough of Sheena...
@ Australian Burlesque Festival 2012 | image by Dusk Devi Vision



S H E E N A  M I S S D E M E A N O U R

1. What’s your breakfast of champions?

Cup of tea and avocado on toast

2. Do you have a pre performance ritual?
Breathing

3. What inspires you?
Many things, my emotions mainly

4. What’s your last passport stamp?
Bali

5. Time travel; where, when and why?
1800s or 1930s - 1800s for the innocence of the world and 1930s to be surrounded in all things art deco and Belle Epoque

6. The book that shook you up was...?
The Forty Rules of Love - Elif Shafak

7. What’s your biggest indulgence?
Sleeping in

8. What do you want to be remembered for?
Being an awesome entertainer and bringing love and light into peoples lives.  I would also like to be remembered as a good friend.

9. Any fictional character most like you?
Catwoman or Jeannie :-)


Purrfect character for Sheena.
Image from Sheena's Facebook page (link below) | image by Dely Carr.


10. Who would play you in a movie of your life?
Me

11. We all know you’re mega talented but what’s your HIDDEN talent?
I am an amazing cook.

12. A dinner party of 8; you and...
You want me to name 8 people???  No idea, other than the love of my life and people that make both of us happy and who challenge our thoughts and ideas.

13. What’s your power colour?
Green

14. Swings or slides
Swings

15. the creative masterpiece (book/film/song/painting/photograph/etc) you wish you had created? 
Gangnam Style

16. If you led the country you would
Provide superannuation for strippers

17. Sex is.... essential.

18. Equality means.... no hypocrisy or double standards.

19. Women and Men.... are bound to disagree.

20. How do you DESTROY THE JOINT?
Throw my bra at peoples  iPhones.

THANK YOU STAR DESTROYER!

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Facebook page

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Image courtesy of DsVision.net



20 Questions with IVY AMBROSIA



D E S T R O Y  T H E  J O I N T  B U R L E S Q U E !

To introduce the burlesque STAR DESTROYERS' in  20 Questions: The Star Destroyer Series, here is Canberra based burlesque beauty,  IVY AMBROSIA!

"Performer, Amateur Burlesquer, Cocktail drinker, Occasional Alt Model, Shakespeare devotee, Dionysian and avid tea drinker."

This formidable woman is a modern vintage firebrand. 
What them fellas back in the fifties would have called a "barn burning broad... classy, mysterious, lips like rosebuds and skin like pearls...she had a mind on her that could send a man to space (if she didn't go first) and a body that was out of this world... you knew this dame would get you in to trouble but this was the kind of trouble you pray for."  J

Feminine. Feminist.  Formidable.

Ivy Ambrosia by Allyeska Photography



I V Y  A M B R O S I A

1. what’s your breakfast of champions?

It used to be a proper eggs benedict with ham and hash browns on the side but now I'm gluten free so no more english muffins!  So I guess the new one would be eggs and bacon no toast!

2.do you have a pre performance ritual?

Not a ritual per-se but I do have a tendency to stare at the performace space and visualise how the act will work in this space.

3.what inspires you?

Everything! But most of all my family and friends I am surrounded by truly amazing people who are alway striving to be the best they can and that inspires me to do better too.

4.what’s your last passport stamp?

Singapore in 2011, I visited my cousin on my way back from living in the UK

5.Time travel; where, when and why?

That's a hard one as there are so many options! If pushed I think I'd have to go for ancient Greece so I could partake in Dionysus' Bacchanalia (pre Roman appropriation)

6. the book that shook you up was...?

"How Dangerous Men Think: and how to stay safe for life" by Brent Sanders it claims to be a book every woman should read, I disagree I think EVERYONE should read it!

7. what’s your biggest indulgence?

Goodberry's Frozen custard, it's so much fun to mix flavour and it beat the pants of cold rock!

8. What do you want to be remembered for?

Living a good life and loving with all my heart.

9. Any fictional character most like you?

An ex of mine once compared me to Sybil Vane, it wasn't until I read 'The Picture of Dorian Grey' I realised how right he was (less so now but certainly I was then)

10. Who would play you in a movie of your life?

ME.

11. We all know you’re mega talented but what’s your HIDDEN talent?

Apparently people don't realise that I can sing... which is odd because I sing all the time

12. A dinner party of 8; you and…?

Sounds dreadful but me and seven of my friends and ample amounts of wine and food!  I adore my friends and really can't think of anyone else I'd rather share a meal with

13. What’s your power colour?

All of them.

14. Swings or slides?

Swings.

15. the creative masterpiece (book/film/song/painting/photograph/etc) you wish you had created?

The Ballad of Reading Gaol - Oscar Wilde "For each man kills the thing he loves..."

16. if you led the country you would...?

Probably do a terrible job, I have no understanding of economics or politics on a global scale. I'd surround myself with people who knew what they were doing!

17. Sex is…fun!

18. Equality means…

just that. It's a state whereby individual differences between people are allowed for without references to sex or gender.  Equality doesn't have targets or quotas it just is.

19. Women and Men are...

Not as different as we are lead to believe.

20. How do you DESTROY THE JOINT?

by being and believing!

20 Questions with DJ MOOKIE

D E S T R O Y  T H E  J O I N T  B U R L E S Q U E !

Next in the 20 Questions: The Star Destroyer Series is DJ MOOKIE

DJ Mookie is this event's party starter! 

"This vinyl spinning lady is out to disprove the stereotypes and break the mould....Miss Mookie is all about self belief and would love to inspire others to feel the same.

She has a penchant for heels and dressing up in the outfits she designs and sews... With a love for collecting all things vintage and quirky, she surrounds herself with an eclectic mix of art, vintage books, vinyl and furniture. 

Fun-loving, passionate and determined, she is a blue bombshell out to prove she can do anything she sets her mind to....Never one to shy away from getting her hands dirty, she loves to learn new skills and rules, just to be able to play the game her own way."

D J   M O O K I E



1.what’s your breakfast of champions? 

I absolutely love my Spirulina smoothies in the morning! Looks disgusting, which works well because no one steals it! Tastes awesome!

2. do you have a pre performance ritual? 

I've never really had time for such things. When I first started DJing, it was at my own events, therefore I was setting up beforehand.

In the early days I tended to get a bit too tipsy to counteract my stage fright. I learned quickly that I needed to face my fear and use the adrenalin to my advantage.

3. what inspires you? 

So many things inspire me. The forgotten, the ignored, the discarded. I love to find beauty where you would least expect it. Women and true beauty inspire me, the celebration of beauty in all it's forms.

Photographers having the guts to capture anything that is outside the narrow ideals of beauty dictated to by the mainstream. Self-portrait photographers. People who question things and shake up the system for the better! 

4. what’s your last passport stamp? 

The UK, it would have been Spain, but we arrived late at night to a deserted Barcelona airport! I really wanted that stamp!

5. Time travel; where, when and why? 

I would love to travel back to New York in the 1920's. Speakeasies, the 19th amendment, Art Deco, Surrealism and prohibition. It seems like an amazing time for music, culture and the sexual liberation of women. The clothes are to die for and the nightlife would have been amazing! I would also be heading over to Paris too! Oh la la! Exciting times!

6. the book that shook you up was...? 

1984. The best and worst book I have ever read, the reason being that it is chillingly relevant and accurate right now.

7. what’s your biggest indulgence? 

Shoes and books, I can't get enough!

8. What do you want to be remembered for? 

Apart from my creative endeavours, I would like to be remembered for having a lust for life, enjoying the journey and inspiring other women to love themselves and celebrate who they are. I really believe that if you put your mind to something you can achieve it. Even though it's a cliché, it's true!

9. Any fictional character most like you? 

I asked around and got these answers: Jar Jar Binks, Humphrey B Bear and Chell from Portal. Personally I wish they would have said Tank Girl or Betty Boop, but whatever! Ahahaha!

10. Who would play you in a movie of your life? 

Marion Cotillard, Lena Headey, Juliette Lewis or Rossy de Palma.

11. We all know you’re mega talented but what’s your HIDDEN talent? 

I'm so forthright with all my talents, I'm hard pressed to even think of a hidden one! Does being able to roll my tongue count?  Yes.  It's actually a scientific example of variable penetrance

12. A dinner party of 8; you and…? 

Salvador Dali, Bunny Yeager, Quentin Tarantino, Madeleine Vionnet,  Juliette Lewis, Antoni Gaudi and the glorious Ilona Royce Smithkin. 

13. What’s your power colour? 

I love all colours, but I think red is pretty powerful and I feel great wearing it.

14. Swings or slides? 

Swings made of vines, full of deliciously scented flowers, hanging off an amazingly, grand old tree.





15. the creative masterpiece (book/film/song/painting/photograph/etc) you wish you had created? 

The masterpieces I am yet to create. I don't ever wish I had created someone else's work. I look forward to many years of creativity and as so curious as to what I will create in 20, 30, 40 years time.

16. if you led the country you would...? 

Immediately declare equal pay for women and men!

17. Sex is…FABULOUS!

18. Equality means…everyone has the same chance to be whatever they choose to be. A fair go!

19. Women and Men are....humans!

20. How do you DESTROY THE JOINT? 

I destroy the joint by DJing, taking self-portraits, painting, designing, modelling, photographing and generally dispelling the myth that beauty is only one narrow ideal.  

In many parts of the world women don't enjoy the liberties that we do, so we should do our utmost to make an impact! I want to tell women everywhere to speak up, get out there and be seen and to not let the mass media dictate what is deemed beautiful!

THANK YOU STAR DESTROYER!

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DJ MOOKIE'S FACEBOOK FAN PAGE

DJ MOOKIE'S WEBSITE

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