April in Paris!
Spring is finally here and I’m planning my trip to Paris!
It’s been a while since I’ve been to Paris… the last time I travelled to Paris for burlesque duties was for the Paris Burlesque Festival in 2013. This was when I met the wonderful Juliette Dragon. I’ll be reuniting with her again for her show, BURLESQUE TEMPLE: Toutes des DéESSES on Saturday 20th April.
Juliette Dragon is a fantastic performer and a female powerhouse with multiple talents. She has her own school of burlesque, L’Ecole des Filles de Joie and for this Easter season’s show, the students at her burlesque school will perform alongside 2 guest artists. I’m thrilled to say that I’m one of them and I’ll be co-starring with another burlesque sensation and bestie, Trixi Tassels.
The theme for this revue show is Goddess as Easter is also the Ishtar/Inanna/Astarte original pagan celebration. She was the almighty goddess of Love, Fertility, Sex and also War.
This got me thinking about my inner goddess and what acts could best represent this…
I’ll be performing my Dragon Lady / Anna May Wong tribute act and Berrylicious.
Anna May Wong – Photo by Anna Swiczeniuk // Berrylicious – Photo by John Paul Bichard
My Dragon Lady act represents inner and outer power, beauty, serenity and grace; whereas Berrylicious represents a youthful femininity that is more playful and fun. These berries, representing abundance and curves, should be something to be proud of and show off!
Thinking about femininity and the inner goddess, I am still reflecting on my trip to Berlin back in February where I had the opportunity to work with 2 fine photographers who brought out the inner goddess within me.
Anatol Kotte is a Hamburg-based photographer who also has a close connection with Berlin (we shot at his studio, Capitis Studios). Best known for his cinematic portraiture, and having shot many famous people including Ewan McGregor, I am very pleased we got a chance to work together. He really helped bring to life my Berrylicious act – see the moving GIF below. We also collaborated with Tilda Knopf – a luxurious vintage dress company specialising in 1920s style dresses and robes. Also see below a sneak peak of me modelling their Ruth dress!
Natalia Illing (aka. Pixelgnom) is a Berlin-based photographer and high end retoucher who really is an artist at heart. Her passion for pin-up and vintage can be seen in every image she creates – and this woman sure has a bubbly personality. She treated me like a goddess from start to finish! Here is the first image she retouched for me… and I was like, WOW! Her work is mind-blowing and breathtaking at the same time. Make sure you’re sitting down when you visit her page!
And guess what? I’ll have some postcard prints by Natalia Illing / Pixelgnom at the show & workshop!
Did I just say workshop? Yes, I did!
I’ll be teaching a 2 hour Masterclass on Thursday 18th April. At the workshop, I’ll be showing you how you can access your inner goddess anytime.
Here are the event details which can also be bookable by contacting Juliette Dragon.
https://www.facebook.com/events/1025736277617206/
I love working with character and developing one’s persona. For me, it’s about working from the inside out (and then having great faith that everything else will come together). The additional embellishment can come later. It’s incredibly important to first work on your inner self so you can unleash your inner goddess!
Other than that I shall have some time to treat myself by visiting local patisseries and a fancy champagne tour. For updates please follow my Instagram @mariannecheesecake.