I’m sure the rising popularity of burlesque over the past few years can’t have passed you by. If you’re wondering what all the fuss is about and what’s in it for the self-respecting gay about town then you’d be wise to go and witness burlesque at its finest with the magnificent Eliza DeLite, crowned "Best British Female" at the World Burlesque Games 2012.
by Chris Bridges | 29th May 2013
The epitome of Hollywood glamour her stylish and highly polished routines are breathtaking. Whether delicately twirling in a vintage 1950s showgirl costume to Doris Day and Dick Haymes in a Zeigfeld inspired routine or appearing as a stylised Madonna straight from the art of Pierre et Giles, she’s the epitome of glamour and is a gay man’s dream. If you want effortless glamour and top class dancing then Eliza can provide it in spades.
I caught up with her to talk about burlesque, taking your clothes off to the sound of the Queen of Pop and her forthcoming date at The Burlesque Hall of Fame in Las Vegas.
For those of us unlucky enough not to have witnessed any burlesque, can you tell us a bit about the art form?
Burlesque as an art form draws together all sorts of creativity and skill. It pulls together aspects of dance, comedy, mime, costume, elegance, history, risqué humour... the list is endless. It's not easy for a performer to combine every single one of these things into their personal style, so most burlesque artists build their style on a more defined set of attributes. I would say for me personally, I combine my dance background with years of studying art, and the occasional pinch of comedy from my years performing in amateur pantomime. I strive for elegant and aesthetically pleasing routines but make sure there plenty of kaboom & pizzazz in there too (I'm not floaty and ethereal all of the time!).
What kind of audiences might you expect to find at burlesque nights?
A huge mix of people, age groups, backgrounds, gender. It's commonly assumed these days that burlesque is more for women (unlike it's male popularity in the early to mid 20th century) - but actually I find that at a good burlesque show the mix is fairly equal. I run my own regular night in Leicester and the turnout is so diverse - from young twenty-something students (making the most of drinks offers) to a more middle aged market who dress up well and can afford a good several cocktails. It can really surprise you who'll turn up at a burlesque show!
How did you first get into burlesque dancing?
I've always danced or performed in some capacity. For a few years though my career choices veered towards art & photography, which I pursued at university. During this time I joined a university burlesque society - actually with no intention of performing myself, but more as a means of making some new friends. I took part in an initial (very basic) striptease workshop and the rest is history really. After one workshop (which was just enough to give me the push I needed to get on stage) - the rest I developed through my own creative & performance background.
What was it like the first time you danced burlesque?
You know what, I can't actually remember! It was about 4 and a half years ago in a cocktail bar in Leicester city centre, and what I do remember is walking off the stage afterwards and thinking that I couldn't wait to go back up there and do it again! I had no idea that that time just how many times I would end up getting back up there and of all the amazing events, costumes, performers and proper stages I would go on to encounter!
Can you tell us a bit about your routines and what inspires you?
It's taken me a while to find a style I feel comfortable in but I can safely say that the aesthetic of the old MGM Hollywood musicals is what truly inspires most of my routines. The one exception to this rule is my signature routine - Like a Prayer which you may recognise as being inspired by the Pierre et Gilles image "La Madonne au coeur blesse" - this is actually my longest running routine (debuted early 2011) which I developed a long while before settling on my chosen MGM stylings. It's very special to me though as it's the one remaining reminder of my pre-burlesque interests, as Pierre et Gilles were a big inspiration for me whilst I was studying photography. Mostly I get inspired to try and recreate the aesthetic of the old Hollywood starlets - Hedy Lamarr, Elizabeth Taylor, Marlene Dietrich. I'm a perfectionist so I look at it as more of a challenge to see just how well I can evoke the look of bygone eras.
What an amazing achievement to win the World Burlesque Games last year. I understand you’re off to show the U.S.A. how it’s done next?
Gosh yes, mega exciting stuff! I feel incredibly privileged to be going over there as a representative of the UK burlesque scene! World Burlesque Games last year was a crazy experience in itself. I'd previously performed at the London Burlesque Festival in 2011 (it was rebranded WBG for 2012) - but this was the first time I had ever competed as a performer. It was a daunting experience as the line up was filled with lots of other talented performers and to win was just out of this world. It's certainly changed a lot for me over this past year and landed me some pretty amazing bookings and opportunities. I made sure not to procrastinate though - winning the title was one thing, but with it has come a lot of hard work and responsibility to stay on top of my game and keep things buzzing and fresh.
I cannot wait for BHOF (Burlesque Hall of Fame) and will be making the most of every moment while I'm out there - including the sunshine! I've never actually been to the USA before so this feels like a huge step for me!
So where can we catch you performing next?
Before going over to Vegas for BHOF at the end of May, you can catch me at 4 other major burlesque events across the UK. After landing back in the UK after Vegas I'll be headed straight back to Leicester to run and perform at my own event ElectroTease on June 7th! This to date is going to be one of the craziest (most travelled) months on my calendar!
You can read more about Eliza at: http://eliza-delite.wix.com/burlesque#
If you want to own your own mini Eliza, complete with three stunningly illustrated outfits then she has these beautiful paper dolls on sale to help raise money for her forthcoming appearance in Las Vegas: http://www.etsy.com/listing/128910063/eliza-delite-paper-doll-kit?utm_source=OpenGraph&utm_medium=PageTools&utm_campaign=Share&fb_action_ids=4834451098838&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_ref=10450765_c29cb10fa196d707b430cccafe7478845ac0fe67&fb_source=aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=288381481237582
Virgin Mary photo & B&W photos to be credited - Neil Kendall
Ziegfeld head shot & Turkish DeLite to be credited - Grace Elkin
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