 |
| Photo credit: Andrea Hausmann |
We’re all taught to stay in school in order to get ahead in life. Study hard, put your nose to the grindstone. Well, fabulous burlesque beauty Miss dd Starr did just that, except it was more about rhinestone!
Heating up the Toronto burlesque for a few years now, Miss dd Starr brings a unique and fantastic blend of sex and style to her performances that wow audiences. By embracing the tassel arts, she has also learned and discovered more about herself.
I had the opportunity to chat with Miss dd Starr about the role of burlesque in her life.
JP: How long have you been involved in burlesque?
DDS: I took my first burlesque class at the Coco Framboise School of Burlesque in 2007 and started performing as a Bonbon at events across Toronto. With a little convincing I entered an amateur burlesque competition Strip Search as a solo artist. Strip Search was a fundraiser for the very first Toronto Burlesque Festival in 2008 . I actually won the competition and got to perform at the first TBF. That night I fell in love with the Toronto burlesque scene and my life is forever changed. I finally found where I belong….in a community where raunch is respected and talent is showcased by individuality. I have been performing ever since.
 |
| Photo credit: Carl W. Heindl |
JP: What drew you to this art form?
DDS: Well, my mom was a ballet dancer and my dad has always played guitar in bands. So I grew up listening to all genres of music. I started dancing at the age of 4 and really grew up in a dance studio. At 18, I realized that my curvy body type would never be accepted in the professional dance community and knew I needed to find a new passion professionally.
I gave up dance and went to school for fashion and fell in love with costumes and became a Wardrobe Stylist. I was on a photo shoot and a makeup artist I was friendly with asked me if I wanted to take burlesque classes and I said yes.
After my first class with Coco I was so inspired I went home and researched the history of burlesque everyday for a month. I was so happy that I found burlesque because it is a community that includes dance, costume, theatre, music, comedy, performance and actually accepted my body type. I knew this was where I belonged.
 |
| Photo credit: Tess Francis |
JP: What is your burlesque style?
 |
| Photo credit: Carl W. Heindl |
JP: Who are your inspirations?
DDS: Performers that inspire me are Dirty Martini, Roxi Dlite, Coco Framboise, Ava Noir, La Minouche, Burgundy Brixx and Amber Ray. All of these performers kill it on stage and watching them makes me want to work harder. What I love most about them is they are kind, loving, supportive and respected dames.
Inspiration for my acts always comes from music. I always find my music first and I should mention I am obsessed with HBO soundtracks. When I can really feel the music resonate in my soul I know it will be the song for my next act. I am normally drawn to music with grit, soul, great accents and a little twang. That seems to be the music that makes me feel most sexy. I also love the contrast of gritty, whiskey-steeped music with the classic glamour of feathers, lace and swarovksis.
 |
| Photo credit: Voodoo Bill Kustom Photography |
JP: What is your signature number?
DDS: I would say my Bad Things Saloon Act is my signature number. This gritty, glamorous act was inspired by the music from HBO’s True Blood. I love this show and I may have a bit of an addiction to it. In my opinion, True Blood is so damn sexy—it is better than porn. The characters, music and overall look of the show really inspired me to fulfill a fantasy of my own in this act. The saloon girl, western thing has always been a personal turn on and I have always wanted to really dance on a large pink bar. I tease the audience with a riding crop and whiskey bottles in this act and wear a sultry custom costume by Christina Manuge.
 |
| Photo credit: Sarah Thompson |
JP: If you could perform that routine for just one person, anyone in the world, who would it be and why?
DDS: That is a tough one….I would have to say since that Bad Things is my True Blood act it would have to perform that act to Eric on the show. Not the actor that plays Eric but the character Eric, preferably with his memory cause I like the bad ass Eric so much more. I would perform it in hopes he would turn me into a vampire and I could be the new burlesque dancer vampire character dd Starr on the show. That would be a dream come true!
 |
| Photo credit: Chris Hutcheson |
JP: What could make your burlesque experiences even better?
DDS: I think getting out into the global burlesque scene will be very beneficial for me. The more people I meet around the world in burlesque the more I learn. Each individual in the scene has something unique to offer and I love finding out what makes performers tick.
Moving to Vancouver in 2010 was a really great learning experience for me as a burlesque dancer. It forced me to see what other communities have to offer. The Vancouver scene is amazing and I learned so much from all the performers there. The talent is fierce and they all were so kind to me. I love performing in Vancouver.
I also went to Burly-Con in Seattle this year and it made me fall even harder in love with Burlesque. I strongly urge all performers to go, it truly was the best learning experience. I will be attending every year!
 |
| Photo credit: MOPO |
JP: What are your plans for the future, close and long-term?
DDS: Well I am currently working on my big act for next year. I am really hoping to put everything I have learned in this past year together and create a new act that challenges me as a performer. Burlesque really helps me grow as a woman, especially when I do something that scares me a little in each act….challenging yourself is good. Putting a new act together is like therapy for me.
In the future, I hope to grow as a person and a performer. I hope to get the opportunity to perform in great shows, teach, travel, inspire and be inspired. Burlesque filled holes in my spirit that I never even knew were empty and I have attained a new level of fulfillment. My ultimate goal is to give back to the burlesque community as much as I have received. I am forever grateful.
You can catch Miss dd Starr at
UP YOUR CHIMNEY: A Christmas Spanktacular!
December 17th at The Silver Dollar Room!
