Robert Dante & Tina
Bullwhip for Burlesque

A two-time Guinness world record holder, Dante presents workshops, classes. Tina is a professional belly dancer, whip artist and Target Girl who appeared on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent,” assisting record-holding knife thrower Throwdini. Dante’s website is at www.bullwhip.net.

See Dante and Tina on YouTube

Bootstraps Burlesque
Featured Artist, ABSFest Spectacular

Bootstraps Burlesque is dedicated to the proposition that Burlesque Arts are created wild. We are endowed by our own sheer guts to the inalienable right to have a sassy good time.

Dinah Might is the cultivar of the field of flowers known as Bootstraps Burlesque. Bringing skilled dancers to the stage for creative explorations of the wider world of endertainment, she strives for quality from the pasties up.

Panty Raid!
Burlesque 101

They said "Daddy was a preacher, Mama was a go-go girl." Well, we got somethin' better than that... The story of Lula Licious is a tale swarming with controversy. For as the legend goes, Miss Licious is none other than the illegitimate result of a scandalous tryst between sultry '60s firecracker, Ann-Margret, and the King of Rock n' Roll himself, Elvis Presley!!!

Brought together once again to star in the disco era Ice Capades revival of "Viva Las Vegas", the iconoclastic power duo never failed to pack 'em in every night at the Sands. But once the skates came off, the King and his capri-clad cutie soon found themselves in the throes of nasty, '70s-style backstage sex (gold chains, wristwatches, excessive body hair and all). Nine months later, their hapless, newborn lovechild was smuggled away as part of an elaborate cover-up...and later reared as a Reno, Nevada cigarette girl. In the years to follow, Lula Licious would hone her sultry, showbiz skills at a Route 66 off-ramp dinner theater.

Currently, as a founding member of international phenome PANTY RAID!, this hip-shakin' revelation continues to stir up controversy. With her bosomy, white hot curves, Miss Licious generates enough heat to melt not only the Ice Capades, but any man's heart, as well.

See award-winning Panty Raid on YouTube

www.pantyraidburlesque.com

Delacey Santini of Gypsy Hands
Stage Make-up, Sassypants Bellydance

You may already know her as the gorgeous woman who makes the Beats Antique album come alive with her outrageous hips and delicious presence. She has just been honored by Zoe Jakes in being invited to perform LIVE with the musicians of Beats Antique in April at Spirit of the Tribes in Florida!

DeLacey Santini began her makeup career 11 years ago in retail. She has been a makeup artist at local salons, the Knoxville Opera and MAC. These days she focuses on stage and performance makeup and is the in-house makeup artist for Gypsy Hands of Knoxville, TN.

Syrens of the South
History of Burlesque

The Syrens of the South was started by two ladies with a common vision. Veronica Lashe and Talloolah Love met while performing burlesque over five years ago and were so often mistaken for each other they decided to start a sister act. In 2007, they toured with their duet all over the USA. In the span of three months, they traveled to and performed in Boston, Hollywood, Charlotte, Atlanta, Nashville and at The Burlesque Hall of Fame in Las Vegas.

Veronica Lashe had been producing and booking shows since 2006. Veronica's burlesque debut was opening for Dita von Teese, and she had developed a taste for it. Veronica now performs regularly all over the country with her orignal blend of cute 1950s pin-up with a taste of her more punk-rock roots. She has a musical theater degree with a minor in costuming and has stage managed, performed in and worked on many theatre productions in the Southeast since she began acting steadily as a child. Miss Lashe was featured in Access Atlanta for her first stand alone Art Show and Burlesque production. She was also named Pin-up Vixen's Miss March 2007, one of Java's Bacehlor Pad's Christmas Cuties 2007 and will be performing for Viva Las Vegas in April 2008 and at the 2008 Coney Island Rockabilly Festival.

Talloolah Love, known as the Mati Hari of Burlesque, started in burlesque five years ago after years of bellydance training. She now fuses her tribal bellydance with burlesque for her own very unique performance style. She is a natural font of ideas and the few shows she has helped produce have met with resounding success. She has a strong background in theater and is a wiz with makeup and hair and adds her advice and special touches to every production. She performed for the Turner Foundation's yearly benefit in Atlanta at club 1150 in 2004 and was featured in Talloolah won first runner up in Horsepower in the Park's first annual pinup contest in 2007, and was featured in the Boston Herald on her first trip when she attended and performed at the Boston Burlesque Expo. Tallolah has been choosen to perform for the 2008 Coney Island Rockabilly Festival.

These two ladies have been fortunate enough to have performed together and separately at the following:

The Burlesque Hall of Fame: Miss Exotic World 2007 (NV); The Great Boston Burlesque Expo 2007(MA), Hypericon III (TN), Chattacon XXXII and XXXIII (TN), Monster Bash 2006; Drive In-Vasion 2006; The Highland Inn, Phobia, Hexxt, The Punchline Comedy Club, The Star Bar, Mulligan's Bar, The Earl, My Sister's Room, Club 1150, The Chamber and numerous other events and locations.

The Mystic Oracle
The Science of Powerful Choreography

Oracle's passions have taken her in many directions: from Alaska to Antarctica - from the deserts of Arizona to the lush lands of Georgia. She wears many hats, as a professional bellydancer, director and owner of the 'Delphi Dance & Yoga' studio in Lawrenceville, GA. In 2008, she also competed in the Mrs. Georgia pageant, with a platform dedicated to creating positive body image and health consciouness for women.
As Director of “Jahara Phoenix” dance company, she is devoted to understanding the delicate relationship between audience and performer.

An ABSfest 2007 performer, we are pleased to have Oracle with us again as an instructor.

Big Mamma D
Creating the Biz

Big Mamma D has been entertaining people since she could stand up and sing. Her grandpa used to stand her in front of any crowd he could gather. From singing with bands to performing on stages like the Globe Theatre, playing with symphonies, historical re-enactment, professional piracy to costuming and makeup, she has been on stage most of her life.

Voted People's Choice Best Female vocalist in Charlotte 2007.

Today she is the creator, owner, designer, costume mistress, promoter, makeup artist and Nurse Ratchet for her Big Mamma D's House of Burlesque. You could say it's her baby. She's always there to take care of her friends. She gives out lots of advice. But her favorite is this: "Well Behaved Women, Rarely Make History!"

Renea LeRoux
The Southern Belle from Hell
Featured Artist, ABSFest Spectacular

Renea' Le Roux started performing burlesque in 2002 with Big City Burlesque in Atlanta Georgia.

She has always been into performing in one form or another since she was a little girl; whether she was dressing up in her grandmothers clothes and dancing around to the Grease 8 track on her Bugs Bunny player or later as she became involved in theater, dance and performance art. Something which, can only be described as pure magic, was in the air about 5 years ago, while performing in a Miss Exotic World Benefit alongside Burlesque star Torch Taboo and other cast members from Big City Burlesque in Atlanta, Georgia; the stars were smiling down on her that night and they struck a nerve in her which had her hooked from that point on.

Early in her Burlesque career, she was billed as “Renea' of Hollywood”, for bringing the classic look and style of old Hollywood glamor to the stage. That nickname faded into the dark spaces, which can be found behind unlit curtains, and underneath stairwells. Renea’ reinvented her persona, rethought her costume styles and reemerged as Renea’ Le Roux, or Renea’ the colorful; this name stuck with her, and its meaning can be seen in her elaborate costumes and campy performances.

Renea' has many faces with a variety of hand sewn costumes to match. She finds inspiration in almost everything dealing with everyday life, but her greatest and most reaction provoking costumes come from the era widely known as “La Belle Epoch”.

It isn’t an every Burlesque show occurrence to see a performer come on stage in a recreated Victorian era dress, complete with side pockets, bustle and bloomers; all of which can be sensuously removed within 4.5 minutes.

Renea' has produced twelve Burlesque shows in the Los Angeles area, Jumbo Shrimp Presents, The Vintage Vamps Present, On the Rox, and The Red Light Society just to name a few and has worked her magic in many others. She has graced stages all over the world including: Los Angeles, Portland, Nashville, Pomona, Ca, Grand Junction, Co, Chattanooga, San Diego, Las Vegas, Berlin, GE, Sacramento, Reno, Frankfurt, GE, San Francisco, Atlanta, Mainz. GE, San Jose, Raleigh, NC, Vancouver, CA, Seattle, Charlotte, NC, Boston, and Salt Lake City.

She is the winner of the Viva Las Vegas Burlesque competition 2006, and winner of Chaz Royals Burlesque Rumble 2006.

Currently, Renea’ markets her own line of custom corsets and custom Burlesque friendly costumes with a deep southern flair which gave the nickname, “The Southern Belle from Hell”.

www.renealeroux.com
www.myspace.com/renealeroux

Moving Women
Featured Artists, ABSFest Spectacular

Erin and Katherine of Moving Women present this Vaudeville tap tribute to conjoined twins Daisy and Violet Hilton. This piece is an excerpt from the full-length show, "Pygopagus". Moving Women is a project of ABSfest collaborator, Arts2People.

Joline of Pink Lotus Tribe

Pink Lotus Tribe
Featured Artists, ABSFest Spectacular

The Pink Lotus Tribe is an up and coming dance troupe located in the heart of Buffalo, New York. Originating from bellydance students at Ilyas bellydance studio, these students and teachers worked to put a new "burlesque-esque" dance style on the menu. They have been passionately received by their community, and have performed at different artistic and musical venues. The dance troupe has 7 members, of which 3 have arrived for this festival. Including: Ellen Levy, Joline Gigante, and guest member: Kristel Reile.