I first got interested in burlesque after watching Gypsy with Natalie Wood, and having been a performer for over ten years it really appealed to me. I get inspiration from lots of different places; I try not to get inspiration from other performers because I think you risk making your act like theirs. 

For my signature act, Cowgirl, I was watching Shanghai Noon and as I heard ‘Cowboy’ I started seeing myself on a horse covered in crystals and cracking a whip. I started to research cowgirl acts and found that although there were a few already, but none of them were the same as what I had in mind so I started thinking about costume and props. I didn’t want a rocking horse or a carousel horse because they are already used by Immodesty Blaize and Dita Von Teese. I loved the idea of spunky 50s pin up cowgirl and based my costume around that. I wanted clothing that could be removed easily but was authentic. I looked at traditional western style cowgirl wear with tassels, and then added rhinestones and custom made pasties for a bit of glamour and glitz at the end.
Once I had a rough idea of costume and props I listened to the music and worked out some basic moves. Over the weeks I added props and took them away until I came up with an act I was happy with. Then I showed the routine to those closest to me, Mr Thology came up with the idea of using a gun belt which I hadn’t even thought about but now seemed so obvious. I took on board their thoughts and tweaked little bits and pieces. And now I have a signature act that I am happy with, and one of the few I haven’t had to redo too much or scrap altogether.

While I was working on Cowgirl I had lots of other ideas. I have a project book full of possible routines, many of which I discarded mainly because when I researched them sometimes they were too similar to someone else’s act, other times they just didn’t seem to ‘fit’. Having been on the stage for many years I knew I liked big, stage show, over the top routines with large props and extravagant costumes. 

I liked the idea of having a gimmick, as Gypsy was told ‘you gotta have a gimmick’, and with a name like Anne Thology I had an obvious theme on which base my acts; they are all inspired by books. Once I have an idea in mind, I look at props and movement. I like to add something different to each routine to make it interesting and unique, although very few ideas are truly unique now because burlesque has been around for so long. I also had to consider venue and the performing space. Whilst big props and lavish costumes work well on big stages, sometimes a smaller act is more appropriate in an intimate club space. 

When I am planning a new act I look at what I have already, there is no point in having six fan dances that all look the same. What makes each fan dance different from the others, and anybody else’s for that matter? I wanted Stardust to be more than ‘just’ a fan dance, so I added ball walking to give it a little something extra.
I also believe you get out what you put in. Some of my acts have only cost a few hundred pounds for props and costume, other have cost much more and have required specialist training or prop making. This doesn’t mean that an act will be good just because you throw lots of money at it, or that a performer will be great because they have attended every workshop or class going.

I am lucky to have supportive friends and family, not only do they keep me going when everything feels like it’s going wrong or I have a mental block, but they also keep me grounded, which is great because otherwise I would be living in dreamland rather than living the dream.


The lovely Anne Thwww.annethology.co.uk.
 


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