Jungle Bettie

Like many newbie burlesque performers, when I ventured into this style, I emulated Bettie Page, the queen of pinup. She was a baddie who didn't even realize what she was doing was considered shady/naughty or downright immoral. She was just a model, having fun playing dress-up and earning a living among other artists. The thing is, she was an incredible model. She lived independently in a time when a woman was supposed to cling onto a man, and along with her skill, that was one of the many qualities that attracted me to her. Bettie Page has an iconic set of photos with wild cats and so I took that theme and placed it in my own urban jungle. With the help of photographer Clayton Cooper, we made these.