Lotta Love (top center) shared with us how – thanks especially to her! – burlesque in Slovakia is taking off and her personal journey within the art of burlesque.

Burlesque in Slovakia and Lotta Love

How did you discover burlesque?
 I knew something like burlesque existed but I would never have imagined the complexity of it. My first experience with burlesque was when we organised a burlesque university ball though it was more of a dress up party than a real burlesque show.

After that I moved to Edinburgh to study for a year. I wanted some activity outside of studying and because I’d been dancing my whole life I wanted a dance course of some sort. My classmate suggested burlesque and I was excited about it. My teacher Gypsy Charms is an amazing dancer and entertainer; I enjoyed the classes so much. So that was the beginning of my love affair with burlesque.

Which artists inspire you?
There are so many. I feel like every single one of them is inspiring in a different way. The ones that inspire me the most are those I had the pleasure to meet and have a conversation in person. For example Armitage Shanks, Lou Lou D’Vil, Kalinka Kalashnikow, Russel Bruner and Le Pustra, I truly admire their personalities off the stage. I am also very inspired by Aurora Galore and Lola Frost, who, for me, are the true essence of burlesque art.

Tell us what you’ve been doing in Slovakia with burlesque?
I have been running a burlesque course in Slovakia for almost year and a half.

Thanks to the course I have met some incredible women, become friends with them and built up a strong community. We have put on two big sold-out shows and have been a part of many different events throughout this time.

In June we began a regular production Velvet Rouge in Bratislava, which I hope will become our signature show.

What has the response been like?
The response has been positive so far. I think burlesque was something our country needed and wanted very much. I am very happy to see the interest and the excitement people have for what we’re doing. I get messages and words of admiration a lot and I feel truly blessed to have them. A big thank you belongs to all these people, our fans.

What has been your proudest moment?
Every second of the last year and a half. If I would have to pick one it would be the moment I got an email from Chaz Royal saying that two of my girls Lady Vivian and Catrice Cat got into the European Semifinals of World Burlesque Games this summer in Edinburgh.

I feel this is a sign that my whole burlesque story started in Edinburgh and now we are going there to compete alongside many talented international artists. WBG was also one of the first burlesque shows I ever saw.

What are your ambitions?
My biggest ambition at the moment is to keep spreading the positive message of burlesque throughout our activities in Slovakia. I hope to build a strong community of talented people supporting each other.

And finally, what does burlesque mean to you?
Thanks to burlesque, I have been able to discover myself and that has an infinite value to me.

If you’d like to find out more about the Bratislava Burlesque Academy, please join them on Facebook.

And if you’re a performer outside the UK, Europe or the US, particularly where there’s a new scene, we’d love to hear from you too. Feel free to connect with us via Facebook, Twitter or email howard@burlexe-demo.co.uk

Wondering how the US discovered Burlesque? Then here’s how in the latest of our Herstory of Showgirls videos with a little help from Ginger Blush.