Getting to Know… Valerie “Va Va” Valentine

Valerie “Va Va” Valentine is the epitome of Classic Burlesque. She looks like she has literally stepped out of a Marilyn Monroe film, and with a cheeky smile and a silly bump she wins hearts across our dear city.

Starting at Maison Burlesque in Beginner Fan with Poppy Cherry in 2018, Valerie has quickly become a staple in the Melbourne Burlesque scene. With hard work ethic, strong research skills, and an eye for the minutest details, it’s no wonder she has seamlessly fit into the teaching team here at Maison.

We sat down with Valerie and asked her the hard hitting burly questions. Read on to get to know a little bit more about this bubbling personality!

How did you first come into the world of Burlesque? What was it that drew you to the art form?

Like a lot of millennials, my first exposure to the world of Burlesque was the Christina and Cher film 'Burlesque'. I recall seeing the movie in cinemas and being blown away by the lavish glamour. I became so fascinated with the artform and dived headfirst into the world of pin-up - the sequins, fabrics and hair!! I have all of these hilariously cringe photos of me at 15-16 in Dangerfield sale rack clothes, my mums 40's jewellery, fake tattoos and bumper bangs trying so hard to be this edgy teen meets 40's movie star, Bettie Page and Dita were my icons and in all of my queerness I didn't know if I wanted to be with them or be them. As your interests do when you're that young I shifted away from the glamour of fluff and camp, not remembering that the art form existed until Dita came to Melbourne in 2017, snapping up tickets to see her as soon as I could I found myself so in love and giddy, just like the starry eyed teenager again and couldn't wait to try it myself. Not long after, I started taking classes with the incomparable L'amore Guzzardi at Bottoms Up, I felt like a changed woman. Well really, I felt like a woman for the first time. Flirty, fun - sexual. I was so excited to embrace this journey. 

Little did I know that I would find myself in this industry ten years later, channeling the greats and making beautiful, camp art that would make my young self blush.

What is your favourite thing about being a burlesque performer?

I love everything about my job, hustling, long days, late nights, the admin, all the hard stuff means I am thriving and living my dream - I would say one of the biggest highlights is making people laugh - being silly and relatable is one of the unique aspects of this dance style. I don't need to be the most incredible dancer in the world to be entertaining which in it's self makes this art form so subjective, accessible and a constant inspiration to both the performer and audience. 

How would you describe your unique style? Has it always been like that?

I think this a really difficult question to answer, I try not to box myself in with any one style though I would say as a general rule I am a MGM dream girl meets storyteller with a whole lot of personality. I also enjoy a laugh and love a gimmick. Half Marilyn, Half Dixie, 100% Ditsy and Always Hilarious. The way this manifests is different with every routine - either a firm storyline like my act fondly named "Daddy" or a new act soon to debut "Miss Personality", then I have less structured routines like "Blue No.2" and "Burgundy".

I didn't set out to be this silly, camp, hot mess (emphasis on hot) - I wanted to be this really sexy, glamorous Jessica Rabbit creature and now I'm closer to rabid than rabbit. Funny how we change as we let our guard down and be vulnerable, allowing our personality to shine through.

What's the funniest/craziest thing that has ever happened to you during a performance?

I flung myself into my final pose at Speakeasy Theatre during my burgundy act and sent both myself and the chaise I was on capsizing into an ocean of curtain. Completely tipped the whole couch behind the stage and then with a huge amount of luck managed to walk back onto the stage totally unscathed after being rescued by some handsome audience members to take my final bow. That folks is why we tell you to keep you Public Liability Instead up to date.

Who are your burlesque icons? Where do you gain your inspiration from?

How much time have you got?! I take a lot of inspiration from the OG icons - Lili St Cyr, Dixie Evans, Gypsy Rose Lee, Tempest Storm, Dixie Evans, Sally Rand, Faith Bacon, Noel Toy to name a few. More modern icons come far and wide, special mention to my mentor Miss Maple Rose who has guided me and tutored me since my humble beginnings as a soloist, among the rest are Media Noche, Eliza Delite, Minnie Mimeaux, Pearle Noir, Kathrine Harlow and many more. 

Inspiration outside of burlesque comes in waves, though I would say I pull a significant amount of inspiration from old films and the stars in them. Marilyn, Mamie, Mansfield - so funny and glamorous all in one, they're the full package. 

Have you faced any challenges in starting burlesque or developing your burlesque career?

Lockdowns, I debuted in November 2019 and had my first professional opportunity in March literally the weekend before we all closed down. I mean it's hard being an artist, but throw in two years of a global pandemic and you are toast if you don't bust your booty to stay relevant. I often find myself wondering where I would be with my career if that hadn't happened. Post lockdowns I think the biggest hinderance is finding time to invest in my art, if I had unlimited resources to locate new opportunities and develop my acts, teaching and workshops and I think I could take myself a lot further. 

What advice do you have for new and emerging performers?

Be authentically you. Seek mentorship with someone you trust. Take out Duck for Cover insurance. Laugh, smile and enjoy it - this is definitely the coolest job in the world. 

How do you develop your acts?

I always start with music, it's the biggest guide for me. Music dictates everything from mood, costume, choreography, it's everything. From there I tend to sit on something and listen to the track about one million times, make sure I still love it and feel inspired then from there I'll usually start to contact someone like Maple, my mentor and Kerrie, my costumier to make sure I'm not just hyper fixating and confirm it's actually a good and viable idea to start getting things ticking over. 

Do you have a favourite act of yours?

I would have to say it’s definitely my act titled ‘Daddy’, it’s such a fun piece exploring a simple story line about a Babydoll waiting for her Daddy. I adore the aesthetic, it’s so pink and pretty with a Fetish/BDSM twist right at the end that always has the audience laughing.