It’s time to bust out some flashback photography! I still perform bullwhips and knife throwing (mostly in my dangerous burlesque acts), but I have quite a bit more pinup modeling experience now and quite a few less dreadlocks. Early year Knife Throwing and Bullwhip Pinup photography by Alexis Williamson, graphics by Stephen Newell. Full set:
Absolutely honored to be featured in LA Weekly’s 100 Top Burlesque Beauties of Los Angeles photo feature!
Quite possibly THE funnest day I’ve ever spent on set. Erin Lamont (director of The Lalas) choreographed and she brought in three of us burlesque performers to dance this gig, since we are also career professional dancers. That’s me, SaraAnne and Ashley from the Lalas there (and Carly in the driver’s seat!). Laughing and joking like turn of the century vaudeville all day. My gut hurt we were so ridiculous. You see, the Vitamin Water advertisement we filmed is candid camera spot. So we had to improvise comedy all day long on camera – of course off camera we had to fluff – or keep warmed up, if you will. Our Vitamin Water spot is live below:
Forget the gold lasso, Wonder Woman has got a whip now! Some of my favorite photos from the Lalas Burlesque Show at The Federal in North Hollywood, March 22, 2013. All photos by Robert Campbell.
Too early for scantily clad showgirls? Consider us your pick-me-up! The Lalas Burlesque set our a.m. alarms and performed on Fox 11′s Good Day LA today. I figure people who wake up early enough to see morning tv shows don’t often get to see burlesque dancers with their first coffee. Any ‘exposure’ is good exposure, that’s what I say (even if our shows are past the morning crowd’s bedtime). Here’s our crack-o-dawn tease:
I met Frankie Tease when she reviewed The Lalas Burlesque at our Palms residency in Las Vegas last summer. Frankie Tease watched our show, smiling and taking notes like it was a class. Little did I know she is an avid Las Vegas nightlife blogger and devoted burlesque fan! Luckily, she’s been in the burlesque scene across the country for some time, either producing, writing and even performing herself from time to time. She honored me by writing these words in her review:
“The stand-out dancer and star-performer was Tonya Kay who does a power-tool number with all the comedic timing and sexual innuendo possible – and brings some of the most classic and innovative ideas to her several acts. She has an amazing body that one works for, and it shows. Even if you are a die-hard neo-burlesque or classic burlesque purist, you will love what you see in Tonya Kay.” -Frankie Tease Magazine
When Frankie Tease asked to interview me for her Best of Frankie Tease eBook Volume 2 I was thrilled. Not only did she consider me the best of burlesque, in her well educated opinion, but she was going to do an IN DEPTH interview feature on me in her eBook. I personally enjoy interviews because you really get to know the writer by what questions they ask. Do they ask the same-old-same-old “What was it like to work with Stan Lee?” or “Where do you get your protein from as a raw vegan athlete?” or do they surprise you, take you off guard – really make you explore yourself just to answer. Well, that’s what Frankie did. And it’s in her Best Of Frankie Tease eBook released on iTunes this week! Featuring heavy hitters like Reverand Horton Heat, Jo Weldon, Frankie Moreno, Murray Sawchuck and more, you are gonna enjoy all the art and perspectives Frankie brings together.
Map The Music: Love Letters film explores the connection between music and love and why so many songs are inspired by it. Second in the Map The Music documentary series, originally premiering on The Discovery Channel, I am interviewed as a burlesque dancer about my relationship to music. You will also see my friends, heavy metal band, Solegion, in the film to my delight. Check out the trailer that went live this week:
I rarely turn out edits of my full length burlesque solos. Mostly because I know the average online video-audience attention span is 30 seconds or less, but also because I feel the art of video editing should match the art of the performance being edited and therefore, in true burlesque fashion, the video edit, too, should tease and tickle, leave something for the imagination and make you wanna come see my live show! But this one, ladies and gentlemen, is my first full length edit of an ENTIRE burlesque act. Why reveal the reveal? Because the crowd was so loud and nuts! Because the musicality to this Led Zeppelin song musn’t be missed. Because it’s a signature piece.
I just love hearing Sarah Audet’s “yeah”s. You know, in burlesque, when the ladies love ya, you know you’ve nailed it.
Led Zeppelin Burlesque Solo by Tonya Kay as a company member of The Lalas to Led Zeppelin’s “Can’t Quit You” at Skinny’s Lounge, North Hollywood CA 1/27/12.
They say a good sense of humor is a woman’s sexiest trait.
Performed at The Federal 10/27/12 in the Lalas Burlesque Halloween Show.
Recently, three separate Lalas fans have approached me after a show to tell me I am the modern Lucille Ball. What a compliment! One compared me to Lucille Ball because “she was so funny, you’d forget what a bombshell she is”. And for me, that’s true: when given sexy and funny in one performer, the audience generally is drawn to the comedy most and the sexiness as secondary. What a wonderful statement on the importance of personality in burlesque!
The Lalas brand of burlyQ is the perfect cross between sultry and silly. I, as host, take great pride in the silly part since I personally think a woman’s sense of humor is one of her most alluring qualities. You can imagine how fun it was for me to perform with the Lalas for HALLOWEEN! More costumes, more characters, more goofing off. I was silly as ever, but the other girls really brought out their inner nerds and what a frisky fun show at The Federal it was.
Tonya Kay’s Clown solo in the Lalas Burlesque Halloween show at The Federal 10/26/12. Photography by David Salazar.
Tonya Kay and Chantel in the Lalas Burlesque Halloween show at The Federal 10/26/12. Photography by David Salazar.
Tonya Kay and SaraAnne are tap dancing hookers in the Lalas Burlesque Halloween show at The Federal 10/26/12. Photography by David Salazar.
Tonya Kay compared to Lucille Ball as host in the Lalas Burlesque Halloween show at The Federal 10/26/12. Photography by David Salazar.
