We've all heard the term, some of us even use the action weekly, but how many of us reaaally know where this hip and shoulder shaking move (typically used in the world of burlesque) actually comes from? Meet the matriarch's of the risqué wiggle in this informative piece and do enjoy engaging with some vintage film clips.

Geishas personify the glamour, mystery and ambivalence that so intrigues me about burlesque. Since first reading Memoirs of a Geisha when I was 16, I've had a fascination with this Japanese demi-monde and continue to enjoy incorporating the associated aesthetics into my art. There's a li'l Opium Den teaser video for you to watch at the end too - see what can be done with the encounter between the eastern world of the geisha performance artist and the western one of the burlesque artiste!

Where does one draw the line between classical burlesque and the 'darker' performance arts? I tend to take a page out of Dita Von Teese's (literal and proverbial) book on this topic. Read about my thoughts on the matter and hear of some experiences which include 'being the lobster' and the schhhpanking free-for-alls at the ultra-hedonistic Velocity pre-party for the Loeries in 2012!