Burlesque name appeal

25 January 2009 | ,

In order to do more than just talking the talk, I joined a Burlesque class. If you have participated in such activities before, you will know that one of the first tasks of the Burlesque student is to come up with a name. Our teacher (Viva Misadventure) does not want to know our birth names at all, only our stage names, so there’s a bit of pressure in the decision, as I don’t want to be known as “the-little-one-in-red-who-should-bend-her-knees-more”. I can’t title my chapters for the life of me and have a terrible experience of being haunted by a horrible Capoeira name. So this is a chance to put things right for me.

I have been using Femme Letale for around 10 years but I feel bad because it is stolen from Almodovar’s High Heels and now that I am going public, it just won’t do. My dream name is Agent Provocateur but, given it is a high end lingerie shop, you understand the copyright issues.

Tim and Neil helped me last week: they came up with Spanish Fly and Catty Devine (in honour of my favourite jewellery designers). They are good, but not yet it. I have …de Vivre, …Rouge/Noir, Désir… as beginnings and ends but not much makes sense on the whole.

So, in the Spirit of reality TV and user generated content, I invite suggestions. Think of it as a phone in. Here are the parametres:

1. French (I like —eur and —que endings, especially)
2. Mysterious (as in detective novels or spies)
3. Seductive/desirous*

* extra points for psychoanalytic references

Any ideas?

I will send the winner a picture of me taking my gloves off. And I mean my gloves, because I don’t yet know any more moves.

28 thoughts on “Burlesque name appeal”

  2. Dullssey A. Decorum

    Dullssey (or Dulcie) I like the sound of, reminds me of Washington airport, dulce de leche (lecherous); I like the juxtaposition of Dulce (sweet) and the spelling Dull (duh! the sterotyped attractive woman who is not that intelligent)…

    Decorum suggests decorative and therefore has connotations of seduction (at least for me !!!)
    (this comes from thre famous Wilfrid Owen poem –
    1 DULCE ET DECORUM EST – the first words of a Latin saying (taken from an ode by Horace). The words were widely understood and often quoted at the start of the First World War. They mean “It is sweet and right.” The full saying ends the poem: Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori – it is sweet and right to die for your country. In other words, it is a wonderful and great honour to fight and die for your country )

    or, alternatively Desiree Decorum

    Decorum as above, with Désir A. spelt Desiree… direct use of the French pronunciation of desire.

  5. Martia Lenvers
    (marche à l’envers – works back to front or upside down)

    Ana Lyttical

    Ana Lyttique

    Libby Dô

    Terra Peute

    Kath Arsis

    ok ok j’arrête !!!!!!

  7. Ahhhh, I love seeing you have fun! Brian, I like Voyeur. Voyeuse, hmmm…

    Linda, you are not far off, actually. I’ll tell you my top 5 so far:

    L. de Jour
    Catty Devine (I still like my jewellery)
    Femme Letale (I am a faithful person)
    Elle Rêve
    La Belle Hysterique

    Libby Dô may just jump into the top 5, though. It is really growing on me. Dr Libby Dô…

    The Dulces/Dulcies are great but I don’t think reflect my personality which is a bit maddening, rather than caring, if you see what I mean. More… hysterique…

  9. Do you know Dulcinea? She was Quixote’s fixation. Maybe that’s my issue with it, even though the character of this particular Dulcie would really appeal to the satiric side of Burlesque.

  13. Nice and subtle, Brian! I have to say, though that I am partially swayed towards “Elle Rêve”, as it also brings out my day-dreaming qualities and my love for the legally Blonde character Elle Woods. I have selected a few names and will try them out with the dance routines, see what I grow into. Meanwhile, gloves photos are on the way too…

  14. hi there,

    ive just started a burlesque course yesterday and i love it – need to come up with a name too, so i chose miss juicy cherry bossom – as i love cherries (they are everywhere in my house and got a few as a tattoo) and im quite top heavy (34h)but i also like miss cherrie De Vil so not sure.
    what do you think?
    i really like Dulcinea or why not Dulcina Devine?
    i know i didnt come up with a new name but i hope you like my name i put together.
    good luck
    Miss Juicy Cherry Bossom
    xxxx

  15. The initials of the name you came up with, DD, are very enticing. I like it very much. And I like your name too Miss Juicy Cherry. I danced with a few names last week during my class and I think out of all I tried in my head Elle Rêve suited me down to a T. I am a daydreamer!

  17. Hello,
    I just got on your side, googeling for “Burlesque name”, ’cause right at the moment I have the same “problem”.
    And you guys really have good ideas.
    I am blond, German, “normal” shape (well, my “highlight” is my back, you know what I mean).
    On coming Sunday I have two short performances, where I can show what I have learned in the burlesque lessons. Once I am a mug (like Bonny and Clyde), I have dollar emblems on my stockings. The other performance shows me as a cowgirl.
    I thought about “Jenny Cash” (in relation to “Cash” because of money and to Johnny Cash because of western style).
    But actually I don’t like “Jenny” that much. I do not want the name to promise a naive blonde.
    Another idea is “Ellen Poe” (we say “Po” for the back), also remining Edgar Allen Poe.

    What do you think, got other ideas?

  19. Thanks. 🙂

    Any ideas? Well tomorrow is the day. We picked “Ellen Poe”, if we don’t find any better name.

  20. The problem with Ellen Poe is that it sounds too much like a proper name. What about extracting some characteristics from it (like mystery, or fascination or something like that) and creating a name with the sass and the mischief of burlesque? Something like Miss Teria, or Miss Tique? Good luck with your performance!

  21. Well, the performance was super and fun!
    The audience liked it, also the other girls were great.
    Well, I think, one day the right name will come up. 🙂

  23. Hi, love all the names!
    Stumbled onto this site, as I have just started to dance burlesque in shows, after only performing as a ballerina/ballroom dancer and really need a name, so any suggestions would be great! I’d quite like something sweet but sexy to reflect my personality, as I tend to switch from cute and sweet to dominatrix quite quickly! 🙂

  24. Wow really a great post. I like this.I just passed this onto a colleague who was doing a little research on that High Heels Shoes , Pumps Shoes, women’s shoes. And he actually bought me lunch because I found it for him smile So let me rephrase that .Lots of great information and inspiration, both of which we all need!

  26. please,help me to find a burlesque name…my name is carmen silva… thank you…

  27. I am trying to find a stage name, as we speak. First class was last week. My name is Katherine and I go by Katie. I am looking for something sexy but classy. Nothing with the word fanny or anything about breasts. I am professor as well, if it helps the imagery.

    I am so excited but am also stuck. I like some of the french names mentioned.

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