Today we’d like to introduce you to Luna Lovelee
Hi Luna, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve always had a passion for vintage, some of my earliest memories are of me playing dress up with my grandmas vintage costume jewelry. I was obsessed with this hideous 60s wig that she still had and how the rhinestone jewelry sparkled, and piled as much of it onto my little self as possible, as often as possible. A showgirl was born!
As I became a teenager I discovered black and white movies, and developed a fascination with Jean Harlow (and Gwen Stefani, for obvious reasons). I loved the pencil thin eyebrows of the 90s, not because they were fashionable, but because they made me feel like a silent movie starlet. When Marilyn Manson started dating Dita von Teese my mind was blown – who is this modern woman that looks like she stepped out of a 1940s magazine? and she’s a stripper?! And that’s how my fascination with burlesque started.
Fast forward 10 years, and I start taking dance classes and attending burlesque shows. I have no dance background, and never thought I’d ever be up on stage. Life starts to life, and corporate career aspirations lead me to abandon that part of my life. A few years later a job opportunity takes me to Southern California. Right next to my new office was a dance studio that offered burlesque! I took a class and was hooked again. The teacher is a local performer, and she encouraged her students to come to the shows she produced in the Culver City area, and to even submit to be in them. I started attending basically every burlesque show between Santa Monica and DTLA – I was enthralled with seeing and doing as much as possible! At this time I started having smart bits in productions, but never had anything on social media or even a stage name. While I was gearing up to finally take things further, the pandemic happened and my studio closed, I moved to Long Beach, and thought yet again I was done with this world.
After rotting away for what felt like ages, I saw Dita perform at the Orpheum Theater on NYE and said to myself “F*ck it, life is short, let’s do the sparkly thing!” I went and found a dance community here in Long Beach with the loveliest producer (shoutout to Daphne Moon and Moon Gem Productions!), made friends with other performers, and put myself out there as Luna LoveLee – The Vintage Vixen! And I have just being doing my best to be one of those sparkly showgirls that younger me was so in awe of.
I look back on some of the amazing shows I’ve had the chance to be part of over the past coupe of years and can’t believe how fortunate I’ve been. I’ve been in the same lineup as some of the performers I used to specifically seek out to watch. It’s a bit mind blowing, but I love every second of it and can’t wait to see where this will take me next.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
For a while I was heavily involved with the pinup community, which has quite a bit of overlap to the burlesque community, so I’ve been really fortunate to have friends and connections that offered me alot of great advice and opportunities.
Part of the entertainment industry is rejection, and while it never hurts to shoot your shot, being told “thanks but no thanks” can still be demoralizing. But you have to remember that your strengths aren’t always what the show or production is looking for, and in the end the goal is to have fun and put on a great show. But the burlesque scene is so supportive and welcoming in general and I truly feel supported even during the struggle times.
Something that helps me personally is to have time for other interests. I’m an active volunteer with cat rescue Little Lion Foundation, and a member of the Art Deco Society of LA Fashion Committee. We actually have some really cool Burlesque & Art Deco Society overlap events coming up, and of course Show Me your Kitties Part 2! It’s really cool to see the different worlds coming together, and can help keep morale high when things are a little tougher.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I do not have a technical dance background – I can’t do a clean jazz pirouette to save my life! But I’ve learned that you don’t need to have that type of skill to be successful in Burlesque. I specialize in a vintage aesthetic with acts that drawn from the past, and campy character and costume development.
I am a somewhat skilled seamstress with a background in historical costuming and vintage reproductions, so I really love taking my stage costumes to the next level. One of my favourite burlesque costumes I’ve created is a historically accurate 18th century aristocrat ensemble! I’m also really proud of my cowgirl costume – it’s my favourite act to perform and the costume just fits and moves so well. I don’t think I could be a performer if I couldn’t make my own costumes, I am so particular about fit and functionality and love making my vision come to life. And share the process on Insta, of course.
The thing I am most proud of is I recently partnered my love for animals with my showgirl side, and produced a fundraiser cabaret show in Long Beach called “Show Me Your Kitties” that raised thousands of dollars for a spay and neuter clinic for Little Lion Foundation. Having a big soldout show full of performers dressed like cats was a life highlight! I am so thankful and excited we’re able to do it again in the spring.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
What worked for me was finding a class I felt comfortable in. Go to class, hone your skills, make friends, it really helps you discover who you are. If you come across an interesting workshop, sign up for it! get out of your comfort zone and try new things. You never know what cool new skill you’ll be able to pick up, and what connections you’ll make along the way.
In burlesque specifically I recommend going to shows! Talk to the dancers, the producers, check out the venues and see different shows. It’s the one downfall of having consistent showgirl work, I feel like there are so many great shows I miss because I’m out performing myself.
I haven’t traveled as much as I would like – I have a regular 9-5 job during the week so it can be tough to have the flexibility needed for going out of the area, but my goal for the next year is to travel for performances more!
Pricing:
- It really depends on what type of show it is!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miss_luna_lovelee/
Image Credits
Annie Jeeves
