Miss Dirty Martini
- This article is about a New Burlesque performer
| Dirty Martini | ||
 Dirty Martini in 2009 | ||
| Background information | ||
| Born as: | Linda Marraccini | |
| Occupation: | Burlesque dancer, pin-up model, dance teacher | |
| Website: | missdirtymartini.com | |
Click here for Burlesque History page |
Dirty Martini (born Linda Marraccini) is an American burlesque dancer, pin-up model and dance teacher.
"Miss Dirty Martini" is one of the most recognized names in New Burlesque today. Before winning the title of Miss Exotic World in 2004, the world's only burlesque museum and hall of fame has awarded her the 'Sally Rand Award for her fan dance and the Jennie Lee award for her tassel twirling technique. Named the 'Sexpot Sophisticate' by NY Magazine, she has been described as 'one of the best in burlesque' by the New York Times, 'the queen of them all' by the London Daily Telegraph, and 'the decadent expression of female sensuality in action' by the NY Daily News. Since the mid-1990's she has had audiences on their feet applauding in venues as diverse as Carnegie Hall and The Museum of Sex to notorious New York City nightclubs where she has been awarded a 'Glammy' for her performances. She is best known for her over-the-top performance acts, which mostly incorporate various classic burlesque styles such as the fan dance, balloon strip tease, the Dance of Several Veils, and shadow stripping, as well as her 50s styled pin-up images.
Martini regularly performs in New York City and extensively throughout North America and Europe in a wide range of venues from Carnegie Hall to weekly burlesque venues to gay leather bars.[1] She was crowned Miss Exotic World 2004.
A leading figurehead in the American burlesque revival, Miss Martini has become an underground celebrity and a favorite of the legends of burlesque who performed in the 1940s and 1950s. Her audiences have given her rave reviews for her groundbreaking, stereotype-busting and innovative performances, as well as her classic burlesque tributes and, have included celebrities such as actor Allen Cumming, Burlesque superstar Dita Von Teese, fashion designer Marc Jacobs, talk show hosts Rosie O'Donnel and Ricky Lake, Singers Marilyn Manson and Fred Schneider of the B-52's and writer Cintra Wilson among others. She has headlined burlesque shows across the USA and all over the world and has been featured in the following books '"New Burlesque", "Burlesque the New Bump and Grind" and "Burlesque From Gaslight to Spotlight". With the Cabaret New Burlesque, she has recently returned from sold-out shows in Nantes, France. Following her return to the US, she began performing in an Off-Broadway show alongside critically acclaimed comedienne Margaret Cho in her burlesque and comedy review The Sensuous Woman. Look for her in the Scissor Sisters Filthy Gorgeous video and her very glamorous little cameo in John Cameron Mitchell's film Shortbus.
Performance
Martini moved to New York City and started out working in collaborative theater and modern dance groups. She then viewed some old burlesque reels when she was searching for a style that was conducive to performing solo and showcasing her voluptuous figure. Martini started with developing and performing a fan dancing act. Among Martini's notable acts are her homage to Mae West, Jennie Lee (dancer), Zorita (burlesque dancer), and Sally Rand.
In May 2001, Martini performed in the first new burlesque convention, "Tease-o-rama", in New Orleans. Later that year, at the Miss Exotic World 2001, she won the Sally Rand Award for Fan Dance. She was also the first runner-up at Miss Exotic World 2003 and was awarded the main title as well as the Jennie Lee award for tassel twirling at Miss Exotic World in 2004.
Martini has worked with comedian and drag king personality, Murray Hill, playwright/performer Taylor Mac in Red Tide Blooming, follow burlesque performer Julie Atlas Muz, and Penny Arcade in Bad Reputation and New York Values. She also performed in Margaret Cho's 2007 burlesque-style variety show, "The Sensuous Woman".
On 6 December 2017 Dirty Martini opened Off-Broadway in Jack and the Beanstalk, the first large-scale pantomime to be presented in New York for over a century, at the Playhouse Theater of the Henry Street Settlement. Adapted from the fairy tale of the same titles by Mat Fraser, and directed by Julie Atlas Muz, the production also starred David Ilku, Michael Johnnie Lynch, Matt Roper and a cast of downtown performers. Awarded the NYT Critic's Pick, the production closed on 23 December 2017 and enjoyed a revival the following year at the same theatre, running for three weeks during the 2018 holiday season. Martini played the role of the Good Fairy.
TV and film appearances
Martini has appeared on the AMC TV series, "Into Character", in the 2004 documentary The Velvet Hammer Burlesque, in John Cameron Mitchell's 2006 film Shortbus, and in Mitchell's video for "Filthy/Gorgeous" by the Scissor Sisters.
She has been the featured subject in two documentaries. One is the 2009 short film Dirty Martini by Iban Del Campo, which won the best documentary film award at the 2010 FreeNetWorld International Film Fest held in Serbia. The other is the 2010 feature-length Dirty Martini and the New Burlesque by Gary Beeber, which is about Martini and her colleagues in the Neo-Burlesque scene.
Martini also appears in the Burlesque Undressed documentary with Immodesty Blaize, Catherine D'lish, Satan's Angel, and Michelle L'amour, and in Exotic World & the Burlesque Revival, which focuses on the history of Dixie Evans' Burlesque Hall of Fame Museum (formerly The Exotic World Museum).
Martini along with burlesque performers Mimi Le Meaux, Kitten on the Keys, Julie Atlas Muz, Evie Lovelle, and Roky Roulette were featured in Mathieu Amalric's 2010 Cannes-award winning film, Tournee. A drawing of her is used for the film's poster.
Print media
Martini has been featured in the books, "Striptease, from Gaslight to Spotlight" by Jessica Glasscock, "Burlesque, The New Bump and Grind" by Michelle Baldwin, and Katherina Bosse's "New Burlesque". Martini is also featured in "Neo-Burlesque: Striptease As Transformation" by Lynn Sally, released in October 2021.
For the spring 2010 edition of V Magazine, she was featured in a fashion spread shot by Karl Lagerfeld at the House of Chanel.
References
External links
http://www.missdirtymartini.com/html/home.htm ( X site active 09/20 R/ )
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