Every month Fanatic endeavours to do a profile of the creatives involved in the burlesque/draglesque scene. This month we start with Wellington based Whoopsie Daisy who is the face of our retro tees.
Before I get into Whoopsie's answers I just wanted to say what an infectious personality she has! Everything about her is engaging from her bob to her glorious smile. She is one herbaceous and curvaceous gal!
What inspired you to get into burlesque?
Before I started performing burlesque, my relationship with my body had always been quite complicated. I remember going to my first ever burlesque show and watching the joy on the faces of the performers and how ‘at home’ they looked in their bodies. I wanted nothing more than to experience that.
It took me longer than I had wanted to take that first step into the scene as years ago I had been in a relationship with someone who couldn’t bear the thought of me taking off my clothes in front of anyone other than them. After we had split up I made a promise to myself that I would make my own choices of what was best for me and my body. And I’ve never been happier or more at home in myself as I am now.
What inspired your persona and name?
I had put a lot of thought into what makes me feel sexy and the truest form of myself onstage. Which was always when I could unashamedly have my more playful and clumsy side come out. I wanted to embrace the fact I can be a big ol’ goofball and still feel and look smokin’ hot.
The name Whoopsie Daisy came from having a discussion about this with a previous partner and after bouncing ideas for a while we thought that would be the perfect fit. They were super encouraging with me taking a plunge into the scene and embracing my sexuality. Having a good support crew is a big help, especially when starting off!
Do you have any tips and tricks you’d like to share?
I would highly recommend wearing a sensible heel for your first show. I’m speaking from experience when I say it didn’t matter how much I had practiced in my stilettos - after the nerves had kicked in, my ankles had a mind of their own, haha!
