Catching up - part 5

I went to Ghana via London and while I was there I fulfilled one of my dreams - I went to What Katie Did !



The store was a delight to visit!



So pretty and elegant.



And the corsets ... my oh my...



The girls in the shop were ever so helpful.



This is the corset I choose. The Morticia underbust corset.



I was quite excited ;)



The bag it came in.



The instructions ( and boy would I need them once home...) I also bought The Glamour Underbust Girdle, The Glamour Underwired Bra and some seamed stockings !



Then I took a Burlesque class for Jo King who runs The London Academy of Burlesque.



This is Jo when she´s stage ready. And oh my, can this lady s-t-r-u-t-t her stuff! ;)



Her guest teacher was none other than the renown Dirty Martinez !! Who was soo much fun!



Dirty in one of her many glamorous wigs.



I had such a good time! I hope to do a little burlesque myself in 2011. Its part of my 2011 motto "Taking care of me" and a first step in liberating myself at the "grown-up" age of 46 to do what I darn well feel like ! ;)



In London I bought this absolutely gorgeous book about the sensationally beautiful Lana Turner.



This woman loved to dress, loved hats, dancing at nightclubs and its just an inspiration to look at all the pictures of her!

Catching up - part 4

As I was in Stockholm and enjoying The Stockholm Burlesque Festival I was told that a large Swedish delegation were on their way to Ghana and amongst many things on the agenda was ... to see my play - Cinderama - at The National Theatre of Ghana!

And so, at the spur of the moment, it was decided that I should go to Ghana and help the cast "freshen up" the performance a bit.



From the far north with snow and cold winds to the hot streets of Accra - it felt great to be back!



I visited family like little Kwabena. But mostly I worked and rehearsed.



Cinderella is an universal story, but set in a Ghanaian context it has meaning to many children who are experiencing this very situation...



To be an attractive performance in Africa there must be, apart from a strong story, music...




A few grand scenes...



A ghost or two...



And some more music and dancing, to be considered a good show! :)



The cast on tour in Sweden.



These four years have been an amazing experience I wouldn´t have missed it for all the world, despite all the HARD work!

Photo : Mansour Hosseni

This is why! :)



The Swedish delegations gets a warm welcome outside The National Theatre! :)



And inside the place was jamming with a house full of schoolchildren!



Then I went with the cast to Ho were they were going to do a performance. This is what "fast food" looks like in Ghana! :)



Preparations.



This is an actors life on the road in rural Ghana.



This young man has to transform himself into an elderly person in order to play the linguist ( the Kings spokesperson ) and the plays narrator.



Helping each other get ready.



I "built" this dressing room with a hammer and a handful of nails! :)



When the stage is ready...



The show can begin!

Photo : Tobias Ståhl

Everywhere the show performed children gathered round to hear the story anew.

Photo : Tobias Ståhl

At schools the students would squeeze together to see the show.

Photo : Tobias Ståhl

This performance did more for alerting children and young women to the rights they have in society than any pamphlet could ever have done...

On tour in Sweden.

I would never have believed it had you asked me ten years ago... But Ghana now holds a place in my heart and in my future. Eventually I hope to build a Cultural Center in Ghana with a theatre, a children's library and a small museum. For I believe that a society that has thriving cultural institutions is a society were people can grow and flourish. Especially the children.

Catching up - part 3

After all the hard work a girl needs a bit of fun, no? I mean "because I´m worth it! ;) Its amazing what a few curlers and some "falsies" can do for an exhausted woman with a cold...



And Cinderella is off! Not to a ball, but a The Stockholm Burlesque Festival!



Many of the ladies had dressed to kill...



I clean up pretty well ! ;)



Our hostess for the evening - World Famous Bob - who also held an absolutely amazing workshop called - The Ultimate Self Confidence Workshop! If ever she´s in your neighbourhood take this course!



There were lots of local performers. Her is Velma Voluptuous doing her " La vie en rose" number.

Photo - Eva Hildén Smith

My favorite Swedish performer - Duchess Dubois!



There were also performers from the rest of Scandinavia, like this talented and humorous group from Finland - The Itty-Bitty Tease Cabaret! And can you tell who the third girl from the left is?



Ulrika from The Freelancer´s Fashionblog!



And she is just as good looking IRL ;)



These cute little birdies were up for sale. Is it the talented work of my blog friend and hat maker Frollein von Sofa? Nope, they´re not even hats...



They are little pasties and the creation of Lady Francesca! :)

Lady Francesca



There were several international stars like ; Miss Indigo Blue, The Twirly Girl who also had two great workshops that I took. The Art of The Tease and Tassel Twirling. I learned so much! And I bought a pair of her beautiful and well made tassels. The look like these, but with clear stones.



Eventually I became too sick (...) to stay for a full set and went home with a fever during intermission.



Still I dragged myself to the Afternoon Tea the following day. Hosting The Amazing Knicker Kittens Burlesque Revues little afternoon tease was, as always ,the imitable Mme Magdushka! :) I had a fabulous time!