You’re probably going to go home with a bit of sparkle after taking in a burlesque show in the District all thanks to Miss Kitty Victorian and her friends.

“There’s no such a thing as too much glitter,” Miss Kitty Victorian says with her pursed, glittery red lips in a scantily clad outfit, leaving still much to the demises of her audience’s imagination. This time performing during a Kitty Victorian and JoJo the Decadent Pierrot Show at Palace of Wonders, a duo routine that combines classic burlesque with Berlin cabaret, audience participation and some picture perfect opportunities. Just one of many acts you can catch her in.

And if you think you’re just going to sit back and watch tassels spinning and clothes being peeled off, you’ve got another thing coming your way.

“A burlesque show is not like any other show,” Victorian said. “First of all, audience bantering is appreciated. Tips are appreciated just as much, even more if you can make dollar origami. It is appropriate for the audiences to yell things such as ‘take it off,’ ‘yeah,’ ‘woohoo,’ and ... wolf whistles are good as well. The most important thing is to come to a burlesque show with energy...you’ll need it.”

Sure this fantastic darling of a woman can shimmy, strut and perfectly execute the art of tassel twirling, but Victorian has been defining the art of the tease for the last couple of years behind a backdrop of conservatism and staunchness from the political landscape of the District. And frankly, we would much rather watch her than those politicians on the other side of town.

As this Purrr-fect Ecdysiast explained, it’s difficult for the conventional thinkers to differentiate between the art of the tease and art of the striptease, but she’s been up to the challenge, hoping to recreate the tantalizing statue of the 1930s and 1940s burlesque era in the District.

“Many people confuse the two,” Victorian said. “Burlesque is the art of the tease; some of that tease can be done with stripping, some can be done through witty comic sketches, or with ‘strip teasing’ without removing a stitch. Striptease is a sub-category of tease...all of which is burlesque.”

“My hope and vision is that the scene grow, so there is at least one show per week in D.C. to range the different genres of burlesque, i.e. classic, vaudeville, neo,” she continued. “I, personally, would like to see a greater number of performers with a greater diversity of genres.”

To her credit, Victorian has been wowing audiences, performing with the avant-garde performance-art troupe DC Kings to the colorful revues at Palace of Wonders, as well as producing the D.C. Gurly Show, a scandalous showcase of new and upcoming talents in the burlesque scene including the likes of Sindalicious, Coco Monroe, Eliza Charming, Beau Donkadonk Bottoms, and Velvet Kensington to just name a few of the vixens on the scene. In fact, the D.C. Gurly Show celebrates its two-year anniversary in February at Club Chaos, and is set to debut at Palace of Wonders that same month.

And burlesque show-goers and newbies may soon experience Victorian’s alter ego Gyna Tonika, sure to tantalize your fancies, intertwining a neo-burlesque routine with glass, fire and trapeze.

“Burlesque puts power back into femininity, which for years...many years, has been suppressed,” Victorian said. “Getting up on the stage and performing such a commanding art form is empowering and as soon as someone experiences this they come back for more.”

But for those destined to do more than just watch from the sidelines or wish to spice up their love life, they can attend Victorian’s Burlesque University. Students have the opportunity to take a six week class teaching them the art of burlesque as well as drop-in classes including boylesque, make-up and wig tricks, fan dancing, tassel making, costume making, and how to strip for your lover.

“Burlesque University was created for two types of people; those wanting to develop a character and dedicated to performing and those looking for fun and interesting things to do with a Saturday afternoon,” Victorian said. “Either way these classes are barrels of fun and teach some amazing techniques that can be applied to everyday life to help improve self-esteem and confidence. Want to learn how to use your eyes and without a word seduce that cutie from across the bar?  With the art of the tease you may never have to buy your own drink again.”

“Character development takes time and concentration,” Victorian continued. “Costuming takes forethought, imagination, and money. A routine takes all of that plus choreography and music. Burlesque 101 walks you through all of this and develops the foundation for a successful career in burlesque.”

For those especially daring, they can take Burly Gurly 101, a two-hour extensive crash course required for participation in the D.C. Gurly Show. Classes range from $15 to $75.

And if that isn’t enough, this D.C. burlesque entrepreneur is bringing to the area the Kitty Victorian’s Bourdoir Boutique, still in its beginning stages, but currently available online.

“Kitty Victorian’s Boudoir Boutique worships the goddess in each woman by indulging each goddess in the most exquisite lingerie to adorn, books to encourage growth, workshops to empower and toys for pleasure,” Victorian says. “With concentrating on the goddess and ensuring her happiness, she will, in turn, spread her overwhelming joy with the world. Have you ever seen how much a woman can do when she is fully satisfied?”

We wish Miss Kitty Victorian all the luck in her mission in making D.C. a staple on the burlesque map.

Check out next month’s festivities at www.kittyvictorian.com  www.burlesqueuniversity.com.