DITA VON TEESE PICKS THE FINAL FOUR STRIPTEASE WINNERS
Burlesque queen Dita Von Teese faced an impossible task of narrowing seven striking stunning striptease dancers down to a final three! Over 50 naturally curved charmers from around the world had started out this week competing for just three prestigious spots starring in the lineup of the original Crazy Horse Paris revue in the French capitol.
By Tuesday the cut was made to 25. By Wednesday the cut was down to 12. By noon yesterday it was ten, and when Dita began her final judging there were just seven to choose from. It was the first time ever that dance auditions were held in America—here in Vegas!
Finally the task of finding just three proved too difficult, and after a long huddle Dita handpicked a final four.
They will now all relocate to France by year’s end and undergo two-months of rehearsals, running choreography routines, costume fittings and even uniform haircuts! As contracts expire and rotations of the main 15 French cabaret revue showgirls move between troupes in Paris, Spain and here in Las Vegas, they will be slotted in to start their two-year contracts at the Avenue George V club that, since 1951, has attracted everybody from royalty to heads of state to movie stars. Dita Von Teese and even Pamela Anderson have been guest stars this past year!
For a dancer to join the Crazy Horse is the pinnacle of their journey to success. For Russian-born Polina Volchek, who lives in Vegas, it was the ultimate dream come true.
Her role in The Fashionistas ended last weekend when the Krave Theater show at Planet Hollywood concluded a two-year-run that cost its creator and producer, John Stagliano some $7 million of his savings.
“Could that be any better? In less than five-days I am back working again—and this time going back home to Europe and dancing for the ultimate show in the world.”
The other hometown winner was Krystle Richeson, originally from Virginia Beach. She moved here after touring with the Radio City Rockettes, and got to the final audition with seconds to spare. She didn’t have time or money to get her car washed or cleaned—she even drove in her skimpy near-naked dance costume to save time and money and raced through the MGM lobby in her stilettos, arriving just five-seconds before the final auditions got underway.
“To get this far is an incredible honor for a dancer. To win is the icing on the cake—this will change my life,” she told me.
The other two winners were Elena Lee Rodriguez, a Korean born girl who lived in Spain before moving to Miami, and Kara McKinney from Roanoke, Virginia, who just graduated from college with a double major in International Studies and Film & Photography.
“I go from college right to the heart of Europe and use all my spare time to further my film career. They do say dreams come true, and this certainly proves it,” she said excitedly. All paid their own way to spend the week in dance competition here in Vegas.
Dita picked her “Final Four” along with Crazy Horse managing director Andree Deissenberg who used to run the Cirque shows here in Vegas for over four-years, international choreographer Molly Molloy, and Crazy Horse show manager Volga Mostouskaya.
Said Andree: “It was just impossible for her to make it a final three, so we all agreed there could be four winners. These were classically trained dancers and the level of their quality and caliber was outstanding. They were really, really good and it’s great that we can now add to the Crazy Horse diversity in Paris with dancers from Vegas, Virginia, Russia and Spain!”
It took 10-hours to wrestle over the final decision as the dancers performed two individual routines and one group dance lineup for the judges yesterday. It all began at 2 p.m. and by 12 midnight they changed and freshened up for Dita’s official results announcement in the Tabu ultra lounge at MGM early this morning.
Dita commented: “The Crazy Horse in Paris has been home to the world’s most sensual and elite showgirls since 1951. I am so honored to be a part of choosing new talent for the show and I am thrilled at the idea of an American girl having the chance to become one of the Crazy Horse stars for the first time. She’s now got her place in showgirl history because to become a member of the world-renowned dance troupe is to become a part of its incredible history.”
Check back to Luxe Life next week for our exclusive interview with the burlesque queen as Dita reveals that both she and Pamela Anderson will be returning to the Paris and Las Vegas showrooms to star in the show later this year again. Dita also spills the secrets as to how she wound-up as the world’s top burlesque striptease dancer!