Friday, February 5th

Featured artist: Deanna Danger

Interviewed by: Kitty Barnes

Welcome to Red Vein Army's very first Wicked Women of Richmond Series. In support of Women in Horror Month, we are featuring weekly interviews to bring attention to many of the women within the Richmond, Virginia community that have excelled at their particular creepy horror-centric art. Each week we will highlight a different creative outlet and it's marvelously macabre visionary. We'll introduce you to a horror writer, an illustrator, a burlesque producer, and even a few of our very own haunt designers and actors.

Without further adieu, we would like to kick off our series with someone who embodies the spirit of women in horror by pushing boundaries and constantly involving. Art is about self-expression and few art forms can allow an artist to be as whimsical, sexual, humorous and most importantly empowered as burlesque. We are very excited to have had the chance to interview this award winning performer, who has graced the stage in major cities throughout the US and Canada but still calls RVA home. Besides being an accomplished dancer and theater producer, she is an instructor and the owner of Boom Boom Basics Burlesque & Performing Arts Studio.

Ladies and Gentleman, the "Professional Purveyor of Good Times," Miss. Deanna Danger! *Cheers! Applause! More Cheers*

You are an icon in the Richmond Burlesque community and your name has become synonymous with artistically original performances. How did you come to be the queen of the stage and "The Warrior of Burlesque?"

Haha, well thank you! I appreciate that! Umm... I kind of just fell into performing burlesque. I was gogo dancing at local goth/fetish club Fallout, and they had a burlesque night, I asked to perform, and it fit! Burlesque was starting to boom a bit in Richmond, and it all just kind of stuck because of my background in dance and theatre...and production. In a year I was teaching, and in about 2.5 I was doing burlesque full time! It's been a rollercoaster, but a very fabulously glittery one that I wouldn't trade for the world.

Where do you get your ideas when creating a new show concept?

Oh gosh, all over the place! I tend to lean more on the classic side of burlesque, regardless of the subgenre or concept... so for horror related, I tend to go for classical literature or a black and white Hollywood film such as House of Wax, the Vincent Price version of course. #wink! Horror film in general has always been a common inspiration for me from the start.

If you were in a horror movie, would you be the damsel in distress, the one that goes in the basement, the level headed lets-go-back-now person, or the knife wielding maniac?

I would probably be the badass bitch that knows better the whole time and warns everybody, and ends up saving the day in the end. Just warrior type things. #winkwink

What do you think we need more of in our horror community? OR What do you think women can do to grow our community?

Strong. Female. Leads. Un-sexualized. Honored as the heroine without having to play up any assettes to sell the flick. I think women tend to get the short end of the stick in the horror genre of just being the not-intelligent-or-physically-capable-enough type...and that gets exploited. I will say I have seen an awesome up turn in strong female leads over the recent years, but even still...sometimes their looks are more important than their acting, or the amount (or lack thereof) of clothing they are portrayed in still gets exploited. Sometimes you just gotta run away from a guy in the woods without your skirt getting ripped off.

Besides all the time you spend on the stage and producing shows you also own and operate Boom Boom Basics Burlesque & Performing Arts Studio. What is your message for women who want to get involved and take lessons? And can men get involved as well?

My message to women, men and everyone else in between is to jump right in, dig in, and learn all you can! I always tell students on day #1 to be a student for life. This is a genre of art and performance that is constantly evolving. It's constantly transforming and growing, so explore all of it and get to know your performer self (and your local scenes) before you get too invested. You'll be happy that you got in touch with your own niche and learned to be a solid performer (and storyteller) because uniqueness is something that is absolutely celebrated in burlesque productions! There's a million different ways to take burlesque and none of them are ever dull...so enjoy too and remember to always have fun!

Freddy or Jason?

Myers.

Would you rather curl up and read a scary book or hunker down with some popcorn and a scary movie?

Scary movie. Because they go so well cuddled up under blankets on the couch, covered in kitten snuggles, and someone to keep you company in case the boogie man does decide to show up.

What do you think the greatest obstacle has been in growing your brand?

Resources. Of all kinds. Virginia is a tough state to produce in because of archaic blue laws, but also just funding in general. It's an industry being revived from the inside out, so it can often be tough to get enough resources to really do what you want to do! It certainly doesn't stop me from seeking better for a second though!

What is your favorite part of the Richmond arts scene?

Gosh, that it's so diverse! Music, visual art, dance, film, movement arts...I could go on! I think VCU probably has a good deal to play into that fact...but #RVA seems to always kind of be a hot bed for creativity. There's always something new and unique going on out there amongst all the many genres we're known for!

Whats your perfect day in RVA?

Hmm... sleeping in... just a bit. An excellent cup of french press and healthy breakfast on a warm spring or fall day. Outdoor hiking or visiting one of Richmond's awesome outdoor recreational or park areas. An epic sushi dinner at Akida. And then taking in some kind of live entertainment. Flick at the Byrd? Killer music show? Dancing into the wee hours? All of the above? There's so many options!

What upcoming projects are you working on that you're excited to talk about?

Wellllll.... I'm definitely bringing back the Haunting of Poe show that debuted in co-production with Gilded Lilly Burlesque out of Baltimore. We took the stories and life of our fated Richmond POEt, and created a theatrical burlesque play in and around it. We've got dates in both Richmond and Baltimore again, and have our sights on at least 1 more city, if not more (info will be posted on my website when it comes out, www.deannadanger.com)!

What makes Burlesque and Horror such a good combo?

Excitement. Thrills. Sexiness and of course, humor. Some of my favorite horror burlesque performances have been comedy acts, and it's amazing to see someone take a in inspiration from the horror genre and whether it was originally cheezy or not, turn it into an absolutely brilliant and utterly preposterous and ridiculous re-telling of the original story.

Thanks so much to Deanna Danger for taking the time to answer our questions and for all the hard work she does making RVA a better place for the arts. Be sure to check out her site www.deannadanger.com and all her social media... Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vimeo, Tumblr, and Flickr.