Miss Indigo Blue, Seattle’s Burlesque Sweetheart, is Miss Exotic World 2011.

Miss Indigo Blue enters the stage at BHoF (POC Photo)

-Story used with kind permission of Miss Indigo Blue.

Seattle-based international burlesque sensation Miss Indigo Blue, “The Twirly Girl,” has been crowned the Reigning Queen of Burlesque at the Burlesque Hall of Fame Reunion and Pageant in Las Vegas, Nevada. The newly named Queen, officially “Miss Exotic World 2011” took home a tiara and a 3-foot tall trophy for her win, and a second trophy for the “Most Classic” award.

“It is a tremendous honor to serve the Burlesque Community as the Reigning Queen of Burlesque. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to raise funds for the Burlesque Hall of Fame Museum and to share the history of Burlesque with the world,” said the new Burlesque royalty.

The Annual Burlesque Hall of Fame (BHoF) Reunion, now in its 54th year, gathers dozens of burlesque legends to reminisce with other icons of the art, and share their experience with younger performers. The BHoF Pageant is the preeminent burlesque event of the year in the United States. Approximately 1600 burlesque performers, fans, and aficionados from around the world attend the weekend event, spending four days performing, networking, partying and promoting burlesque at the Orleans Hotel in Las Vegas.

Miss Indigo Blue is best known as the Headmistress of the Seattle-based Academy of Burlesque, and as the star of the independent film “A Wink And A Smile” by local female filmmaker Dierdre Timmons. She is the Executive Director of BurlyCon burlesque convention, held annually in Seattle. Miss Indigo Blue is also a member of the Atomic Bombshells troupe, and performs regularly at the Triple Door in Lily Verlaine Productions such as “Through The Looking Glass: The Burlesque Alice In Wonderland” and “Land Of The Sweets: The Burlesque Nutcracker”.

The stunning Lily Verlaine, known as “A Living, Breathing Work of Art”, also took home honors as Second Runner-Up in the Miss Exotic World competition. Both local beauties wore custom couture gowns created by local designer Danial Webster.

This is the second national title brought home to Seattle this year by local Burlesque performers. Inga Ingénue, “The Little Blonde Bomb,” recently won the Miss Viva Las Vegas title and also performed at the Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekend in a Danial Webster creation.

Burlesque has seen a major resurgence over the past 15 years, with artists like Dita Von Teese regularly making headlines, and a new major motion film “Burlesque” starring Christina Aguilera and Cher drawing crowds nationwide. The underground Burlesque scene has produced its own stars such as Miss Exotic World 2004 Dirty Martini and Miss Exotic World 2006 Julie Atlas Muz, both of whom star in the current independent film “Tournee” which won a Palme d’Or at Cannes.

Burlesque is a uniquely American art and entertainment form characterized by short strip-tease dances performed in lavish tear-away costumes, often with a clever gimmick or humorous twist. The revival of Burlesque is, for the primarily female performers and audiences, an opportunity to revel in the glory and power of sexuality in an empowered and fun way.

Miss Indigo won her crown at the largest attended Burlesque Hall of Fame Pageant and Reunion ever, held in Las Vegas, Nevada June 2-5. Her win was the culmination of an intense competition that started with over 300 entries from around the world. The final field of 15 contestants was judged by panel of celebrity and expert judges who deemed Miss Indigo Blue triumphant due to her Exper-Tease.

Miss Indigo Blue is currently planning her year-long agenda of duties, as well as continuing to run the Academy of Burlesque and plan the annual BurlyCon Burlesque convention in Seattle this fall. “I hope to travel widely this year to perform, teach, and meet with community members about building a larger home for our museum collection of Burlesque memorabilia…and thank goodness this isn’t the Miss America Pageant, because I’m definitely posing naked this year!”

The Burlesque Hall of Fame is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization whose mission is to inspire, educate and entertain the public, fostering an appreciation for and understanding of the unique history and heritage of vintage American Burlesque. In 2006, the Burlesque Hall of Fame relocated from Helendale, California to Las Vegas, Nevada in hopes of establishing a permanent, first-rate tourist attraction and research/exhibition space for our one-of-a-kind collection. More information is available at: www.burlesquehall.com.

Miss Indigo Blue is the Headmistress of the Academy of Burlesque, Executive Director of BurlyCon Burlesque Convention, and co-Director of Education at the Burlesque Hall of Fame. Miss Indigo Blue is the star of the film “A Wink And A Smile”, available on Netflix and iTunes. Miss Indigo Blue is a Burlesque performer and teacher based in Seattle, Wash. Visit her at www.missindigoblue.com.