Undine LaVerve began performing burlesque in 2010 and has represented Malta on international stages since 2012. She’s the headmistress of Burlesque Academy Malta, and produces serial theatre show MalTease as well as the MalTease Burlesque Festival.
Here’s her 21.
1. How would you define yourself in three words?
Ambitious. Optimistic. Dreamer.
2. Who would play you in a movie about your life?
Audrey Hepburn, if time and space could bend. Or, honestly, how iconic would it be to play oneself? 🙂
3. What is your biggest strength?
Performance-wise, my biggest strength is how expressive I am, especially my face. When I am on stage, I feel this surge of energy and emotions, and I can express that quite authentically. Another strength is ‘the gift of the gab’ – I am good at live interviews, hosting and thinking on my feet.
4. What is your biggest weakness?
I work too hard and burn myself out. I want to do everything myself, so I push myself and then get overwhelmed. Sometimes tasks as simple as admin feel too much; I organize most events myself and it’s a lot. I sometimes wish I’d get a call saying, “You have a show on this day, just show up.” Haha! But I do love organizing – the memories and moments I have created for my community, the audience and myself have been worth every drop of blood, sweat and tears!
5. When are you most happy and inspired?
When I travel, whether it’s for burlesque, or something I‘ve recently learnt to take – holidays. Being in a new environment, exploring and experiencing the world. I’ve also started appreciating quiet times at home – I am learning to rest without guilt. But unfortunately I get my best ideas at the gym, which interrupts my workouts!
6. What is your favourite on-screen burlesque moment from film or TV?
Take it off the E string, Play it on the G string from Lady of Burlesque, based on Gypsy Rose Lee’s The G-string Murders; Mami Van Doren’s The Girl who Invented Rock ‘n’ Roll from Teacher’s Pet if that counts; and Natalie Wood in the Let Me Entertain You montage in Gypsy. Oldies!
7. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?
To be authentic and not chase trends, to not be a copy of someone else. I think the best possible advice, especially in an industry that is becoming as oversaturated as ours is, is to just be yourself and find your own, personal, unique flavour. It’s good to be inspired, but then make it yours and you!
8. If you could switch lives with one person for a day, who would it be?
It would either be someone really, really famous (but nice, like Beyonce) – just to see how disciplined they need to be and how busy they must be daily to make all their appointments (maybe I would appreciate my life a bit more even on my 14 hour days), or someone completely free – not a care in the world, somewhere on an island with their toes in the sand, a quiet life.
9. What’s the biggest myth or misconception about burlesque?
I think there is a misconception that Burlesque is somehow inappropriate or that we do it to be inappropriate. Sure there is provocative Burlesque – acts that are provocative on purpose, acts where people are on stage owning their sexuality, owning their bodies, their femininity or masculinity or whatever they want to express.
But Burlesque can also be, and very often is tongue-in-cheek, refined, multi-disciplinary, all those things combined. The amount of work and artistry that goes into our work is often not seen.
This is the misconception I had to fight trying to grow a scene on a highly religious, tiny island. People thought, prejudicially: burlesque – stripper – prostitute. That is what I had to fight. It took a lot of articles, TV and radio interviews and getting my show into national theatres for people to recognise Burlesque as an art and not something “dirty”. I am very proud of my journey to achieve this recognition, even though the idea still persists in parts of the population.
10. If you could only perform to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Probably something jazzy, raspy, an old school burlesque tune, with no lyrics so I am not tied down to any ideas/meanings and can portray any idea/character I want, and so there are enough beats to play with, a lot of highs and lows and a nice drop somewhere in the song!
11. What surprisingly useful things do you have in your show case?
I have my emergency box. This is something I created after my first time performing at madame Q – they had tampons in the bathroom and backstage they had everything you could imagine – sewing kit, first aid kit, bobby pins… So as the mother/producer I feel I have to have this box – and it has everything – sewing kit, scissors, spans, safety pins, nail, lash, rhinestone glue, even one of those expanding towels…it’s a life saver and an essential backstage and for travelling.
12. Do you have a backstage ritual?
I think the closest to a ritual I have is the getting ready process – getting my face on. I like to sit on the floor somewhere and do my makeup. Maybe listening to music similar to the mood of my act. Then once my face and hair is on, I feel it! And also, I always take a moment to be fully present JUST before I go on stage. ‘Breathe, let’s go!’
13. What advice would you give to new performers starting out today?
Work on yourself – attend classes, learn the history, read the literature, watch the movies, immerse yourself in the art if you are serious about it. Find who you want to be. Burlesque often gives people self love and purpose – I found that in myself and see it in my students. The truth is that the scene is oversaturated, it’s very hard to do it full time and you have to stand out to make it big. So if you are new – do it for the love first, then decide how much you are willing to invest and see how it goes. Let yourself love yourself. But most importantly, be yourself. Everybody has a story to tell, something to express – find what that is for you and be authentic, and then you can’t go wrong.
14. What is your proudest achievement?
Every MalTease show because I feel that I managed to top the previous year. The MalTease Burlesque festival – pulling off such a huge production with the help of only my parents, partner and – on the weekend itself, my bestie stage managing and my students helping. And the EuroPride edition of MalTease – the only time I got funding and could let my imagination run wild, and create a truly incredible, inclusive show full of variety! That was a huge highlight.
15. What is your biggest regret?
I don’t really have regrets. I may have missed some opportunities. I always think I could have worked harder. But I am so happy with where I already am and I know I will still do bigger things in time. I have many hopes and dreams for the future. The best is yet to come and the past has led me to exactly where I am supposed to be now with many lessons and beautiful moments along the way.
16. What is the biggest challenge facing today’s burlesque scene?
It’s hard to speak for the global scene because being in Malta I feel that we are so far removed and it’s hard to see the bigger picture. But what I can see from a European perspective is burlesque venues closing or really struggling. We lost Zum Starken August in Berlin and Madame Q in Warsaw in the last six months. There are fewer venues that are dedicated to burlesque, and many cities have cliques and work within their clique. I hope that we manage to keep the community feeling despite sometimes competing for work and navigating such a huge scene now. Celebrating each other, booking variety and giving credit where credit is due. Exposing the audience to more versatile line ups – to more body types, skin colours, beautiful weirdness and more gender-fuckery, too!
17. If you could go back and tell yourself one thing when you started out in burlesque, what would it be?
Trust your instincts. Trust the process. Don’t be scared to make big moves. Learn. Always stand up for yourself and those who work with you. And enjoy the ride!
18. What is a cause or issue that’s very important to you?
An important cause for me is female emancipation and bodily autonomy. We don’t have legal abortion in Malta and that puts many women in harm’s way and doesn’t allow them the right of choice. That’s a scary reality. And emancipation in the sense of loving our bodies, because many women are taught to be ashamed of nudity and our feminine powers. I wish for individuals everywhere – as these feelings are not exclusive to women of course – to worry less about what people think, live more and love yourself. I think Burlesque actually helps with that and I hope in that way I can do my part.
19. What are you currently reading, watching, and listening to?
I just finished reading Faust. I like classics, dystopian novels and Shakespeare, because I studied to be a linguist. I had an experience that made me accept myself for who I truly am without trying to fit the mould, so I am listening to a hell of a lot of lesbian music now! Haha. Generally, apart from watching some anime while rowing at the gym, or some YouTube in the background while cooking, I am not much into TV.
20. If you could share a dressing room with one performer for the rest of your career, who would it be?
It would be my bestie – Lilly Mortis. Hilarious, sarcastic, dry humour, wise, but also – despite the Diva look – surprisingly loving, warm and a real cheerleader. She makes me laugh-cry and almost ruins my makeup, but it’s almost the best part of the experience. Or my partner from my duo, Sin Sirens – Countess SinAtra; we have great synergy and work together really well.
21. What would you like your life and career to look like in 10 years time?
I am planning to get married and have a child in the next couple of years but that isn’t going to stop me. I admire performers who have kids and do it all – I want to be like that. I am planning to continue performing as long as I can and have a short break post pregnancy, but I plan to be producing as long as it’s possible – bigger, better shows! No matter where I end up in the world, I want to keep teaching the art of Burlesque and sensuality to anyone who is interested, putting performers on stages. Continue being ambitious, optimistic and dreaming.
Vist undinelaverve.com and follow Undine LaVerve on Instagram.