When in Sin City, how does Dita like to sin? What clubs do you frequent, where must you dine, what must you see?
I suppose my biggest sins involve drinking expensive champagne and shopping, two things that I don’t necessarily want to do at the same time, or that could mean big trouble! I’ve always enjoyed seeing risqué shows, but of course, in my book that’s not a sin.
When I come to Vegas, I like to eat at the best restaurants, which seem to be all over the place now, I like to visit vintage Vegas spots, like the Liberace Museum and the Imperial Palace antique auto museum. And I’ve almost never missed a recent trip to Vegas without seeing The Crazy Horse [formerly La Femme] at the MGM Grand. It’s the best showgirl revue in Las Vegas, and the only show that even comes close to what burlesque actually felt like to see. The girls are great beauties, and they put naughty thoughts in the audience’s heads. Every other burlesque show is way too sanitized and commercialized. The Crazy Horse has had the vision of the art of the nude since 1951, and has stayed true to that.
What is Vegas to you? Why does Vegas appeal to you?
Bright sparkling things appeal to me! I love feathers! Rhinestones! Showgirls! Live entertainment and pure spectacle. Those are the things that appeal to me, and those are things that are easy to find in Vegas.
What does burlesque give you that no other art or dance form can?
I think that one special thing about burlesque is that it was historically based on a woman creating her own act, that was derived from her own ideas rather than someone else teaching or dictating what the act should be. There was always a real individualistic approach to it. Stars made themselves. Many stars of burlesque weren’t necessarily the most talented dancers, or the most beautiful girls; they used what they had and their charisma and stage presence went a long way.