Miss Amelia has cast chorus lines for shows in New York and Shanghai, discovering new talent like Melody Sweets and Miss Reina Sunshine. The producer and choreographer interviews the latest additions to the cast of When Worlds Collide.
My ideal showgirl is someone who exudes talent and beauty, and has an interest in getting involved with the burlesque and cabaret community. I like to find young artists and give them the platform and direction to turn them into stars. So it is with great pleasure that I’d like to introduce the two new, virgin showgirls joining my latest chorus line, The London Chinatown Dolls.
One is Miss Rosy Apples. The other doesn’t have a stage name yet. We’ll reveal her name at the first date of the new season of When Worlds Collide, on November 8th. For the moment, let’s call her by her real name, Katie. If you want to help us name a showgirl, visit our website: you could win free tickets for the show.
Miss Amelia (second from the right) choreographs the routines of the London Chinatown Dolls
What was your first exposure to burlesque and cabaret?
Rosy: When I was 15 or 16 I discovered the showgirls of the 1940s and 50s on YouTube, and just fell in love with burlesque.
Katie: It was embarrassingly recent for me. I saw La Soirée at the Roundhouse, and it was an amazing first show to see. There was a duet, a man and woman, sat at a table, and they played this rhythmic percussion with their hands and feet, high-fiving halfway through: Up and Over It was one of the best things I’ve ever seen. I also loved Laurie Hagen’s reverse strip the other night at The Double R Club. I could tell she was a dancer like me.
Miss Rosy Apples has acted in TV and film
How did you two come to us?
Rosy: I came to watch “The Devil Versus The Deep Blue Sea”, the last When Worlds Collide, and it was fantastic. I’d never seen anything like it. And I thought, “I want to be a part of that.”
Katie: I saw the audition posted online and looked into The London Chinatown Dolls. Burlesque is something I’ve wanted to get into for a long time, so I applied, and Amelia invited me to audition.
Tell me about your experience prior to joining The London Chinatown Dolls.
Rosy: My main job is acting. I’ve been doing TV and film work since college. I only started looking into burlesque a year ago.
Katie: I’ve been performing my whole life. I started dancing when I was three, and from then on my life revolved around it. Jazz, tap, ballet, and then I got into hip-hop when I was 16. After I left school at 18 I knew that was what I wanted to do with my life, so I started auditioning, doing music videos and musical theatre. A few weeks ago I got to perform fire at Usher’s birthday party, which was definitely the highlight of my career so far. He danced with me, came sliding over, gave me some of his cake. Yeah, we’re best buds now.
What are you looking forward to in your When Worlds Collide debut?
Rosy: Everything. I am super, super excited. I’ve never done any dance troupe work before, so I’m looking forward to dancing with all the girls.
Katie: Being in a show that’s not just dancing. There’s acting, singing and comedy. I’ve always been just a dancer, so it’s going to be nice to branch out into other disciplines.
Katie Groark’s dancing background includes jazz, tap, ballet and hip hop
What do you think of our new venue, the Pavilion?
Rosy: It’s fabulous. There is no other word. The transformation has been amazing.
Katie: It was a bit of shit hole before. It’s gone from just this dingy room above a bar where you might’ve gone to see a band when you were 16, to a whole other world.
Rosy: Now it has elegance and class, and looks like a real cabaret venue. It has a sense of occasion, and the decor is just beautiful.
Katie: Well done Norman and Amelia!
Rosy and Katie’s debut with The London Chinatown Dolls takes place on November 8th, at the return of When Worlds Collide. See www.whenworldscollidecabaret.com for tickets, upcoming dates and other details.
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