Presenting the start of your 2014 Burlesque TOP 10. I have included information, links and footage so that you can get to know your TOP 10 better if necessary.



Please Note: The results are determined by thousands of public votes. I do not decide who makes it into this list. Please resist emailing me to complain or campaign.

Feel free to leave comments below! You can also follow and discuss the results on the BURLESQUE Facebook page, the Burlesque TOP 50 Facebook page, or on Twitter with the tag #burlesquetop50

Holli-Mae Johnson

NB: All links open in a new window, so you won’t lose this page.



The Burlesque TOP 50 2014 is sponsored by Sublime Boudoir



Website – Facebook – Twitter

Kicking off the TOP 10 this year is universally adored stripper, author, teacher, academic, writer and all-round badass Jo ‘Boobs’ Weldon.

In 2014, Jo portrayed burlesque legend Velvet Ice in the 2014 Burlesque Legends Calendar and performed in the tribute show. In New York, Jo produced GodDamned Women, which she described as “a show about knowing who you are, refusing to be shamed, and claiming your own identity without endorsement from authority.” The cast included Julie Atlas Muz, Dirty Martini and Angie Pontani. Travelling further afield, Jo also taught and performed in Vancouver, Guadalajara and Hong Kong!

In May, together with the New York Burlesque Festival, Jo and the New York School of Burlesque produced and performed at the Legendary Mothers Day Burlesque Brunch at the Highline Ballroom, which was attended by burlesque legends Kitten Natividad, Shannon Doah and Jean Idelle. The New York School of Burlesque celebrated its 10th Anniversary in 2014, which is a huge achievement for Jo and her long-serving team of instructors! She also performed in Church of Titillation and Dead Sexy Burlesque at Times Square. In Seattle, Jo was involved in another successful BurlyCon and instructed students at Miss Indigo Blue’s Academy of Burlesque. In New Orleans she joined the cast of Bella Blue and Michelle L’amour’s The Joy of Tease, and The Blue Book at Lucky Pierre’s.

Jo published several burlesque articles in 2014, including several pieces for 21st Century Burlesque Magazine, which you can read below. A highlight was her Penthouse Forum cover story, Bedroom Burlesque: How to Strip for Him (and Her!), which was celebrated with an issue release party featuring School of Burlesque stars and Penthouse Pets.

It is well worth following Jo on Facebook to benefit from her wisdom and participate in thoughtful discussion topics, as well as enjoy her candid backstage snaps and memorabilia from strips gone by.

Jo Weldon interviews Catherine D’Lish about her beautiful dressing gowns.

Jo Weldon: 12 Tips on Supporting Friends in Burlesque Competitions.

Jo Weldon: The Value of Burlesque.

Jo Weldon: A History of the Miss Exotic World Pageant.

Jo Weldon interview burlesque costumier Christina Manuge.

Enjoy this series of Jo Weldon Videos.

Website – Facebook – Twitter – Instagram

Ravishing Texas titan Coco Lectric remains in your TOP 10 once again after a well travelled, successful 2014.

Coco was a headliner on the Australia Burlesque Festival Tour and at the Perth International Burlesque Festival. As a BurlyCon board member, Coco taught a popular class and established the BurlyCon Library. Coco also performed at the Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend, the San Antonio Burlesque Festival and the American Burlesque and Sideshow Festival, and co-produced the Texas Burlesque Festival. Cherry Typhoon and Nikita Bitch Project arranged for Coco to tour Japan as a soloist, and she headlined four sold out shows and taught students in Tokyo.

As well as instructing at the Austin Academy of Burlesque, Coco enjoyed great success with her troupe, The Jigglewatts. The Jigglewatts Burlesque Revue was voted 2014 ‘Best Burlesque/Cabaret Show’ by The Austin Chronicle, and they cemented their reputation with hit shows throughout the year.

Watch Coco Lectric On Stage in 2014…

(Miss Exotic World 2013)

Website – Facebook – Twitter – Instagram

Your outgoing Reigning Queen of Burlesque and Burlesque TOP 50 No. 1 2013 gave a step-down performance to remember at the Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekend 2014 in the guise of a feisty Aztec goddess. Other 2014 highlights for LouLou D’vil included performances at the New Zealand Burlesque Festival, the Helsinki Burlesque Festival and the Iowa Burlesque Festival, shows in Thailand, Milan and The Seychelles, and an appearance on Polish TV. She also underwent further extensive burlesque-inspired tattooing, showing off the results on her popular Facebook page and Instagram account (see links above).

Burlesque Beauty: LouLou D’vil.

A teaser for LouLou D’vil’s new ‘Gogo Cowgirl’ act [VIDEO].

LouLou D’vil in the Mondo Sleaze teaser [VIDEO].

The Burlesque TOP 50 2014 is sponsored by Sublime Boudoir



(Miss Exotic World, Reigning Queen of Burlesque 2014)

Website – Facebook – Twitter – Instagram

All Hail the Queen! Midnite Martini, Miss Exotic World, Reigning Queen of Burlesque 2014 has cracked the TOP 10 after a triumphant year of innovative performance. Her victory was seen as a game-changing result by many performers and burlesque fans who felt uplifted and inspired by a woman of colour taking the title with a striking routine of aerial silks and creative choreography on a ladder. The images of her towering above the audience with a splendid train of blue silk spilling onto the stage were widely circulated. The BHoF footage is yet to appear, but you can watch her perform the winning act through the links below.

Also in 2014, Midnite joined the cast of Trixie Little’s 10th Annual Holiday Spectac-U-Thon in Baltimore and The Beggar’s Carnivale Presents: Le Maison de Decadence in St. Louis. Early in year she performed in New York with Calamity Chang at Nurse Bettie, and at the Slipper Room. She also produced further successful editions of her own show at Lannie’s Clocktower Cabaret in Colorado, Midnite Martini’s Sexy Sideshow, including a Ladies of the 80s special. She performed at the Dallas Burlesque Festival (read her Festival Diary here) and received a warm royal reception from her home crowd when she greeted them in her crown and sash at the Colorado Burlesque Festival.

I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know more about Midnite as a woman as well as a performer in an in-depth interview to mark her victory, which you can read here.

Midnite Martini performing her crown-winning act at the Colorado Burlesque Festival [VIDEO].

Midnite Martini performing her BHoF winning act at The Beggar’s Carnivale Presents Le Maison de Decadence with live accompaniment [VIDEO].

The Would-Be Queens: 20 Questions with Midnite Martini (BHoF 2014).

Bazuka Joe’s Pillow Talk Episode 4: Midnite Martini.