An Interview with the Stunning Kalani Kokonuts,
"The Showgirl of Burlesque"
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| The Stunning Miss Kalani Kokonuts! |
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| Kalani Kokonuts in one of her AWESOME costumes! |
I recently had the honor of being able to interview one of my favorite performers, Kalani Kokonuts for my little blog. She was so nice and responded with great answers! Kalani is a unique and magnificent talent and is very well known in the burlesque community as "The Showgirl of Burlesque!" She also hails from Hawaii!!
Kalani Kokonuts Interview for Burlesque in Hawaii, April 23, 2012:
Aloha Kalani! First of it's a great honor to be able to interview you! I've always been a fan of your work and thrilled by the fact that someone from my hometown hit the "big time!"
Q:What's your Performer Name/Tag-line? How long have you been doing Burlesque?
A:Kalani Kokonuts ''The Showgirl of Burlesque''.
I have been stripping on and off for 22 years. I did at one point, take seven years off to go snowboarding.
Q:Focus/Specialty?
A:I don't have a set focus or specialty. I want to keep my performances interesting for the audience as well as keep my mind engaged while creating and performing.
Q:Upcoming projects you care to share??
A: My newest act is a mermaid act. I Have a giant champagne glass prop that is, as far as I know is the largest in the world. Not certain about the galaxy or universe...or parallel dimensions. I would definitely put this act in the ''Neo'' Burlesque category. I also went very ''anti'' costume for this act because I envisioned simplicity in it's most purest form.
Q:What inspired you to begin doing burlesque?
A: I started stripping at the age of 18 because I had myself and my younger sister to support. I needed money, because food costs money, and my mother had become an absentee parent for a time.
I became inspired after I had seen for the first time a ''Feature entertainer'' that was booked into the club. I was working illegally underage and I loved the costuming! It was mostly escapism for me initially because stripping become monotonous. Honestly I had never even heard the word ''burlesque'' till many years later. I had only ever seen feature entertainers which is what I eventually became. My mother was a burlesque dancer and also performed shows but I never knew there was a name for a strip club showgirl. I am inspired by creating, I love to create and I will admit that the process for creating a new act can be maddening. I also paint, sculpt, play music, sing and write. I have extremely busy hands and I rarely sit and just relax. If you were ever unfortunate enough to have me accompany you to the beach, I would make you crazy.
Q:How long have you been playing the trumpet? That's a pretty amazing skill! What's your favorite song to play?
A: I actually played classical guitar first in high school, I never considered myself adept at that. I picked up the trumpet about 10 years ago, to me the trumpet has a very heavenly and soulful sound. I am also not adept at the trumpet and only occasionally play now. I am learning the base guitar and hope to be a mediocre player sometime in the distant future. My favorite Jazz song is ''Take Five'' by Dave Brubeck.
Q: Your costumes are GORGEOUS! Do you make them or design them yourself? How do you come up with your costuming ideas?
A: First off thank you! Just like anyone else, my acts are inspired by music, movies, fashion and various recreational pharmaceuticals available without a prescription.
I have made most of my own costumes or I have under pieces made which I then finish myself. I designed but did not construct the ''Geisha'' costume, although I did reconstruct it myself after being unhappy with it initially. The ''Geisha'' body suit alone cost me $3500.00 and I had to cut right into it to make it suitable for what I needed. That was a learning lesson for me and it took me 2 hours to work up the nerve to cut up the bodysuit and coincidentally, that is exactly how long it takes to give yourself an ulcer. I highly suggest that burly gals learn to make their own costumes if at all possible. Be part of the process and learn. I design all of my own acts and must absolutely be involved in every aspect of the creation. I am an OCD, perfectionist high anxiety, asshole when creating and constructing, because those are just the standards I hold myself too.
Once I believe I have a decent idea for an act, I let it stew in my head for awhile (sometimes years). I imagine the most high production act I can possibly create, then whittle down from there. Obviously there are budgets and limitations that make the creative process within the laws of physics a serious bummer. I used to be a strict advocate of using only Swarovski's for brilliance but I have recently become fascinated with sequins again. Being realistic about what is possible and not possible is imperative. The idea and costume must be relatable without being self indulgent. Costuming is only second to talent and ability.
Q: You're well known for your lavish stage settings and live performance elements (Taiko drummers, male assistants etc.) during your sets....what is your favorite onstage collaboration or effect?
A: Great performances only happen with great lighting. When I had the idea for the Taiko drummers, I hadn't quite accounted for how loud the actual drummers were. I hope it didn't show, but I was extremely startled by the unexpected loudness and I couldn't hear anything but the drums. I would love to perform with Taiko drummers again. I love performing with other performers onstage and am considering some one off ideas in the future with hired dancers. My favorite show I performed in was Absinthe in Las Vegas. I learned that the most integral part of any show is the lighting, and the lighting.
Q: What do you love most about burlesque?
A: The one thing I love most about burlesque is the absolute joy I get from entertaining an audience. If your happy, I'm happy.
Q: What are your biggest inspirations/influences?
A: My biggest influence and inspiration for creating is music. Music is my religion and without it I am crippled.
Q:Where can we see you perform?
A: I perform every Friday at the Sapphire's Comedy Hour in Las Vegas.
I am also a fill in at Absinthe at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. I will be performing my new act at this year's BHOF and will also be performing at Ink-N-Iron in Long Beach this summer. I don't take as many bookings as I used to because I have bit of burnout and would like to semi-retire from burlesque to sculpt and paint full time. Painting is my first love after snowboarding.
I wouldn't say I have any special or cultivated talents. I have always danced. There are however little things I do onstage, I'll call bad habits that make me nuts. Every performer has them.
Q:What are your ties to Hawaii? Your name is a good indication of one!
A: I grew up in Hawaii and moved away to Alaska when I was 10 years old.
I am from Moanolua Valley on Oahu. There are a lot of local Hawaiians in Alaska because of the fishing trade and I went to high school with many many locals.
Q:Has Hawaii or it's culture inspired you in your work? If so, how?
A: I'll perform traditional hula or Tahitian sometimes onstage at burlesque events but I am not comfortable stripping while dancing hula because I think it's disrespectful and I hold the Hawaiian culture in the utmost reverence. It feels very awkward to me so I don't make a habit of it.
Hawaiian culture has influenced me because Hawaii is where my roots are. The influence is culture, respect tradition and grace. Being a former hula and Tahitian dancer, I had instilled into me the physicality of elegance and fluidity. Much like ballet. It is very spiritual for me and is the experience I try to manifest and share when I perform.
Q:Any funny or cool Hawaii-centric burlesque (or otherwise) memories you care to share?
A:The ''Coconut Lounge'' was a bar my mom and dad owned in Waikiki in the 1970's. My fondest memory was when Elvis Presley popped in for a visit, because my parents had booked a cousin of Elvis's to perform a short run. Well I ended up in Vegas anyway.
K:)
Mahalo Nui Loa Kalani Kokonuts for an awesome & inspiring interview, and for taking the time to answer my questions!
If you'd like to see even more of the Gorgeous Kalani Kokonuts, go here:
or here:
