"connie & jimmy"

"connie & jimmy" is romantic nostalgia. We romanticize the thought of taking a horse-carriage ride, as if it makes us feel connected to our ancestors. It's quite the opposite actually. To honor them we ought to observe the past and allow it to assist us in building a brighter future. We now know that the horse-drawn carriage industry is inhumane, dangerous to horses and people, and unnecessary. Alternatives are available. It's time to make history!

"connie & jimmy" supports New York State Senate and Assembly Bill S5013/A7748, sponsored by State Senator Tony Avella and Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal. This bill calls for a ban of horse-drawn carriages in New York City and finding good homes for all the carriage horses.

Gosh, don't get pulled in. Boycott horse-drawn carriages.

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Alien Of Extraordinary Ability - Bettina May

If you missed Mover, Bettina May on The Couch this morning it is a must see. She is an inspiration to us all!

More of Bettina May HERE!

Behind The Velvet Curtain

Come out to the debut of Bettina May's new monthly show in Manhattan! Each month she'll be putting the best performers in burlesque, boylesque and variety onstage. Her inaugural show is the NY Burlesque Fest Hangover show, the perfect wind down from an amazing 4 days of international burlesque, featuring London's Kitty Bang Bang, BHOF King of Burlesque 2012 Russell Bruner from Portland, Maine Attraction, Miss Ekaterina, herself and hosted by the extraordinary Bastard Keith!

Visit: http://bettina.ca/BehindTheVelvetCurtain/for more details and for reservations.

Ticket Information:

General Admisson - $10 at the door, 1/2 off with a NYBF weekend pass (first show only!)

Reserved Seating - $20 per person, subject to availability.

Group Reservations - Special packages available for Bachelorette Parties, Birthdays etc.

Bettina May at Nurse Bettie

I had a night out on the town with Bettina May. We met up in the Lower East Side at Nurse Bettie where she performed to Shoo-B-Doop and Cop Him by Betty Davis. She wore a pleather one piece and looked ravishing.

She then took me to a new vegetarian falafel shop around the corner where they make fresh whole wheat pita bread every hour. It was the freshest falafel sandwich I'd ever had.

A fun nite, as always, with Bettina May! Check out her performance schedule HERE.

Bombshell Hair Class

Jul 14: NYC - Bombshell Hair, New York School of Burlesque 4-6pm, $30

For pinup modeling or a glam night out! Discover how to curl any type of hair, create long-lasting Victory rolls, glamorous waves, sturdy up-dos, and how to create hairstyles to withstand hot studio and stage lights or vigorous dancing! Also learn how to incorporate accessories for quick vintage looks and how to troubleshoot mishaps. Bring your accessories, hair flowers, vintage hats, and all of your hair questions. This is primarily a demo class with question and answer.

Click here to register through the New York School of Burlesque!

Burlesque Without Borders

Bombshell Bettina May is making an appearance in 'Burlesque Without Borders'.  Details for the above performances are listed below.

May 24:	Washington, DC - *Burlesque Without Borders* at Red Palace, 1212 H St NE. An all international cast of burlesque with Canadian Cutie Bettina May, Finland's LouLou D'vil, and Spanish Siren Medianoche, with host Albert Cadabra. Doors 8:30, show at 9pm. Tickets $10 advance, $12 at the door. Click here for advance tickets!
May 25:	Wilmington, DE - *Burlesque Without Borders* at MOJO 13, 1706 Philadelphia Pike. An all international cast of burlesque with Canadian Cutie Bettina May, Finland's LouLou D'vil, and Spanish Siren Medianoche, with host Albert Cadabra. Doors at 8pm, show at 9:30pm. Tickets $10 advance, $12 at the door, available at MOJO 13. Must be 21+.
May 26:	West Chester, PA - *Burlesque Without Borders* at The Note, 142 E. Market Street. An all international cast of burlesque with Canadian Cutie Bettina May, Finland's LouLou D'vil, and Spanish Siren Medianoche, with host Albert Cadabra. Doors at 9pm, show at 10pm. Tickets $10 advance, $12 at the door. Click here for advance tickets!

Peach Ballerina Bettina May

Mover, Bettina May has never failed to impress me with her charm. She designs and constructs all of her own costumes and this another beautiful example of her talents.

Shot at House of Yes by Matt Stuart.

Music: Parisian Women by Cy Coleman Petite Fleur by Henri Rene

For mature audiences.

See more of Bettina May's burlesque performances at www.bettina.ca.

In addition, don't forget to sign up for her next Pin-Up class HERE!

NY Times said:

"Fully costumed and made up I felt transformed, sexy, feminine – confident." Pretty As A Pin-Up - New York Times East Village

Sparkle In Her Eyes!

Burlesque Goddess and Enforced Arch 'Mover' Bettina May is featured in Freshkills first single off the album "Raise Up the Sheets", out March 13th, 2012 on Bat Rabies Alert/The End Records.

Produced and Directed by Tim Murray Cinematography by Daniel Trapp Edited by Joel W Henderson Additional Production and Styling by Bettina May Animation by Thomas Smolenski Motion graphics by David Ahuja

Visit Freshkills on Facebook too: Facebook.com/freshkills

TREMENDOUS!

Enforced Arch made the FINALS! We need your help. It only takes 10 seconds to vote and it's just ONE CLICK. Visit the link, scroll down, select Enforced Arch and click vote. Thank you! VOTE HERE!

Don't Miss, Ms. Bettina May!

Merci Beaucoup

Enforced Arch would like to extend a special thanks to the following people who helped send the Anti-Fur performance piece 'Please, Don't Touch' to Paris. Our community has grown as a result and new opportunities have presented themselves. We created this video to thank everyone for their unconditional support. Enjoy: Thank you; Amanda Lee, Andrea Rosa, Andrea Torres, The Anti-Fur Society, Beatrice Cox, Bettina May, Blossom Du Jour, Bonnie Erickson, Brooke B Toohey, Bud Burdick, Carly Fox Horton, Celine Orang, Clara Lofaro, CocoaV, Creadanse, Daphne Cheng, David & Nancy Dorius, Elizabeth Castoria, Esther Bell, Foodswings, Gavin Reign, Hope Kandel, Jasmin Singer, Jennifer Fox, Judith Vogel, Julia Hochner, Joshua Katcher, Kristin Mularz, Lauren Cox, Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart, Marcia Fox, Margo Martinez, Marlena Pavich, Mary Sarsfield, Melissa Fornabaio, Michel Lambert, Michele Bernstein, Michelle Cohen Carpenter, Nicole Johnson, Nina Athanasakos, Pamela Elizabeth, Paris Vegan Day, Rachel Kay, Rebecca Hall, Shelley Ohmes, Stacie Adams, Tarik Daniels, The Gentle Gourmet, Vaute Couture, Vegan Paris Day, VegNews, Verité Catering, The West Cafe, Tracey Katof, Zachary Koval

James Koroni's Birthday & Fundraiser

Our fundraising event on Tuesday evening went brilliantly. The turn out was outstanding! A crowd made up of friends, family, artists, activists, fashion industry professionals, dancers, choreographers, Clara Lofaro fans and of course the lure of Bettina May topped it all off! I could not have had a more splendid time. A special thanks you to all those involved including: Bettina May , dough-nut stop till you get enough!

Clara Lofaro accompanied by Andrea Torres on Taps!

Lauren Cox & myself performing 'Please, Don't Touch' with Marlena Pavich's Anti-Fur pants!

Verite Catering

The West Cafe in Williamsburg

Thank you to Cocoa V, Blossom Du Jour, Bettina May's PinUp Class, Foodswings, Tracey Katof, Bud Burdick, Carly Fox Horton, Joshua Katcher, Vaute Couture and of course thank you for being in attendance!

As for the fundraiser element, we raised just enough to send one dancer to Paris which means there is still more outreach to be done. We have created an IndieGoGo web page. If you know anyone that might be interested in our cause please send the following link their way:

http://www.indiegogo.com/Please-Dont-Touch

Here is the launch of our video:

‘Please, Don’t Touch’ focuses energy on a topic that sits at the intersection of social justice, ecology and design. Our ultimate goal is to to become effective conduits for empathy and creative tools for change. Through the use of live performance, transmedia and personal interaction, this project will impact the heavily guarded perceptions of fur iconography by shedding light on what isn’t revealed behind the glitz and glamor.

Sea Or Be Seen

BETTINA MAY but your way! Dancers often find if difficult to stand out in this competitive sea of talent. What will give you that edge when everyone can do a triple? With Bettina May's crafty creativity and savvy vintage style you're sure to learn a trick or two about how a lady can utilize ones own wardrobe and physique to create the perfect look!

May 8: Brooklyn, NY - Pin-Up Class, Vintage Home, Crown Heights, 1-7pm. Space is limited in this special class in a beautiful private mid-century modern-styled home, so sign up asap. When you sign up she'll email you the address and directions.

bettina.ca/pinupclass.htm

KAIGHT

Beauty Bombshell Bettina May & I took a trip to KAIGHT, an Eco Boutique, this past weekend in search of Earth friendly attire. You can find them in the Lower East Side off of Orchard at Broome St.

Here are a few items we couldn't overlook:

From top to bottom; TOMS Shoes, Melissa Plastic Dreams, Nina Payne Ballet Flats, Waiting For the Sun (Sunglasses) & more. Visit them at the following address:

KAIGHT 83 Orchard Street New York, NY 10002

Night Life, Night Lights

I took a trip to the Public Assembly in Williamsburg where the one year anniversary of Beatles Burlesque took place. The experience was whimsical, enchanting and not only did I get to see one 'Mover' perform but there were two compassionate ladies in the line up! Anja Keister & Bettina May each took the stage that evening.

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BETTINA MAY

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These ladies never fail to impress to me. They live to shed light on the burlesque industry which is traditionally rife with feathers and fur. Anja Keister created The Trials and Tribulations of A Vegan Burlesque Performer which features creative and responsible leading ladies while Bettina May makes all of her own garments! You can see more of her wardrobe here!

Check back for more performances by these two Beaming Bombshells!

Bettina May, But Your Way!

Once again, Bettina May opens her heart to aspiring Burlesque performers at Beauty Bar! She has been traveling around the globe teaching ladies how to rediscover the glamour secrets of our grandmothers since 2006, and has been a professional pin-up model and photographer since 2003. In one day, she'll teach you how to unlock the mysteries of good hair and easy makeup, and how to look great in front of a camera. You supply your own make-up and wardrobe, so she can teach you how easy it is to achieve vintage looks with the stuff you already have, no need to spend a fortune on all new items! You will leave that day with a book detailing all of the information that you learned in class that day and a CD of your own unedited images that you will own the rights to. She strives to make this class a body-positive experience, teaching you that glamour has no age, height or size requirement. VISIT, bettina.ca/pinupclass.htm for more info!

Bubbly Bettina

Luck be a lady tonight, Bettina May performed Downtown at Bubble Bar on West Broadway and White St.

This swanky bar had fashion illustrations from the nineties with beautiful woman swimming in enormous cocktails even an alcoholic couldn't down. Management and service was phenomenal, their menu didn't have vegan options but as soon as our requests were in the waitress brought fresh strawberries and olives for us to enjoy.

The DJ then announced our Burlesque Goddess Bettina May. She strolled out in a full length faux fur coat kicking and grinning to her hit song "Hey Hey Bettina May" written for her by Hank Angel and his Island Devils! What a blast.

I will return and I will ask for an encore next time!

Don't forget she is in the running for Viva Las Vegas! Click on the link and support this beautiful Bombshell!

First Class Gal

Took a night on the town to Park Side at 317 Houston Street to see Bettina May in action. Her performances are sensational! Offering the crowd an experience that takes you away from the NYC stress and into the charming smiles of Lady Bettina May's sweet character.

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Bettina is sharing the secrets of Burlesque at Beauty Bar Sunday, Jan 16th!

It's a must!

Foh Real? Faux Feathers!

Where in the world is Bettina May? Well she's in New York City. Certainly wouldn't be the same without her. Her innovative performances are more than just fanfare. Every bit of her costuming, performance and smile are genuinely committed to ending cruelty. She showed up to teatime today in a FAKE full length fur coat with matching hat. When I asked her where she acquired her matching set, she said, "I sew, made it myself." Well that's impressive! Little did I know she envisions and creates all of her own costumes. Her resistance to the mainstream costuming industry is that traditional Burlesque dancers use feathers, leather, and fur in all their performances with little thought of who they took it from. You don't need these items to entertain, be creative, innovative and inspire others to not feed into unfortunate tradition. We must not get involved with indulgent lifestyles that breed thoughtless performance rather evolve along with the environment and return the respect. Very refreshing to meet such a unique 'Mover' in our industry!

Check out her home made "Feather" Headdress in a performance entitled,

'Don't Touch My Tomatoes!'

While one end of a feather is soft to the touch, tickle worthy and awe inspiring there is another end of this quill that isn't quite as lovely. Live plucking is of commonplace among feather producing farms. If you thought getting hair waxed off was painful, imagine living a lifestyle, against your will, where being "waxed" regularly for anothers kicks and giggles was all you understood.

Alternative choices are available!

Coquette Faux Furriers

Bettina May's Links

For more on Miss Bettina May check out her website, click on the link below!

Bettina Beauty Bar Bombshell Basics

Anyone who has been in the original NYC Beauty Bar knows that this location is amazing with every corner being vintage pin-up perfect. She certainly deserves this space for a class in January!

*PAY IN FULL BEFORE JANUARY AND ONLY PAY $175 FOR THIS CLASS!*

Bettina May has been traveling around the globe teaching ladies how to rediscover the glamour secrets of our grandmothers since 2006, and has been a professional pin-up model and photographer since 2003. In one day, she'll teach you how to unlock the mysteries of good hair and easy makeup, and how to look great in front of a camera. You supply your own make-up and wardrobe, so she can teach you how easy it is to achieve vintage looks with the stuff you already have, no need to spend a fortune on all new items! You will leave that day with a book detailing all of the information that you learned in class that day and a cd of your own unedited images that you will own the rights to. She strives to make this class a body-positive experience, teaching you that glamour has no age, height or size requirement.

Learn vintage hair, makeup and posing techniques for only $50 Learn the above with a pin-up photo-shoot for $200.

You must pre-register to attend the class at http://bettina.ca/pinupclass.htm