We are celebrating October this month with L.A.’s burlesque sensation Miss Ruby Champagne. Ruby travels across the globe performing in a variety of clubs and burlesque festivals. When she is not performing you can catch this girl at a local tiki bar sipping on a zombie. Let’s meet Rod Authority’s October Babe of the Month.

Sign: Cancer

Hometown: Yorba Linda, CA

Current Residence: Long Beach, CA

Hair color: Black

Eye color: Brown

How did you get into Burlesque?

I’ve been a fan of Burlesque, but didn’t know the art I loved had a name! I used to see my friends dance at a club in Hollywood but never thought I could do it as they had perfect tiny dancer bodies. Then I moved to New York and found Burlesque shows that featured performers of all shapes and sizes! I got to thinking maybe I could perform one day after all! I joined the New York School of Burlesque in 2006 and instantly knew it was something I wanted to learn and present my art on stage.

What do you enjoy most about performing?

My greatest joy in performing is being able to freely express my art and sexuality for fans to enjoy along with me. I also enjoy sharing my art as a way to inspire and provide an experience that will make them feel good.

What was your last gig?

My last gig as I answer these questions was a Monster/Halloween theme show for Peepshow Menagerie’s first Orange County show. I loved being able to pull together some of my spider & spiderweb pieces to create an act for that show. Now I’m gearing up for my little tour in Europe.

You travel quite a bit for shows how do you balance your work schedule?

And as I just mentioned gearing up for my tour in Europe, haha! Yes, I do travel quite a bit to perform, which is the best of both loves! It can be a bit of a challenge to balance with my day job (yup folks, most of us have day jobs to be able to live), but I find a way to make it work. Thankfully my job is pretty flexible in that I can travel and work as well. I’m always working and accessible for my clients.

Where is your favorite place to perform?

Many great venues have come and gone, like Bordello in Los Angeles. That was one of my favorite places to perform as it was a lovely backdrop and the crowd was close to me. My current favorite place to perform is Harvelle’s Long Beach. It’s a great space for entertainers to interact with the audience as we can dance on the bar, make our way through the audience and do our thing on stage with the fabulous red tufted walls behind us.

If you could perform anywhere in the world where would it be?

One of my goals was to perform in Paris, France, which I did in 2017. So now if I could perform anywhere else in the world, I’d love to perform in Tokyo!

Upcoming gigs you have:

My next big gig is my European Tour 2019! I’ll start in Munich, Germany performing in the Bavarian Burlesque Festival. Then I’m off to perform in Treviso, Italy and then another gig in Barcelona, Spain, which I’m very excited about as I absolutely love Barcelona!!

I’m excited to share that I’ll be performing on New Year’s Eve on the historic Queen Mary in one of their spectacular events on the ship! I’ve performed at the Queen Mary before in a little bar that I’ve never been able to find since (creepy!), so I’m thrilled to be invited to perform for their New Years’ Eve Gala.

Who is your favorite burlesque performer and why?

I love something about different performers, but I’d like to highlight two performers as they are not only favorites of mine, but they’ve been part of my recent journey of extensive learning, exploring and honing my skills to be a more powerful and meaningful performer – Jett Adore and Ginger Valentine.

How has the burlesque scene changed over the years?

Oh boy has it changed. The Burlesque scene has grown exponentially over the years. It’s been great that one can catch a Burlesque show almost every night of the week. But, the saturation has also been damaging. It’s an art form that doesn’t have any structure, so it’s interpreted and represented in many ways these days.

What’s your favorite classic car?

A ’49 Ford Shoebox!!! I went out with a guy who mentioned he had a Ford Shoebox. I got so excited when I found out he had my dream classic car!!! He said he hadn’t seen me so animated. He proceeded to show me a picture of it. It was totally kustom and my favorite part of the car, the grill, was completely modified.

What was the last car show you attended?

I rolled in with my friend, Latina Vamp, and her gorgeous ’62 Chrysler 300 to the Imperials Car Show in July 2019.

Tell us about your last photoshoot?

My last photoshoot was with Venerable Photography and I did a couple “Cowgirl” looks. It was such a fun day shooting with a really old wagon and then found a location with cows! They were all under a canopy a couple of yards away. I stood behind the railing and just admired them and waved to them. Then, one of the bulls started walking over towards me and low and behold they ALL came over! Best day!! We got some really fun images with all the cows behind me! I love cows!

Favorite place to chill?

My little dollhouse apartment is my favorite place to chill. It’s cozy and it has all my vintage treasures surrounding me.

Favorite cocktail?

Tequila and lime with a splash of soda.  But when at a tiki bar, I usually get a zombie.

Favorite music to dance to?

Eighties new wave, punk rock and Disco! Speaking of dancing, I’ve become highly popular for my “Friday Dance Party” videos on Instagram. You can catch me dancing to many of my favorite tunes. I also love dancing Salsa, but don’t get around to going salsa dancing as much as I used to.

What do you love most about the pinup culture?

I love the inclusivity the pinup culture has been reflecting the past few years. It’s been very inspiring and encouraging to see the pinup gals uplift each other. I’ve observed at pinup contests I’ve seen, judged, or emceed that the gals share good energy and instead of a feeling of competitiveness between them, I see friendships and smiles. It’s really beautiful to see the pinup culture blossom in that direction!

Where can we see more of Ruby Champagne:

You can find me on Instagram (almost) every day! But in person, you can follow my Instagram and Facebook where I share all show and event information. Instagram: @rubychampagne. I have a website too!