Celebrity Movie Blog

Who is Dita Von Teese?

Dita Von Teese was born Heather Renee Sweet on the 28th September 1972 in Rochester, Michigan, USA. She is a popular burlesque artist, model and actress. She is one of the instigators of the burlesque revival and has been a considerable factor in bringing burlesque to mainstream attention. Her fame increased during her relationship with Marilyn Manson, whom she married and subsequently divorced. She is well known for her fascination with 1940s cinema and classic retro style. This began at a young age and was fostered by her mother, who would buy clothes for Dita to dress up in. Her mother was a fan of old, Golden-era Hollywood films, and it was from her that Dita developed a fascination with the actresses of that day, especially Betty Grable, an actress that she frequently cites as her favorite. She was classically trained as a ballet dancer from an early age, and danced solo at age thirteen for a local ballet company. Though she originally wanted to be a ballerina, Dita states that "By fifteen I was as good as I’d ever be". She was later to incorporate this element into her burlesque shows, where she frequently goes en point. She says that burlesque "puts the tease back into striptease", she is well know for her retro lingerie, which she wears all the time, not just in her shows.