Las Vegas Weekly

Doin’ the pasty hop

Somewhere between dance move, workout and wardrobe (mal)function is the pasty hop—the bouncing, jiggling movement that causes the tassels on a pair of pasties to spin in mesmerizing circles. Do it right and your chest is literally dancing; do it wrong and your knockers are a knocking, fringe-tangled mess. This weekend, women from all over the world will descend on Las Vegas to prove that they can hop with the best.

The Burlesque Hall of Fame’s Exotic World Weekend kicks off on June 4, four days and nights of striptease that will leave everything but jeweled G-strings, stilettos and the ubiquitous pasties on the floor. The crown jewel of the weekend—which includes a burlesque bazaar, the Titans of Tease reunion showcase and a pinup pool party, among other events—is Saturday night’s annual Best of Burlesque pageant, which will crown Miss Exotic World 2009.

Last year’s pageant included a burlesque tennis match, a stripping airline stewardess and a leggy blonde who sat atop a giant clam kicking her legs apart to the refrain “Do the clam. Do the clam.” This year’s promises to be just as wild, with a ukulele striptease, a burlesque routine on a static trapeze and a curvaceous Las Vegan named Kalani Kokonuts all on the schedule. You could do something else with your Saturday night, but that would significantly decrease your chances of being hit in the face with a rhinestone bra.