St. Vitus and the Taxi Dancers is Des Moines’ premiere Burlesque troupe. We’re a pack of classy broads from the right (and wrong) side of the tracks. Let us entertain you while we shim sham our way into good ole Des Moines’ expanding art scene.

PERFORMERS

Gertie Sprister

The first thing you’ll notice about Gertie is her unwavering energy. This former ballerina found the stage to be her home at a young age, rumor has it that Gertie was born dancing! She performed all over the nation before making her way to dance for you in Des Moines. Originally from Minnesota, Gertie learned that the best way to heat up a room is dancing! Whether its the skip in her step, the smile on her face, the shine in her eyes or the swing of her hips, Gertie is sure to light up the stage. She can pull off any move your heart desires, but she’s a real klutz off of the stage! She’s been known to be quite the heart-breaker, so watch out boys! This little lady might dance right off the stage and into your heart.

Phoenix L’Amour

Is it HOT in here, or did Phoenix just take the stage?! This pint-sized, buxom blonde was raised on a Texas ranch where at an early age learned to lasso and tame even the WILDEST of stallions. Miss L’Amour melted the hearts of cowboys from all over the state with her piercing blue eyes and whiskey ridden lips…don’t challenge this spit-fire to a drinking game. Phoenix line-danced at the local watering hole, and was spotted by an LA talent agent who offered her $1 million dollars to move to Hollywood with him and be a movie star. She grabbed his neck tie, tipped her hat and said, “Cowboy, I just want to dance!” And that she did, all the way to Des Moines. Phoenix sets the stage ablaze with her shimmy shake, and will never, ever turn down a whiskey drink!

Lola Seville

Miss Lola Seville was born into a band of gypsy Flamenco dancers in Andalucía, a southern region of Spain.  She spent her early years traveling around with this “Spanish Caravan” and fell in love with the life of a gypsy so much she vowed to never stay in one place long enough to grow roots.  She’s been blessed with wings and a free spirit so watch out folks, there’s no stopping this little birdie.  Oh, and be careful boys, she’s notorious for stealing hearts with just one glance from those baby blues.  Call it fate, call it destiny, but one thing’s for sure; her name is Lola…and she was born to be a showgirl.

Ginger La Rousse

This girl next door may seem shy at first, but don’t let this vixen in disguise fool you. She’s as spicy as her ginger hair and packs enough sass to melt the hearts of an entire army of men. Born in Germany, she found her way to the U.S. by way of a Parisian traveling circus where she spent many-a-night performing as a trapeze artist and acrobat before swinging into the heart of America. Ginger is fluent in both German and English, but she dreams only in French – the language of love. Ooh la la!

Photos by Jason Walsmith Photographer