Extraordinary women

Step out of your routine, and you’re bound to discover a few hidden talents. Ellie Fazan meets some extraordinary women doing some extraordinary things with theirs…

‘I am a dreamer, an eccentric dresser. My idol is Luisa Casati. She dedicated her life and fortune to exploring her fantasies, and lived in a roofless palace in Venice. At night she would walk her cheetahs around St Mark’s Square. As a child, I was an extreme introvert. I started ballet when I was three, but preferred to sit in the corner and read a book. I never really had a clear idea of what I wanted to be – and I still don’t think of burlesque as something I do. While I was studying theatre design, I began assisting a costume designer, and gradually became involved in this strange and magical world. I’ve ended up in some very curious locations, dancing on the top of a skyscraper, with London all around me. Another time I danced on a sand dune in the middle of the Nevada desert. I was on my way to a show in Vegas and wanted to see what it felt like.’ Find out more about Vicky’s act, including the moon, the snow globe and the bubble, at vickybutterfly.net