The Pontani Sisters - Angie, Tara and Hellen - are sisters who twirl around, look good
and entertain all across the world, with their burlesque act. The girls all started dancing when
they were young and now they crisscross stages across the world and television, putting
some glamour into the sexy sultry swinging burlesque industry. They boast an act with
gorgeous costumes and more than 40 choreographed routines and may be the best
burlesque group out there.Angie, the youngest sister, took a moment to talk to
Broken Dollz.com while the Pontani Sisters are on the road. You can follow them as they
blog about all their experiences on www.pontanisisters.com.

When you girls danced together as kids, did you ever think you'd be doing it for a living one day?
Explain, briefly, how the Pontani Sisters burlesque troupe came to be.

While I never imagined we would be doing exactly what we are doing now, there was never a time when
I didn't see myself doing something in Show biz. I've always been a glamour nut and dancing machine.
We came to be as we are now about 7 years ago. I had been doing burlesque in the city for a few
years and was hired to stage a full show for a popular Swing Band, the Flying Neutrinos. The girls
(Tara & Helen) danced with me and it's been history ever since.

Has the dynamic/relationship between you girls changed a lot from childhood performances
through to today?

A lot, we actually have 2 relationships, friends and sisters and then business partners. It's hard to
balance them, but I don't think we would be where we are today with out our sister relationship to see
us through the tough times!

What performers did you try to emulate when you were putting together your act? What
sensibilities did you want to bring to the show and what messages did you/do you want to
convey to audiences?

We never tried to emulate anyone, it was really a natural evolution. I think our inspirations shined
through in our performance, but we never set out to be a historical recreation of something. Influences
include Elvis, The Rat Pack, Rita Hayworth, Blaze Starr, Busby Berkely, Carmen Miranda, etc..

What makes a successful burlesque show?

For me, it's about polish and professionalism. The great shows I've seen are seamless and inspired.
The costumes are costumes, not just lingerie, the routines are thought out and rehearsed and there is
heart behind it. I love variety in performers, different styles and approaches to routines keep an
audience engaged.

What is the main force behind the burlesque renaissance, in your opinion? Do you think the
lack of live comedy and vaudevillian type acts in every town helped drive burleaque back?

It's hard to say. I think people wanted to see something new and different and in this time period live
performance in a rock n' roll sense was really just live music. Burlesque offers a chance to see a rocking
cool show that involves so many different elements and is sexy to boot! It's a kind of thing this
generation has not really experienced and this generation of performers is really taking it and making
it their own.

Do you girls have a favorite town? Why?

I have a few. New Orleans has always been my favorite town to play. One of my favorite clubs is
there (One Eyed Jacks) and I always have an AMAZING time there. I can't wait to return. Chicago is also
a great town to play, the crowds there have so much energy it really fuels me. Of course, NYC and
especially Coney Island. I love playing Coney, we kind of got our start there and we play there once
a year, I very much look forward to that show.

Is there a thing you always do in every town - go to the movies, a museum, an antique store,
a bike shop??

I shop for vintage clothing, I have a shopping problem. If I have 5 minutes to burn, I search for that
spot and try to snag whatever score I can. I also love to find local fabric stores and get some good
fabrics to make into dresses or pillows when I get home.

Your Web site chronicles a lot of your activities, like your recent appearance on Late Night
with Conan O'Brien, in the "diary" section, do you feel the Internet is a valuable tool for your
group, of just a place for fun and to release your thoughts?

A little bit of both. It's a great tool for promotion, but I've come to love writing in my online diary,
it is very cathartic and brings me closer to our audience. I love when we will be out post show talking
to the crowd and someone will say, "Angie, how are your tomatoes!", or "I'm afraid of bears also!",
and it's great because then I say, "Have you been reading my diary!!!"

What do you think about sites like www.brokendollz.com and similar alt-porn or pinup kinda sites?

I haven't really explored them in depth, but I think as long as the girls are happy and having a good
time, yay! That's kind of my theory on life, be happy, enjoy what you do and be nice to people.

A lot of members on Broken Dollz love burlesque and would love to get into it. What do you
tell girls who come and see your performances, or e-mail you, and want to be part of a group
like the Pontani Sisters?

At this point, most towns have a burlesque group. I tell girls to touch base with their closest toupe and try
to get in on some of their shows. Then you just need to come up with your act, which is all up to you!

How many hours a day do you spend practicing and developing new acts? Besides dancing what
other skills are involved in being a burlesque performer?

It depends, when we are preparing for a tour or doing a new number, we will rehearse a few hours in
the AM Monday-Friday. A lot of the other time of the day is spent on booking, promoting, costuming,
etc...these are all skills that you have to have if you want to run your own career.

What do you think the greatest live performance ever would be?

Wow, to dance to Elvis singing "Little Egypt" live, I don't know if that one is probable though, so I'll
say to take our Burlesque-A-Pades (www.burlesqueapades.com) show to a Vegas or Broadway stage
and get all the bells and whistles going so we can do a Busby Berkely style production number with
everyone on tiered stare cases, people in aquariums, suspended from the ceiling, pure show-biz, 100%
and then a post show party with a live performance from Wayne Newton & Tom Jones!

interview by: Mike Hammer