LEGEND: Gina Bon Bon
Red Hots Burlesque is so excited that it’s December, because that means we can celebrate this legend, even though we celebrate her year-round…
GINA BON BON
b. December 1947
Born in Cuba, Gina Bon Bon started out her career as a rhumba dancer. Her career as a burlesque dancer, which Gina Bon Bon’s sultry bedroom eyes and sizzle were much more suited, started in 1965 when she was a chorus girl at Lou Walter’s Latin Quarter in New York City as a member of the Latin Fire all-Latin Revue. From there she moved on to be a featured dancer on burlesque circuits all over the United States and Canada. During her career, which included starring in burlesque theaters shows like Minsky’s Follies and HBO’s Burlesque, USA, Gina Bon Bon has performed alongside burlesque stars like Tempest Storm, Dusty Summers, Camille 2000, and more. While she officially retired from dancing in 1991, she continued appearing in television and theater. Currently she lives in Las Vegas and has become an artist, creating a collection of paintings of stars of burlesque. Gina Bon Bon is a regular staple on the Burlesque Hall of Fame stage, this year performing a dazzling production produced and costumed by burlesque costumer Grant Philipo, and her final performance with her boys. And because we can’t leave you without some 1980s burlesque realness, here’s some vintage Gina Bon Bon.