Dita von Teese: It depends on the act. Some are very precise and more tightly choreographed than others. Others are not so much apart from hitting certain marks and parts of the song, because the sizes of my stage vary so much that I have to be ready for anything, to work with a new space. People are people and have always had these urges and fascinations with sexuality and even extreme sex, so I think it would be a mistake to say things are so different now. We also have more access to erotica due to the way technology has changed. Rumpus: There are ways of moving and posing that many erotic dancers engage in that are hard to imagine you doing.

US economy adds 4. By Dana Schuster. And at age 40, the LA-based burlesque star — and Marilyn Manson ex — is feeling hotter than ever. In the last 10 years, I feel much more savvy about seduction and my ability to relate to men in a better, more suave way than I did when I was much younger. That means installing dimmer switches in every room of her Hollywood home, keeping candles lit at all times and spritzing herself with her favorite perfume daily. You have to leave them wanting more. And her tips for men looking to up their lovemaking skills?

If you only know Dita Von Teese as the high-glam model and striptease artist with a penchant for all things retro, there are a few things you should get straight. We caught up with her to chat about her upcoming shows, her passion for burlesque, and her perfect day in L. I get in a really different zone.

Von Teese was born in Rochester, Michigan , the second of three daughters. But on weekend afternoons, my mom and I had a front seat on a rocket ship to those faraway worlds by way of the old movies starring the most glamorous creatures --Betty Grable, Mae West, Carmen Miranda, Marlene Dietrich They were our muses.