• SinnerSaint Burlesque
• Miss Exotic World
• BurlyCon (2008)
• Noc Noc

in·gé·nue

–noun

1. the part of an artless, innocent, unworldly girl or young woman, esp. as represented on the stage.

2. an actress who plays such a part or specializes in playing such parts.

A Star is Born - The story of Inga Ingenue

Miss Inga Ingénue was born in Berlin, Germany, the daughter of Swedish opera singer Ulla Inga Strandholm and French play write André Ingénue.  With the encouragement of her parents, Inga began studying ballet with the Paris Opera Ballet shortly after her family moved to Paris when she was three.  Over the next few years, she also studied tap dancing, jazz dance and theatrical performance.  Inga was found to be a natural performer, though she never inherited her mother’s vocal abilities, much to her family’s disappointment.  But that didn’t matter to little Inga—she just loved being on stage, and being the center of attention! 

At the age of 10, Inga developed a crush on a girl named Marie, a classmate at her primary school who also studied dance at the Paris Opera Ballet.  Unfortunately, Inga’s parents planned to leave France that year, and so she had to bid both Marie and her beloved Paris goodbye.  At their parting, Marie gave Inga her first kiss, which she still considers her most treasured embrace.

Miss Ingénue moved around Europe with her parents for the next several years.  She set out on her own to wander around Europe when she was 16, engaging in a string of intense love affairs that left many broken hearts in her wake, male and female alike.  She made her living by dancing in opera and theatre productions, though none of them excited her very much.  One night in London, she drank a little too much champagne and happily wandered into a burlesque theatre; she was entranced by the beauty and sparkle (especially the sparkle!) of the women who performed there.  After that night, she set her heart on becoming a burlesque dancer herself.

 After a few more years, Inga decided to move to America, the birthplace of burlesque!  She found audiences all over the U.S. who loved her burlesque performances.  Word spread about the sultry little blonde bomb with the alluring French accent and amazing derriere, and Inga developed a loyal contingent of fans.  In 2005, Inga finally decided to settle down in Seattle, where she continues to perform today.

Of her performance style, Inga remarks, “I do love traditional burlesque—ze bump and grind, ze shimmy and shake, oui!  But sometimes I wish to return to my roots; I like to use ballet, jazz and ze acting in my pieces, for they give my acts a certain je ne sais qua—a kind of polish and detail that audiences seem to like.  That, and papa would be so very sad if I had taken all those lessons and not used them for something!” 

When not rehearsing and performing, Inga spends most of her time spoiling her two pet poodles, Brigitte and Josephine.  She also enjoys shopping (especially with Ravenna Black—they share the same shoe size!), and receiving gifts of flowers, chocolates and pretty French underwear from her admirers.