Miss Dirty Martini

Dirty Martini
Dirty Martini in 2009
Born	Linda Marraccini New Jersey, United States
Occupation	Burlesque dancer, pin-up model, dance teacher
Website	http://www.missdirtymartini.com

Dirty Martini (born Linda Marraccini in New Jersey) is a New York City-based Burlesque dancer, pin-up model and dance teacher.

She is best known for her over-the-top performance acts, which mostly incorporate various classic burlesque styles such as the fan dance, balloon strip tease, the Dance of Several Veils, and shadow stripping, as well as her 50s styled pin-up images.

Martini regularly performs in New York City and extensively throughout North America and Europe in a wide range of venues from Carnegie Hall to weekly burlesque venues to gay leather bars. She was crowned Miss Exotic World 2004.

Dirty Martini, born to an opera singer/visual artist mother and a band director father, had grown up in New Jersey. She studied dance since she was six. Martini honed her choreography skills when she attended SUNY-Purchase, where she graduated with a BFA in Dance Performance.

Martini moved to New York City and started out working in collaborative theater and modern dance groups. She then viewed some old burlesque reels when she was searching for a style that was conducive to performing solo and showcasing her voluptuous figure. Martini started with developing and performing a fan dancing act.

In May 2001, Martini performed in the first new burlesque convention, "Tease-o-rama", in New Orleans. Later that year, at the Miss Exotic World 2001, she won the Sally Rand Award for Fan Dance. She was also the first runner-up at Miss Exotic World 2003 and was awarded the main title as well as the Jennie Lee award for tassel twirling at Miss Exotic World in 2004.