Sexy and spooky fuse together in the most entrancing way when Krystale Noir emerges. Performer, model and budding businesswoman, Krysta Leanne Ortiz has fashioned a sultry persona that exudes total vampy vibes.
Ortiz became involved in the burlesque scene just a few years ago and quickly proved she had a flair for dance and hypnotizing an audience. She’s part of the burlesque ensemble The Black Veils, and when she’s not performing on stage, she’s posing in front of the camera for shoots inspired by horror, vintage style and beyond.
I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing Krystale Noir where she divulges details about her first experiences with burlesque, her love of the macabre, her horror-themed shop and more!
Q: Can you talk a bit about how you got started performing and what attracted you to burlesque in particular?
A: Throwback to 2015 when I went to the Ink-N-Iron festival at the Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA. While at this event there so happened to be a live burlesque show being held on the Queen Mary ship. Naturally, I was like “oh what the hell” let’s go watch a burlesque show. Well, ever since that show and that one dance performer who did a dance routine to A Perfect Circle song, it was literally love at first sight for me and the art of burlesque. To me, burlesque is like the epitome of women empowerment!
Q: You perform as part of the seductive dance troupe The Black Veils. How did you become involved with the group?
A: After becoming beyond inspired to be a burlesque dancer, I instantly sought out dance studios that offered dance sessions. I stumbled across a studio pretty simply and just like that, I was in class and introduced to my new dance instructor Coco who coincidentally had started a burlesque troupe called The Black Veils.
Fast forward to training for 1-2 years, then being brought on to The Black Veils as the “Baby Veil”… I went to numerous nights of rehearsals and was constantly trying to attend dance classes for additional practice. Before I knew it, I was ready to start hitting the stage and perform with the rest of the troupe! Krystale Noir has been performing with The Black Veils ever since… It’s been 4 years officially and still going strong!
Q: From where do you like to draw inspiration when it comes to your performance and style?
A: Krystale Noir is dark, sultry, and bewitching… I’d say my burlesque style relates closely to my everyday style but for my performances I just kick it up a few amp notches. I draw inspiration from my fellow dance members, obvi… But I also draw inspo from things like vintage Playboy, classic rock, biker pinup babes, painful pleasure, witchcraft, serpents, vintage pulp horror, even more rock and roll, and some traditional vaudeville sprinkled in whenever I can!
Q: I love your appreciation for all things spooky! What are some of your favorite things about the macabre?
A: Ah! Where do I even begin? I am obsessed with horror movies, especially more of the vintage flicks from the 70s and 80s like John Carpenter’s Halloween or Wes Craven’s Summer Of Fear. But I also thoroughly enjoy the nostalgia that Halloween brings to a lot of individuals including myself! Something about seeing all the vintage Halloween decor, like the Beistle witch cutouts and Empire pumpkin blow molds, just warms my spooky little heart!
Q: You recently launched your own shop, Cherry Noir Vintage. For those not familiar, what’s the story behind this business venture and what are your plans for it?
A: Cherry Noir Vintage is what sweet nightmares are made of… From vintage Halloween decor to horror memorabilia. Vinyls and VHS… And all the other kreepy and kooky merchandise in between!
Basically my Halloween/horror collecting has been growing ever since I was a kid. I’ve been hitting yard sales and flea markets since what feels like forever… Well as time went on, I noticed that I started obtaining doubles, even triples of things. Sooooooo, I thought why not share the spooky love with people in the community and sell some of these pieces at a fair price and give these items a good home to someone who appreciates them!
My plan is to continue thrifting, flea marketing, and going to yard sales to keep consistent stock for Cherry Noir Vintage, but—cue drum roll—I also plan on presenting another part of my shop known as just Cherry Noir where I’ll be selling apparel (coming soon) and witchy/gypsy jewels!
Q: Would you like to drop any hints regarding projects you have planned for the future? And when do you think you’ll be on stage again?
A: The Blacks Veils are in high hopes to be hitting the stage again this summer! Be sure to look out for upcoming performance dates on our IG!
As far as other projects are concerned, I can share with you that alongside being a business owner and burlesque dancer, I am also a professional model! And I’ve been getting booked for modeling projects involving the macabre already this year and it’s not even summertime yet!
Get the latest on what Krystale Noir is up to by following her on Instagram.
Plus, learn more about The Black Veils on the official website.
Krystale Noir is a very interesting performer by the sounds of it.
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Definitely! I look forward to seeing her perform with The Black Veils when they start doing shows again!
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Nice, Jenn! I must say, I really enjoy this “burlesque” series you’ve brought us for the last month or so. Quite an enchantment, both for the eye and, much more important, for the imagination.
Astute of you to recognize the close alliance of “sexy” and “spooky.” Both rely on tantalizing hints, and offer enough – and just enough – of a fleeting glimpse of the mysterious to fascinate the viewer. Let’s not forget the delicious, seductive chill of danger too!
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I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying this series! There are so many talented individuals in the scene and I’ve just touched the tip of the iceberg. I’m looking forward to doing more.
Yes, I agree, sexy and spooky do share many parallels and can make for a great combination! Thanks for reading.
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Halloween is all year round for a lot of people!
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Absolutely! It’s a lifestyle, not just a holiday 🙂
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Agreed! And just four months away Jennifer – keep on posting.
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