Angela Pontani is a contemporary

burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

dancer, choreographer, producer, and blogger based in

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

. She was crowned

Miss Exotic World The Miss Exotic World Pageant (officially, the Miss Exotic World Pageant and Striptease Reunion) is an annual neo-burlesque pageant and convention, and is the annual showcase event (and fundraiser for) the Burlesque Hall of Fame (formerly the E ...

in 2008.

Biography

Andrea Louisa Pontani is originally from

Trenton, New Jersey Trenton is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. It was the capital of the United States from November 1 to December 24, 1784.New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

dancing in the ''Dutch Weismann Follies'' at age 17. After the close of ''Dutch Weismanns'', Angie went on to launch

the World Famous Pontani Sisters The World Famous Pontani Sisters are a dance act and burlesque revue based in New York City, consisting of three sisters: Angie Pontani, Tara Pontani, and Helen Pontani. They have been billed more recently as Angie Pontani and the World Famous Pont ...

, who performed regularly at Marion's Continental and

Windows on the World Windows on the World was a complex of dining, meeting, and entertainment venues on the top floors (106th and 107th) of the North Tower (Building One) of the original World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan. It included a restaurant called ...

in the World Trade Center. In 2006, Angie started to focus on her solo performances. Pontani was the co-producer and star of ''This Is Burlesque'' at the now-defunct Corio Supper Club. She performs around the world solo and with the Pontani Sisters, and was a creator of the DVD series, ''Go-Go Robics'' and ''Go-Go Dance with Angie Pontani'' produced by World Dance New York. Angie produces and stars in the ''Burlesque-A-Pades'' touring production and is the co-producer of the

New York Burlesque Festival The New York Burlesque Festival is an annual four-day event that takes place in New York City each fall, where performers from all over the world appear on stages for musical acts, burlesque shows, and other performances. History The festival p ...

, an event that happens annually and brings together hundreds of burlesque performers from around the world for four nights of performance. Angie has modeled for several designers, including Mode Merr Clothing as well as Dirty Dolls Lingerie and has shot with renowned photographers like Ellen von Unwerth, Josh Gosfield and Brian Smith. Pontani hosts ''The Pontani Pages'', a monthly talk show format podcast produced by JL Aronson in NYC. In 2015, she was featured in a photo shoot for ''

CR Fashion Book Carine Roitfeld (; born 19 September 1954) is a French fashion editor, former fashion model, and writer. She is the former editor-in-chief of ''Vogue Paris'', a position she held from 2001 to 2011. In 2012, she became founder and editor-in-chief ...

'' nude at seven-months pregnant, alongside

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...

shot by Bruce Weber. Angie was crowned Miss Cyclone in 2007 in honor of the historic roller coaster the

Coney Island Cyclone The Cyclone, also the Coney Island Cyclone, is a wooden roller coaster at Luna Park in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City. Designed by Vernon Keenan, it opened to the public on June 26, 1927. The roller coaster is on a plot of land at the ...

. As a

Coney Island Coney Island is a peninsular neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach and Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn, Manhattan Beach to its east, L ...

resident, she has been very active in the fight to save them from rezoning that would jeopardize the amusement district. Angie was crowned "The Reigning Queen of Burlesque, the winner of the

Miss Exotic World Pageant The Miss Exotic World Pageant (officially, the Miss Exotic World Pageant and Striptease Reunion) is an annual neo-burlesque pageant and convention, and is the annual showcase event (and fundraiser for) the Burlesque Hall of Fame (formerly the E ...

in 2008" at the

Burlesque Hall of Fame The Burlesque Hall of Fame (BHOF) is the world's only museum dedicated to the history, preservation, and future of the art of burlesque. Located in the Las Vegas Arts district at 1027 S Main st. #110, BHOF is a tourist destination and non-pro ...

reunion at the Palms Hotel in

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

. Other awards include, "The Best Body in Burlesque" - 2007 New York Burlesque Festival, "#1 Burlesque Attraction in the Nation" - AOL.com, "Best NY Based Dance Company" - ''

Show Business Show business, sometimes shortened to show biz or showbiz (since 1945), is a vernacular term for all aspects of the entertainment industry.''Oxford English Dictionary'' 2nd Ed. (1989) From the business side (including managers, agents, produc ...

'', "Hottest Burlesque Troupe" - ''

Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the creat ...

''. She was recently featured on the PBS Great Performances series with Lady Gaga and

Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (born August 3, 1926), known professionally as Tony Bennett, is an American retired singer of traditional pop standards, big band, show tunes, and jazz. Bennett is also a painter, having created works under his birth ...

for their release of ''

Cheek to Cheek "Cheek to Cheek" is a song written by Irving Berlin in 1934–35, specifically for the star of his new musical, Fred Astaire. The movie was ''Top Hat'', co-starring Ginger Rogers.

'' and has collaborated with retailer Secrets in Lace to release a collection of vintage inspired dresses. On February 16, 2013, Angie Pontani married band leader, trumpet player and vocalist Brian Newman in Brooklyn, New York. They have one child together, a daughter Sistilia Josephine Pontani Newman, born on September 9, 2015. In January 2017, Angie started a blog which features family recipes and Italian inspired dishes, some of which were featured in

Rachael Ray Rachael Domenica Ray (born August 25, 1968) is an American cook, television personality, businesswoman, and author. She hosts the syndicated daily talk and lifestyle program ''Rachael Ray'', and the Food Network series '' 30 Minute Meals''. ...

's magazine's "How To Live Like an Italian" issue. Angie Pontani appeared in the documentary '' Gaga: Five Foot Two'', at the time of the baptism of her daughter, in which Lady Gaga was chosen to be the godmother.

The Pontani Sisters

The World Famous Pontani Sisters The World Famous Pontani Sisters are a dance act and burlesque revue based in New York City, consisting of three sisters: Angie Pontani, Tara Pontani, and Helen Pontani. They have been billed more recently as Angie Pontani and the World Famous Pont ...

are a highly stylized and costumed dance trio that helped to pioneer the burlesque revival. They began performing on the boardwalk in

and went on to international tours both alone as well as with the band

Los Straitjackets Los Straitjackets is an American instrumental rock band that formed in Nashville, Tennessee, United States, in 1988. Originally comprising guitarists Danny Amis (formerly of the Raybeats), Eddie Angel and drummer L. J. "Jimmy" Lester under the na ...

. Angie choreographed, costumed, and booked most of the troupe's performances, including tours, Las Vegas runs and appearances on national television programs like ''

Late Night with Conan O'Brien ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien. NBC aired 2,725 episodes from September 13, 1993, to February 20, 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and music ...

'' as well as ''

Gossip Girl ''Gossip Girl'' is an American teen drama television series based on the novel series of the same name written by Cecily von Ziegesar. The series, developed for television by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, ran on The CW network for six sea ...

''. The Pontani Sisters have released three DVDs that teach 1960s

go-go dancing Go-go dancers are dancers who are employed to entertain crowds at nightclubs or other venues where music is played. Go-go dancing originated in the early 1960s at the French bar Whisky a Gogo located in Juan-les-Pins. The bar's name was take ...

, ''Go-Go Robics I'' & ''II'' and ''Twist Party'', with the surf band, Los Straitjackets.

Television, film and radio appearances

References

External links

*
NY Burlesque Festival

Burlesque at Corio

Burlesque Hall of Fame

"The Bride Wore Whoa!" - ''Daily News'' coverage of Angie's wedding
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pontani, Angie American neo-burlesque performers American female erotic dancers American female dancers Dancers from New Jersey Living people Artists from Trenton, New Jersey Miss Exotic World winners American beauty pageant winners American vedettes Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century American women