La Petite Noire
La Petite Noire at Miss Drag Queen Sicily 2014, photo credits Michele Cati
La Petite Noire at Shut Up - kamasutra night at Tasmira club, photo credits Giuseppe Mazzola
Well known as a born entertainer and a strong yet delicate character, La Petite Noire (Sicily’s Miss Drag Queen 2014) has an evident artistic background that is immediately perceived when she performs: ballet. The secret to her success has been thanks to her ability to balance her Dionysian and Apollonian lifestyles.
Her Apollonian side – governed by reason and rational thinking – was developed through years of studying ballet at Rome’s National Academy of Ballet and the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, here is where she learned how to move sophisticatedly and be able to follow strict disciplines in life.
Her Dionysian side – governed by primitive emotions – formed parallel to these years thanks to a desire to express her inner self (we can all imagine how difficult this may be to do in a ballet school). This is when the Forbidden Lips were formed as a entertaining group, with two other ballet dancers they performed in numerous clubs in Rome and also won the Glamorize Got Talent in Rome in 2012.
The name, La Petite Noire, hints to Chanel’s respected little black dress. Thanks to her persona though the concept of emancipation is embodied and renovated to suit our contemporary times. The process of liberating and expressing herself is not only done through her staged choreographies but also through the costumes she makes which are mostly leotards with an edgy touch to them.
“There is this saying that you and your persona are two different things, which is true, but in the moment that you start making a costume you are making it for your persona…you are the only one that knows what she needs because you are simply the one that knows”
This is what she usually thinks during the creative process of making a costume. It allows her to be gratified on stage because she sees the positive reaction and appreciation from the public and she knows that she is wearing a unique piece.
On a weekly basis La Petite Noire is faced with the challenge of coming up with the right choreography, song and themed costume for the clubs in which she works in. Among the many sewing and stitching sessions she has had, there are many that bring out her passion for fashion. Red and yellow lycra were used for the Sicilian inspired leotard worn with a red head piece with a traditional resized Sicilian cart “Carretto Siciliano” on top.
While instead for a Kamasutra night her regional pride was put aside and her provocative side came out. Playing with transparencies she wore a skin colored leotard that was spiced up with light black lace.
Her background in ballet allows her to play with provocation and sensuality without obliterating her elegance. Not many people have been able to combine their passion and devotion in a discipline with such an essential, personal and self-expressing art to be part of their everyday lifestyle. This is why La Petite Noire is an inspiration to us.
© 2014 Maria Luisa Guerra