Burlesque Legend Dusty Summers tells you how she feels about full nude

Burlesque Legend Dusty Summers is as nimble with her words as she is with her feet. She’s direct, opinionated, and seasoned with a sass decades in the making.
Interviewing Summers was one of the highlights of our documentary team’s recent trip to Las Vegas and the Burlesque Hall of Fame weekend event June 1-4. During the trip, we also visited Lacy’s Lounge, a more traditional strip club, but one that emphasizes performance over transactions.
Documentary “Do the Dance” uses the examination of a precedent-setting 1969 strip club indecency trial to tell a broader story about the limits to Free Expression. The trial over bottomless dancing (full nude) made national news when Judge Earl Warren Jr. ruled the jury needed to see the dancer ‘do the dance.’
Summers worked at the trouble-making club, the Pink Pussy Kat in Orangevale, before embarking on a career as a touring exotic dancer. At age 69, Summers is still working as Las Vegas’ only stripping magician.
Summers left the Pink Pussy Kat before -- at the urging of the club’s owner -- the performers started dancing bottomless. The fully-nude go-go performances starting a multi-year battle between the beer bar and the local authorities. Summers would later share a billing with the performer at the center of the trial Susanne Haines. Haines won Miss Nude Universe in 1972 and was the headliner.
While Haines famously fought to go fully naked, Summer didn’t want to show it all then and doesn’t now.
To find out just what the sharp-tongued Summers said you’ll have to watch the documentary.

She was one of the featured performers at the Burlesque Hall of Fame weekend. Dustin Wax, executive director of the currently expanding hall was another one of our interviews.
Our two-night stay, also took us to Lacy's is located in North Las Vegas. It bills itself as Las Vegas' only Atlanta-style (hip hop) strip club. To pull himself out of a hole, longtime Michael Jackson impersonator and dancer Craig Parks started performing in male review shows then hosting big booty events before taking on his own space connected to the historic Palomino Club. We also talked to dancers Destiny and Dream.

Documentary 'Do the Dance' hits fundraising goal

The crowdfunding campaign in support of Sacramento-based documentary ‘Do the Dance,” on Thursday reached its goal of raising $10,000 in 30 days -- just hours ahead of it’s deadline.

The project, led by veteran newspaper reporter Ed Fletcher, explores a racy Sacramento 1969 court case to take a broader look at the limits of free expression.

The indiegogo campaign received 92 contributions totaling $10,479 as of this publication. The campaign went into the final 16 hours needing an additional $716 to reach the goal.

“I’m excited to have met our goal. Now we can get back to focusing on making this film,” said Fletcher.

Director Damen Quincy Hayes said the campaign provided more drama than needed, but was glad to get there.

“I just want to get out there and make this film now,” Hayes said.

While the money generated through the crowdfunding campaign gets them a long way down the road, as Fletcher explains, they will need additional capital, likely from equity investors.  

The colorful trial over “bottomless” dancing at Orangevale’s Pink Pussy Kat will help to tell a broader story about the limits of free expression then and now, filmmakers say. The impactful Sacramento trial went national when Judge Earl Warren Jr. decided to take the jury to the club see the dancers “do the dance.” The case helped write the rules for exotic dance in California.

Fletcher, who grew up in Orangevale, learned about the Pink Pussy Kat trial from an older editor and soon found himself buried in old news clippings.

Do the Dance explores these issues:

• Self-promotion vs Free expression
• Female empowerment vs  Sexual exploitation

Historic photos, audio and background materials: dothedance.net

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Or on twitter at @pinkfilm1969

Free expression documentary fund nears 70 percent

San Francisco topless legend Carol Doda performs during Sacramento indecency trial 

The online campaign funding a Sacramento documentary exploring the 1969 strip club indecency case that took the jury to the club is approaching 70 percent funded with 9 days remaining.

Using the crowdfunding site Indiegogo, Fletcher and his team are trying to raise $10,000 by March 22. Through March 15, the month-long campaign was at 68 percent of goal.

The feature-length documentary will use the colorful 1969 trial over “bottomless” dancing at Orangevale’s Pink Pussy Kat to help to tell a broader story about the limits of free expression then and now.

The impactful Sacramento trial went national when Judge Earl Warren Jr. decided to take the jury to the club see the dancers “do the dance.” The case helped write the rules for exotic dance in California.

Sacramento journalist and filmmaker Ed Fletcher said he was confident the team will hit the goal.

“There is so much Sacramento love for a deeply local story. We will get there,” said Fletcher.

The reaction to the campaign has been mostly positive, Fletcher said.

“Some people don’t want to talk about it or maybe they think it’s anti-women. To me, it’s just history,” Fletcher said. “This happened and we want to tell the story. I’m not pro-strip club or anti-strip club. I’m a journalist. But at the same time you can’t be afraid to show a little leg in marking if you’re making a project about free expression.”

Directing the project is DQ Hayes, an emerging filmmaker and former musician from the band Shakedown.

"There is love for this project from all over. We get people hitting up our page from UK, Spain, Sweden. Free expression and women's empowerment is universal," said Hayes.

More information at: Dothedance.net

CLICK HERE to contribute

Carol Doda, Big John Misterly clash in coming documentary film

Video clips furnished by the forthcoming documentary film "Do the Dance," which uses the Sacramento 1969 trial over "bottomless" dancing to tell a broader story about the limits to Free Expression. Do the dance is currently raising funds via indiegogo.
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Former Sacramento County sheriff lays out how women should be covered under a new ordinance being discussed in response to the full nude performances he deemed indecent.  As a result of the case, the county and state officials enacted new rules.

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San Francisco topless legend Carol Doda was called to testify during the Pink Pussy Kat trial. In this 1969 clip she talks about the difference between Sacramento and San Francisco.

Campaign to fund free expression documentary film hits 30 percent

An online campaign to help fund a documentary about the limits to free expression is under way lead by Sacramento journalist Ed Fletcher.

Using the crowdfunding site Indiegogo, Fletcher and his team are trying to raise $10,000 by March 22. Through March 4, the month-long campaign was at 30 percent of goal.

The feature-length documentary will use the colorful 1969 trial over “bottomless” dancing at Orangevale’s Pink Pussy Kat to help to tell a broader story about the limits of free expression then and now.

The impactful Sacramento trial went national when Judge Earl Warren Jr. decided to take the jury to the club see the dancers “do the dance.” The case helped write the rules for exotic dance in California.

"We are excited to be bringing this forward at a time women's rights and civil liberties are in the public conversation,” said Fletcher, a longtime reporter at The Sacramento Bee. 

Directing the project is DQ Hayes, an emerging filmmaker and former musician from the band Shakedown.  

The team kicked off the project with a fundraising party on Feb. 21 in Sacramento.

More information at: Dothedance.net

GIVE HERE 

California beer bar challenged legal nudity limits of late 1960s

During the summer of 1969, a beer bar in the Northern California community of Orangevale dared to go full-nude setting off a series of legal challenges that ended with the dancers, including Carol Doda, performing for the jury.

"Do the Dance," a documentary telling the story of this wild and influential trial, is currently raising funds on the Indiegogo crowdfunding platform.

Campaign underway to fund free expression documentary

The online crowdfunding campaign seeking $10,000 to launch Sacramento documentary "Do the Dance" is underway. 'Do the Dance' examines a 1969 Sacramento strip club indecency trial to tell a broader story about the limits of Free Expression.  The trial made national news after Judge Earl Warren Jr. decided the jury needed to see the dancer "do the dance." San Francisco topless legend Carol Doda also testified.  Learn more HERE.

Trailer reveals First Amendment fight over nude dance

Our team is excited to share the preview trailer for documentary film 'Do the Dance.' The film explores the 1969 Sacramento trial that helped write the rules to exotic dance.  Tell us what you think. Please join us for the film launch party at 7 p.m. Feb. 21. More details and tickets HERE.

Poster art for doc film "Do the Dance" revealed

Stare away

Check out these designs for "Do the Dance," our documentary. Tom Beauchamp and his team at Monster Design Co. put this amazing work together.
"Do the Dance" puts us in the Sacramento courtroom and "beer bar" where the son of a legendary jurist told a daring exotic performer to "Do the Dance" in a precedent-setting 1969 case. Get your tickets to our launch party fundraiser here.
The poster art (above) and the social media art tease with this tension, while the ink dot pattern and lettering help define the era. Do you agree? Tell us what you think.

Portland burlesque star featured at Sacramento documentary film fundraiser

The Sacramento-based team behind the forthcoming documentary film “Do the Dance” is proud to announce that a rising star in burlesque and strip will headline the film project’s Feb. 21 launch fundraiser.

Headlining this hot-ticket event is Ivizia, the reigning Miss Exotic Oregon. The event will also feature performances from Sacramento’s Midtown Moxies burlesque troupe.

The evening, at Midtown Sacramento’s Clara performing arts center, will premiere the film’s preview trailer, feature the presiding Judge Earl Warren Jr, an auction of “free expression” art and small bites from celebrity chef Adam Pachal.

Ivizia is a Portland-based entertainer who has been thrilling audiences around the world since 2001. With over 15 years of specializing in fire performance, she has also become a premiere variety entertainer and is guaranteed to ignite your fantasies. In addition to her hotter talent, Ivizia's repertoire includes roller-skating, cube spinning, comedy and a unique puppetry performance that may just give you a “religious experience”.
Ivizia holds the title for Miss Exotic Oregon 2016 and is crowned "Queen of Roses" for 2016 Oregon Burlesque Festival.

The Midtown Moxies Burlesque troupe were formed in late 2014 and have been packing the house ever since! You can see them every 1st Saturday at Midtown Barfly and every 3rd Friday at The Blue Lamp. The Moxies blend classic moves and elements with modern music,  sultry singing and hilarious comedy, creating diverse performances that please every guest.

“Do the Dance” is a feature documentary the uses Sacramento’s infamous “bottomless” stripper trial to tell a broader story about the limits of free expression.

Veteran Sacramento Bee reporter Ed Fletcher is the project’s creative lead. DQ Hayes, formerly of the band Shakedown, is directing and is a
producer.

Get tickets HERE

Cable show: Where are you at with film project?

I recently sat down with Elisia Gonzales and Rafael Siegel, the hosts of the community cable show Sactown Underground, to talk about the exciting updates on my documentary film project "Do The Dance." Do The Dance explores the 1969 Sacramento's strip club indecency trail that wrote the rules in California for exotic dance. The conversation also hits on how to setup the feature film screenplay "Pink."

Pink doc kickoff planned for February

We are still working out the details but look for an official announcement soon on  February "Free Love Free Expression Film Fundraiser" for the Pink documentary. (That name might need help.)
The night will feature a screening of a preview trailer utilizing historic footage, it will also include an auction of "Free Expression" artwork, a chat with Judge Earl Warren Jr. and a burlesque performance.
We're expecting it to raise a significant amount of money towards the project. We have Feb. 21 penciled in.
The night also kickoffs crowdfunding campaign to finish funding the film and expand the market for the documentary and the feature film.
The February event and the flurry of activity after will give the documentary the proper launch it deserves and serves to elevate the entire Pink project.
The documentary uses a look back at quirky 1969 indecency trial to launch a broader conversation about the present state of free expression.
Thank you for following the journey. I'll need your help as I prepare to host this fundraiser then run a crowdfunding campaign. More on that soon.
If you'd like to get more actively involved in event planning, web design, graphic design, marketing, and publicity or any number of other areas please don't hesitate to ask.

Ed Fletcher

Team Pink Documentary Team

Perpetual F Entertainment is happy to announce the following additions to "Team Pink" in support of producing the documentary film "Do The Dance."
Director/producer: Damen Quincy Hayes
producer/editor: Brad Durante
producer: Lauren Brock

Do the Dance uses an outrageous 1969 strip club indecency trial to examine free expression in the modern era. The trial including a performance to the legendary Carol Doda of San Francisco.

Damen will lead the visual development of the film. This includes shooting interviews and live events. Damen will also assist in securing archival footage.
Brad is the lead editor and will assist in securing the finances and connections needed to make the project a success.
Lauren Brock will lead the effort to secure celebrity and other difficult interviews, help secure talent and assist in fundraising.
Ed Fletcher will continue to lead the creative effort, conduct key interviews and work towards the creative success of the overall Pink project.

Former strip club site set for redevelopment

The longtime owners of the faded strip mall once home to the Pink Pussy Kat strip club have sold the property to a new owner who is planning to erect a new 40,000-square-foot shopping center in its place.
The new owner Cliff Wylie said he heard about plans to produce a documentary about the Pink Pussy Kat, but wasn’t interested in restoring the long-closed club.
“I’m tearing that building
down,” Wylie said.
He plans on combining Orangevale Plaza (9346 Greenback Late) with two neighboring plots to create Orangevale Downtown Plaza. Plans have already been submitted to Sacramento County.
“We want to revitalize this end of town,” said Wylie, a first-time developer who owns the granite shop across the street. Wylie said he’s looking for national tenants “like a Beach Hut Deli” and a drive-through coffee retailer to bring a little sizzle to the site.
A documentary on the Pink Pussy Kat and the indecency trial are well underway. The film-making team has secured some of the historic footage needed and are securing funds needed to green light the project.

If Pink Pussy Kat A Go-Go’s old strip mall  ever had any luster, it has lost it decades ago. The entire mall showed signs of its age. The parking lot barely defined. Business signs old are old and hard to read. The actual location Pussy Kat houses an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting location.
The former owner John Lydon Byrne said he was happy to be done with Orangevale Plaza, which he said had turned into a money pit as the building aged.
Byrne was in his 20s when his father bought the site in the early 70s, after the 1969 indecency trial that brought the club into the national spotlight.
When the trial ended and its semi-famous dancer Susanne (Tropper) Haynes hit the road business drooped.
 He said the club remained open three to five years after his family owned it, but he could not pinpoint an exact year. He said his father was friendly with Leonard Glancy, the club’s owner, but wasn’t fond of the business.
“He wanted them out of there,” Byrne said.