Satan's Angel
Encyclopedia
Angel Cecelia Helene Walker (born September 18, 1944 in San Francisco) is an American exotic dancer specializing in stripping
and burlesque
under her stage name Satan’s Angel. She started dancing in San Francisco in 1961, after winning an amateur strip contest at North Beach nightclub Moulin Rouge. Her full moniker is Satan’s Angel, the Devil’s Own Mistress, Queen of the Fire Tassels. She has also danced under the stage names Tassel Tossin’ Angel, Angel Dahl, Angel the Body, Satana Angel, and Satin Angel.
Satan’s Angel’s signature act is to light her tassels aflame, "then extinguishing the flames by means of strenuous mammary rotation." She would sometimes twirl five tassels at a time—two on her nipples, two on her buttocks, and one on her navel.
She performed in San Francisco in the 1960s, dancing at small and bigger nightclubs including the Esquire, the Galaxie and the Condor Club
. She was also bass player in The Hummingbirds, an all girl topless cover band
which performed nightly at Tipsy's in North Beach.
Later, in Las Vegas in the 1970s and into the mid 1980s, she was cast by big-name burlesque promoters like Barry Ashton and Harold Minsky and danced at the Palomino Club
, The Aladdin
, Silver Slipper
, and the Minsky
.
She also toured the United States and the rest of the world with her act.
When asked why she chose to pursue a career in burlesque, she has said she wanted the glamorous life of Gypsy Rose Lee
. She has also said she borrowed artistic elements from Mae West
, Lili St. Cyr
, Ann Corio
, Sally Keith, and Carrie Finnell to create her stage character Satan’s Angel.
She retired from burlesque in 1985, after twentyfour years, but came out of retirement in 2002. Since then she has performed in the Miss Exotic World Pageant
—in 2005 as part of the Legends section of the program, and in 2006 as part of the Cavalcade of Classic Stars. She has also appeared at the annual burlesque convention Tease-O-Rama and in multiple neo-burlesque
shows.
In addition to performing, Satan’s Angel now gives classes in burlesque striptease and fire tassel twirling. Strip tease and burlesque dancer Catherine D'lish
has called Satan’s Angel "a trailblazer in her profession."
Stripper
A stripper is a professional erotic dancer who performs a contemporary form of striptease at strip club establishments, public exhibitions, and private engagements. Unlike in burlesque, the performer in the modern Americanized form of stripping minimizes the interaction of customer and dancer,...
and burlesque
Burlesque
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...
under her stage name Satan’s Angel. She started dancing in San Francisco in 1961, after winning an amateur strip contest at North Beach nightclub Moulin Rouge. Her full moniker is Satan’s Angel, the Devil’s Own Mistress, Queen of the Fire Tassels. She has also danced under the stage names Tassel Tossin’ Angel, Angel Dahl, Angel the Body, Satana Angel, and Satin Angel.
Satan’s Angel’s signature act is to light her tassels aflame, "then extinguishing the flames by means of strenuous mammary rotation." She would sometimes twirl five tassels at a time—two on her nipples, two on her buttocks, and one on her navel.
She performed in San Francisco in the 1960s, dancing at small and bigger nightclubs including the Esquire, the Galaxie and the Condor Club
Condor Club
The Condor Night Club is a striptease bar or topless bar in the North Beach section of San Francisco, in California, USA. The club opened in 1964....
. She was also bass player in The Hummingbirds, an all girl topless cover band
Cover band
A cover band , is a band that plays mostly or exclusively cover songs. New or unknown bands often find the cover band format marketable for smaller gigs, and these bands may be known as a wedding band, party band and function band. A band whose covers consist mainly of songs that were chart hits is...
which performed nightly at Tipsy's in North Beach.
Later, in Las Vegas in the 1970s and into the mid 1980s, she was cast by big-name burlesque promoters like Barry Ashton and Harold Minsky and danced at the Palomino Club
Palomino Club (Las Vegas)
The Palomino Club is a landmark North Las Vegas strip club with a series of infamous owners, ranging from accused and convicted murderers to a prominent cardiologist. Since 2006 the club has been owned by Adam Gentile.-History:...
, The Aladdin
Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino
Planet Hollywood Las Vegas, previously known as The Aladdin, is a casino resort on the Las Vegas Strip, in the unincorporated locale of Paradise, Nevada, United States. Westgate Resorts operates the condo portion of the property, known as PH Towers by Westgate.Planet Hollywood is owned by Caesars...
, Silver Slipper
Silver Slipper
The Silver Slipper was a Las Vegas, Nevada casino that operated from September 1950 to November 29, 1988. The building was designed by architect Martin Stern, Jr....
, and the Minsky
Minsky's Burlesque
Minsky's Burlesque refers to the brand of American burlesque presented by four sons of Louis and Ethel Minksy: Abraham 'Abe' Bennett Minsky , Michael William 'Billy' Minsky , Herbert Kay Minsky , and Morton Minsky . They started in 1912 and ended in 1937 in New York City...
.
She also toured the United States and the rest of the world with her act.
When asked why she chose to pursue a career in burlesque, she has said she wanted the glamorous life of Gypsy Rose Lee
Gypsy Rose Lee
Gypsy Rose Lee was an American burlesque entertainer famous for her striptease act. She was also an actress, author, and playwright whose 1957 memoir was made into the stage musical and film Gypsy.-Early life:...
. She has also said she borrowed artistic elements from Mae West
Mae West
Mae West was an American actress, playwright, screenwriter and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned seven decades....
, Lili St. Cyr
Lili St. Cyr
Lili St. Cyr , was a prominent American burlesque stripper.- Early years :She was born as Willis Marie Van Schaack in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1918. She had a sister, Rosemary Van Schaack Minsky...
, Ann Corio
Ann Corio
Ann Corio was a prominent American burlesque ecdysiast and actress. Unlike others in her profession, Ann Corio did not have a stage name.- Biography :...
, Sally Keith, and Carrie Finnell to create her stage character Satan’s Angel.
She retired from burlesque in 1985, after twentyfour years, but came out of retirement in 2002. Since then she has performed in the Miss Exotic World Pageant
Miss Exotic World Pageant
The Miss Exotic World Pageant is an annual neo-burlesque pageant and convention, and is the annual showcase event the Burlesque Hall of Fame...
—in 2005 as part of the Legends section of the program, and in 2006 as part of the Cavalcade of Classic Stars. She has also appeared at the annual burlesque convention Tease-O-Rama and in multiple neo-burlesque
Neo-Burlesque
Neo-Burlesque is the revival and updating of the traditional burlesque performance. Though based on the traditional Burlesque art, the new form encompasses a wider range of performance styles; Neo-burlesque acts can be anything from classic striptease to modern dance to theatrical mini-dramas to...
shows.
In addition to performing, Satan’s Angel now gives classes in burlesque striptease and fire tassel twirling. Strip tease and burlesque dancer Catherine D'lish
Catherine D'lish
Catherine D’lish is an American performance artist specializing in classical strip tease and burlesque. Elaborate costumes and decorative props are part of her show. She has been the headlining performer at multiple events in the genre including the 50th anniversary celebration of Playboy...
has called Satan’s Angel "a trailblazer in her profession."