Darling Stilettos
Ace
Gina
Jersey
Lindsey
Megan
Rebellion, swagger and talent have always brought forth the best rock & roll, from Guns N’ Roses and The Clash to The Ramones and The Rolling Stones. But if edgy, defiant sounds have been perfected, the strong dose of sexuality that Darling Stilettos bring to the stage adds an essential and long-overdue element. A trailblazing rock & roll dance troupe, the Stilettos have been wowing L.A. audiences of late with their attention-grabbing, attitudinal moves. Set to enduring tunes by punk and hard rock gods, the group’s scorching live spectacle needs to be seen to be believed.
“It’s amazing eye candy,” says Ace Harper, Darling Stilettos’ principal choreographer and rock diva, about their live set. “Each girl draws you in with her allure and powerful moves. We have such a great chemistry onstage; our energy just bounces off one another. We’re a true gang and it’s so rewarding to give to the audience and to do what you love to do.”
In addition to Ace–a former dancer for the likes of Lenny Kravitz, Motley Crue and Velvet Revolver–Darling Stilettos are rounded out by four like-minded, revved up rocker chicks named Gina, Jersey, Lindsey and Megan. Guided by Velvet Revolver’s Matt Sorum, and clad in original outfits made by Corey Parks of Nashville Pussy, this is a youthful, punk rock dance quintet that is responsible for blowing away attendees at recent Hollywood gigs with the likes of Camp Freddy and Metal Skool.
“I think of it as West Side Story meets Sex Pistols,” says Sorum, of the Stilettos’ rock & roll dance moves. “Here they are: girls in their early twenties who grew up with their Mom & Dad’s records: Clash, Ramones, Generation X. All the cool shit. And they’re taking the stage and doing rock & roll steps. It’s not pop. It’s edgy, it’s punky, it’s gang-like.”
Born in the early 1980s, these Dionysian debutantes of rock & roll first got their hands on their parents’ record collections and never looked back. Using Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock & Roll” as a call to arms, the respective members of DS discovered Guns N’ Roses, Nirvana, AC/DC and countless others. Finding inspiration from the fashion, spirit and freewheeling savoir faire of Bridget Bardot, among others, the rebellious spirits of Darling Stilettos’ respective members took flight.
“I would always sneak out to parties,” says Ace, a product of small town Oklahoma. “I just wanted to be where the action was.” A wild child, she began spending summers in L.A. from the age of 15, assisting top choreographers. “While my friends were cheerleaders, I was choreographing the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders,” Ace marvels.
Empowered by her attributes at a young age, Harper explains, “I’ve always been very in tune with my body. Dancing is very sensual. It comes from that part inside you. If I have to put on some high heels and a mini skirt to bring some attention back rock & roll, I’ll be the first one to do it!”
It’s a notion that drives Darling Stilettos’ upcoming, Sorum-produced version of “Girl’s Got Rhythm.” Charged by their tough chick exterior, Ace says seriously, “You don’t want to mess with us or we’ll kick your ass.”
Or as the Hell-raised (that’s Hell, Michigan) vixen Gina explains, “We’re hard and powerful. We’re hot rock bitches tearin’ it up.” But she’s also quick to assert that the group’s members are thoroughly trained artists who’ve been dancers all their lives. “We’re not just random celebrities trying to drop an album and tour. This is what we do, and we do it very well.”
Assured and sultry, headstrong and hardcore, Ace proudly announces, “These are the most talented girls in Los Angeles.” To which Jersey–a self-professed ‘bad girl’ and ‘Italian Mamma’ from the Garden State--explains, “When we step on the stage, we rock it out. We get to really embrace our gift of being hot sexy women in stilettos, flipping our hair, laughing, singing and looking and feeling great. What girl wouldn’t want that?”
And considering her troubled past (Jersey was kicked out of public school for fighting) the Stilettos’ credo makes perfect sense: “You have to be confident and take no shit from anyone, but still be a darling.” Or as Megan, a South Korean-born, Greeley, Colorado-raised hottie with long sleek legs adds, “We’re raw, aggressive and ready to kick ass. We’re not afraid to be the girls you love to hate.”
“There’s something really sexy to me about women in rock & roll,” Megan continues. “And dancing for people is so satisfying. It leaves me and the audience always wanting more. Maybe it’s being able to connect with them and seeing their reaction, but when I’m done I have this unexplainable rush through me. It makes me want to do it again.”
As for the rock & roll that drives Darling Stilettos performances, Lindsey, the little bad-ass from Northern California, explains the basis for their musical selections. “We get down on anything that makes us want to sing or scream,” she says. “Something with a good beat or guitar solo that makes you wanna shake your head and pound on your steering wheel when you drive.”
“Our vibe is rock, rock and more rock,” Lindsey concludes, explaining their unique presence in today’s musical climate. “We’re tough and sassy. We don’t let people ‘loosen up our buttons.’ We take people ‘to Paradise City where the grass is green and the girls are pretty.’”
With an ability to turn heads, even girls’ heads, Darling Stilettos balance their “drive to fucking rock with a charisma that draws people in,” Gina says. “You may have expected some hot girls prancing around, but we really raise the temperature in the room. We are so alive and in your face.”
Or, as the world famous drummer turned DS manager says with a succinct chuckle, “It’s hot.”
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