Tina Tobago is a dancer at Crazy Horse Paris… and an operating room nurse. We had a chat with this woman who resolutely assumes her double life with energy and charisma.
How did you come to join the famous Crazy Girls dance troupe, and why?
It was both a dream and a stroke of luck. When I was 12 or 13 years old, I saw a Christmas video of Crazy Horse Paris on television. I was instantly fascinated by the way the dancers moved, the vibe they gave off… At that age I was very sporty – I did 15 hours a week of rhythmic gymnastics, and I was a real tomboy! My feminine side was more interior, and when I saw that video, I knew that one day I would want to be a woman like those at Crazy Horse Paris.
When I was 21, I shared my dream with my partner, but I didn’t think anything would come of it. I felt that becoming a Crazy Girl was impossible, since I was a gymnast and they had training in dance or the performing arts. He nonetheless sent off my application, which came to nothing; I was disappointed but not surprised. A few years later I tried again, and this time I was offered an audition. Meanwhile I had got myself ready, I did a lot of dancing… and I joined the Crazy Girl troupe in April 2017!
How do you manage your double life as nurse and Crazy Girl?
As an operating room nurse, I can organize my time quite easily. I have my weekends off and I’m on duty three times a week, which gives me four consecutive days off. To start with I was a contract worker, so it was easy to accept jobs or not, but now I have a permanent contract so that requires more juggling.
It’s possible to successfully lead both lives simultaneously, as I like to be on the move: in the operating room I have to use my brain, and at Crazy Horse Paris I find expression in movement, through my body. They are complementary and that suits me perfectly.
What is your favorite scene, and why?
I love Jungle Fever and Lay Laser Lay. The second is the one I saw in the Christmas video when I was 13, and it was also my first solo act at Crazy Horse Paris. I like them for their slightly “wild” side, as well as their sensuality. In fact, I can’t really imagine myself playing the role of a sparkling, smiling woman; I need a rather dark form of energy to express myself through dancing, and in these scenes I can use that. The sensitivity and fragility that radiate from But I’m a good girl appeal to me enormously, but it isn’t necessarily easy for me to embody them.
In your opinion, what defines a Crazy Girl?
It takes time to become a Crazy Girl, and when you start out you don’t know what sort of Crazy Girl you’re going to become. What’s more, this persona is not fixed, it develops over the years. I would say that, for me, a Crazy Girl is at ease with herself, a confident, sensitive and sensual woman. She knows herself well enough to express her femininity, have fun with it, and radiate emotion that others can share.
Two women have been role models in my life, and have inspired me. My mother gave dancing lessons, and my grandmother was a nurse administrator. Today, I’m proud to embody both of them in my double life as Crazy Girl and nurse!