After a much too long hiatus, legendary burlesque performer and fashion icon Dita Von Teese is returning to Vegas. MGM Grand is excited to welcome back Dita after her sold-out engagement three years ago in April 2007.

Dita was the Crazy Horse Paris' first guest star and during her return at the end of the month, she'll perform routines designed specifically for the Crazy Horse stage. These include the debut of "Lazy" with the Crazy Horse dancers; "Le Bain Noir," her famous bathtub number, and "Teese'ing," her take on the now iconic Crazy Horse routine "Teasing."

"I'm really excited about returning to the Crazy Horse stage in Las Vegas," said Dita. "Not just as the featured performer, but reconnecting with the dancers. I had so much fun working with them onstage. It's a team and we all have mutual respect and adoration for each other. I rarely perform in the U.S. and I'm excited for the American people to discover the brilliance of Crazy Horse."

Dita Von Teese has been catapulted to celebrity status by her infamous martini glass striptease and classic 1940s vintage style. Her name is synonymous with glamour, something rarely granted to performers who begin their career at 19 in a LA strip club.

It was while working as a stripper that Dita learned of the unique audience appeal she holds. "My fans were mostly doctors, lawyers and professors. Some girls would get twenty $1 bills from twenty different people, but I'd get the $20 bill from one person."

Dita explains her turn to retro glamour as a means to beauty "for all the girls like us who were born just a little bit average." She notes how, "Even when I was young, I realized that a lot of what was considered ‘beautiful' wasn't real. You could see their make-up, clothes, shoes - none of it was natural beauty. I realized that I could emulate that look. I never thought of girls running down the beach without make-up on as glamorous. I never wanted to be like that."

And she never is. Whether going to Pilates or running errands, Dita is dressed to the nines, red lipstick and all.

What many might find surprising about the burlesque star is that the majority of her fan base is made up of women.

"Eighty per cent of the people who turn up at book signings are women, who say, ‘Thank you for making it OK to be pale, to be a little rounder, to dress up and have fun.' "

As a fan of Dita myself, one aspect of her that I find incredibly appealing is the sense of control she makes sure to maintain over her life. Financially independent since the age of 15, there are no plans in Dita's future to relinquish any of her power. "I love being in charge and when that curtain goes up, I'm responsible for every aspect. I'm my own choreographer, stylist, make-up artist, producer, director and financier."

This all is linked with Dita's definition of feminism: the freedom to choose and the freedom to have control. Dita was quoted in an interview with The Guardian as saying, "Part of what I love about burlesque is that it is risqué and some people could be offended by it. I don't try to be anyone's role model. I don't think I'm right and I don't think that I'm wrong. I think everyone has to decide for themselves. All you can hope for is at least to have the choice."

Since her performance last year at the Crazy Horse in Paris (the real Paris), Dita has made it a priority to perform in countries where public nudity is "technically illegal."

"It's much more intimidating to perform in places with a huge burlesque scene because I'm more likely to be criticised by the burlesque community, who wonder what all the fuss is about. But to perform somewhere new to an audience that's never seen it - that's the challenge."

She'll only be in town for a one week run March 31 to April 7 with no shows on the 6th. Tickets are already on sale for a special performance price of $75.

There is an MGM Grand's Crazy Horse Paris Dita Von Teese Package offered on Ticketmaster where you can bid on two packages that include two front-row seats, a private backstage meet and greet, a signed photo of Dita and more. The show will begin at * pm and 10:30 pm nightly throughout the run.