Step into Ivan Kane’s Forty Deuce and you feel as if you’ve entered the era when people threw caution to the wind and saucy entertainment was all the rage. The vibe is audacious, seductive and thrilling.

Modeled after “back-alley” burlesque clubs, no detail has been overlooked in crafting the perfect ambience: worn bricks cover the walls, red leather booths are grouped intimately around dimly lit cocktail tables, and the sunken bar surrounded by the pearl-curtained, elevated stage provides the perfect backdrop.

As guests sip cocktails and move to the music spun by celebrity DJs, a saxophone wails and the jazz trio appears on stage, the DJ stops and the crowd grows silent, anticipating the moment when the dancer will slink on stage, bringing the lost art of sultry striptease back to life. 

The essence of Ivan Kane’s Forty Deuce is the dancers. Each dancer is hand selected by Kane and Champagne Suzy, his muse and partner, to ensure the show is spectacular. “It’s the different styles, attitudes, backgrounds, and looks of my girls that are part of the magic at Ivan Kane’s Forty Deuce. What I’m looking for is girls who can bring what is unique about them to the type of burlesque I want to see at my club,” Ivan explains.

Sheila Joy fits the bill. Born and raised in Miami, Sheila jokes, “I have literally been dancing since I was in the womb.” She studied ballet, which was her passion, and rhythmic gymnastics. She wanted to be a ballerina. So when it came time to further her education, Sheila choose Marymount College in New York City, undertaking a dual major in dance and psychology.

While in New York, Sheila trained at the Broadway Dance Center, becoming interested in other types of dance along the way. She decided to try jazz and was hooked after one class; she hung up her pointe shoes for good. “I loved it and would even clean mirrors after class as a trade for free dance classes,” she recalls.

Sheila’s first real gig was for MTV’s Global Groove. Soon she found herself as a background dancer for recording artists including Debra Cox, Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson. “My coolest performance was Michael Jackson’s 30th Anniversary Concert in Madison Square Garden. Dancing for Michael, Usher, Gloria Gaynor, and Maya was an amazing experience,” she said.

After traveling the world, Sheila returned to the States where she became a back-up dancer for Brooke Hogan on her House of Blues tour in Chicago. Soon after, she headed back out on the road with the Showgirls of Magic III show in Japan.

Wanting a change of scenery, Sheila had Las Vegas in her sights. She first worked with the Dame Edna tour at The Luxor Resort and Casino before she found an audition posting for an intriguing job: a burlesque dancer at Ivan Kane’s Forty Deuce.

Sheila, who had never performed burlesque and didn’t know what to expect, chose the song “These Boots Are Made For Walkin’” for her audition and that is exactly what Sheila did in her knee high, purple suede boots. “I was really nervous, but once the audition started, I knew I wanted this job more than anything.”

Out of almost 100 girls, Sheila landed her dream job with a two-year contract. “I love this job! You get to be creative and improvise in every show. You get to express yourself and interact with customers and the live band, which is great because you can feed off the energy of the crowd. This is an enchanting place and I hope to be here for many more years to come.”