Becoming a pinup model was the best career move Sabina Kelley ever made, although the former Jubilee showgirl probably never thought she’d guest-headline a Vegas show named after the phenomenon captured by photographers such as Bunny Yeager in its formative years. Kelley, who hosts the Stratosphere’s burlesque show PIN UP through July 31 while Claire Sinclair appears at Comic-Con, brought tattoos front and center in contemporary pinup imagery, but she’s looking forward to dancing again. Las Vegas Magazine’s Matt Kelemen talked to Kelley before her stint began.

You have worked with Bunny Yeager before, right?

I’ve worked with her a couple of times, actually. First time I worked with her was in 2004. We’ve been friends ever since, and she’s been a big inspiration. We’ve just kept in contact, and she’s almost like a grandma to me.

What was the trek like for you moving from Jubilee into shooting with Bunny Yeager?

Being a showgirl, I couldn’t have any tattoos or anything, but all my friends I hung out with, the whole rockabilly crowd, were heavily tattooed. I was the only one with no tattoos, and I wanted to be heavily tattooed. I was into that whole scene, going to all the car shows. I almost felt I was living two different lives. When I quit dancing, I turned around and started getting tattooed, and I had no plans on being a model. I’ve never, ever wanted to be that, and I wound up doing a shot for Car Kulture DeLuxe magazine, and it became a cover and my career just snowballed from there.

It’s a little difficult for me to see you going from rockabilly culture to Jubilee.

I was a little punk rock girl, except I’ve been dancing all my life. What’s really funny is I was going to college in San Diego, and my tap teacher is like 78 years old. I had colored hair, totally dressed like a punk-rock girl, and I was in tap class one day and he pulled me aside and said, “I really think you ought to audition to be a showgirl.” And I was like, “Yeah, right. Me, a showgirl?” He was one of the choreographers. … I auditioned and made it, and it turned everything around.

What kind of roles did you play?

There are different lines for different dances. I was a “tall nude” for about a year. I got into the show when I was 18, so I got bored really quick. They moved me to the “short nude” line and I got inspired again because I learned a whole new set of dances for the show.

Are you going to be dancing at PIN UP?

We’re actually doing a couple of new numbers, so I’m super excited. It feels so good to dance again because I haven’t danced in a show since Jubilee. I’ve done a couple of burlesque shows, out of the country mainly, but for the most part, dancing hasn’t been in my life for a long time. I’ve definitely, definitely been missing it. Now that I’m back into it again, I’m like, “Oh, my gosh, I needed this!”