Grinder Girl: Fulvia Sanchez

By Xania Woodman

Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009 | 4:13 p.m.

Name: Fulvia Sanchez

Hometown: Caracas, Venezuela

Age: “Just like wine, the older I get, the better I get.”

Profession: Grinder Girl, Perfecto Saturdays, Rain Nightclub

Profile: Adrenaline junkie Fulvia BASE jumps (with cables), sky dives, bungee jumps, rock climbs, shoots target practice and rides motorcycles. A gymnast since age 5 in Venezuela, Fulvia participated in the Pan-American Games before coming to the U.S. to perform in shows such as Perfecto every Saturday night at Rain. As the Grinder Girl—a traditional sideshow act reimagined by Geneviève Cleary of Belluscious—Fulvia is edgy and strong, sexy but not objectified, a sort of Supergirl who takes a grinder (yes, it’s real; she’s cut herself a few times) to the metal plates on her stomach, legs and crotch, sending a shower of sparks across the stage once a night.

Why I do what I do: “The satisfaction of being appreciated by people—that’s very big. I love to be onstage, I love to be the center of attention, I love to be admired as a beautiful woman and a performer—mostly as a performer, though.”

Personal tidbit: Fulvia’s acting aspirations occasionally take her to auditions in LA. It’s her dream to be cast as a superhero, and she’s already come pretty close, being body-mapped as a motion-capture model for the Valkyrie in Pirates: The Legend of Black Kat for the PlayStation 2. Fulvia has also developed and performed her own acrobatic adagio—a sexy hand-balancing act with a female partner—all over the world.

What I’m listening to: Perfecto: Vegas, Paul Oakenfold

Latest accomplishment: To support her expensive adrenaline habits, Fulvia will be introducing a new product into the market, top secret for the time being. Hey, if she’s ever going to climb Mount Everest, she’ll need cash!

Motto: “The closer you are to death, the more you realize you are alive.”