GRINDING MY WAY IN

B’klyn burlesque star gets ‘genius’ green card

buff “I’d rather be naked than wear fur” PETA billboard.

May said that even though she struts her stuff on stage, she found it tough to play up her assets.

“I’m a Canadian. So we’re modest, and we’re polite. We don’t want to make a big fuss,” she said. “I really had to set that aside.”

The redhead, who calls herself a “Canadian burlesque ambassa- dor,” studied political science in her British Columbia hometown of Victoria and worked for the Canadian government before founding a burlesque troupe.

She decided to relocate permanently to New York in 2010 and applied for the green card that December. The feds asked for more evidence before awarding it to her last month.

“Every musical that has ever inspired me in my career is all about going to New York and making it big on the stage. I just wanted to be that girl,” she said.

Her look is inspired by 1940s starlets like Rita Hayworth and Betty Grable. She designs her vegan-friendly costumes using faux leather and fake feathers.

In one classic number, set to “Bei Mir Bist Du Schon,” she starts out in a fake mink, floor- length gown and evening gloves and ends up in sparkly green pasties.

For a James Bond-themed show, she danced in gold body paint, earning the nickname “gold butt cheeks.”

During the day, she teaches New York ladies how to bring out their inner Bettie Page, hosting pin-up model makeovers and photo shoots.

Fellow performers say the feds made the right call.

“She really brings an element of old Hollywood glamour to the scene,” said Calamity Chang. “Bettina really does bring her own look and style into it without just trying to be a carbon copy of what’s out there.”