How I Found Myself On A Burlesque Stage

My debut performance from Miss Indigo Blue’s Academy of Burlesque in April 2019 (I was performing under a different name)

I didn’t recognize myself at 4 months post partum. Prior to having a child, I was busy with creative projects. I was heavily involved in the Seattle dance scene— choreographing, directing a dance group, teaching, coaching, performing, you name it. And then life did its thing and I had a child. My child and family became my main passion in life. I was also reminded of the harsh reality that this meant that my schedule as a mother could not accommodate to a rehearsal schedule that would typically occur late at night. I worked primarily with groups. I never did solo work.

I was introduced to the art of burlesque through my husband. A couple years into dating, he had purchased tickets for us to attend a burlesque show at the Moisture Festival (I think this must’ve been in 2011) in Seattle, WA. I didn’t know what I was about to witness. I was in awe. Rhinestones, heels, make-up, beautiful choreography… stripping?! The art of the tease reeled me in but I never thought that I could do something like that in a million years. I wasn’t brave enough.

Fast forward to 2019 and 1 kid later and I am on the internet, searching for ways to feel good in my body. Somehow I stumbled upon Miss Indigo Blue’s Academy of Burlesque. Burlesque 101 was a 6-week program that got you from fully clothed to naked onstage. Registration was open. I visited the academy’s website a couple of times, contemplating if I should dive in and do this. I have always been interested in burlesque and realized that there is no such thing as “waiting for the right time”. So I took the plunge and signed up.

I joined because my body and [creative] identity had shifted. I no longer had a creative outlet. I felt that I could do this thing and if I liked it, great. If not, it was a fun experience.

It was a crash course of history, character development, act development, costuming, learning how to be naked onstage… It was a wild ride.

On an evening in April 2019, I found myself backstage with my fellow cohort. My debut piece included multiple costume changes and multiple prop pieces. I performed it in front of my husband and some friends (I did not share this event with any of my family because I was hesitant to let them know that I dived into the art of stripping). In between the early show & the late show, I was backstage with my breast pump, pumping milk for a baby. I performed in the late show. I survived and I itched for more.

I am almost 7 years deep in this art form. Little did I know that burlesque would bring me to exploring and embracing my identity as a Filipina, creating productions that center Asian American/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (AANHPI) performers, taking me to multiple stages around the country, and incorporating my clinical mental health skills into a burlesque movement class series focused on helping people access pleasure and self care.

It also occurred to me that I did this all on my own. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I could be that brave, let alone be a mother with a flexible creative life.
Has it changed me? Definitely. I will dive more into this in later blog entries. But I took the leap and did the damn thing.

Are you interested in this art form? Have you been curious about embarking on this journey? My advice: DO THE DAMN THING. You won’t regret it.