Burlesque in a Time of Coronavirus

“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under the trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the blue sky, is by no means waste of time.” - Baron John Lubbock, The Use of Life

This was supposed to be a post about my return to the stage after taking a couple months off, but life has a funny way of letting you know when it's NOT time.  In this case, "funny" actually means "really awful for a lot of people". I'm sure the lasting effects of these cancelled events and struggles to find substitutes will reach me eventually, but let's rewind to before all of this, when I was on hiatus.

Burlesque Bushfire Benefit cast
Photo by Moore Lightworks

Early February, I made my way to Colorado for the Dew Tour.  Although this was a dream vacation in the mountains, I contemplated performing in a new city.  In the past, out-of-town gigs helped revitalize my passion for burlesque.  The opportunity popped up in the form of Warrior Wake Productions's Burlesque Bushfire Benefit: I couldn't resist performing for a good cause.  Georgia May Wake, the producer, loved "Black Glasses", an appropriate number to make my return with, and I planned my trip with an extra day in Denver to hang with my old buddy Tristan Von and do the show.  Being in the historic D&F Clocktower and getting ready next to Midnite Martini's BHoF trophy made the experience even cooler!  Everyone in the show was super nice, and although the show was a weekday, turn-out was great.  I'm glad we could help the relief efforts in Australia.


Coming home, I felt good, but work in the lab and behind the curtain started to pile up.  I was producing more shows than before, and while I have really come to enjoy producing, the responsibilities were becoming overwhelming.  I will also confess to being envious of performers who had more stage time.  My problem was that I couldn't do more shows lest I wind up in last year's situation.

As I tried to keep going at a reasonable pace, All-con crept up on me.  Out of frustration in scrambling to prepare for a con while still doing lab work and producing, I had wished that I had contracted the novel coronavirus that was starting to spread in the U.S. in order to take a true break (since apparently my mountain vacation wasn't enough).  A half-hearted wish was spoken into fruition somewhat.  I wound up being exposed second-hand.  I hung onto to the hope of still being able to debut my new act at Glitterbomb, but the responsible thing to do was to self-quarantine for 14 days.  No con (it was cancelled after the first day), no shows, no lyra or pole dancing, no other forms of socializing.

Only fake coughing here.
"So Long and Goodnight" - Mustache Envy: Gothic Prom
Photo by Cher Musico Photography

To be honest, I'm enjoying this extended break.  The hardest part initially was trying to workout without the lure of lyra or pole and my usual work day of running between labs.  Thankfully several performers have come up with on-line classes, giving me an opportunity to learn from people I normally don't get to.  The struggle has shifted to find the same level of motivation to rehearse and refine my existing acts.  There's no future show in sight to help me focus.  I have taken the time to clean and repair costumes so that's a step forward.  Really this is a sign to to reflect on what I want out of burlesque, especially without the producer angle distracting... and maybe to stop relying on the stress of a deadline to get me creating and working. 

How will I emerge from this pandemic?  I don't know, but I'm not ready to quit... yet.  I just have to figure out how to turn these smoldering coals of desire back into flames of passion in whatever new form they may take.  It's not an easy endeavor, but it's not a bad work-from-home activity either.

Please continue supporting your favorite performers.  The links to Glitterbomb and on-line classes are just a couple of ways you can contribute.  I'm doing fine so please help my comrades who are financially struggling.

3 upcoming shows

I've got three shows in a row, which is completely bonkers.  However, this is right before I'm going on performing hiatus so gotta go big before I go out.  I might submit to one more show, but it'll be out-of-town and we'll see how I feel after this marathon.

 

No tickets necessary for Glitterbomb.  Bring some extra money for merch, as I'll be selling stuff and donating things to the Genesis Women's Shelter.  (You can also get them on-line here.) 

 

I will only be performing in the Denton stop of the Holiday at Hogwarts 2019 tour.   Show starts at 9 PM and is at Dan's Silverleaf.  Click here for tickets.

Tickets for Viva Dallas Burlesque's Festivus Follies is at this link.

Body Acceptance series - Hair

"I just wanna be myself, and I want you to love me for who I am
I just wanna be myself, and I want you to know
I am my hair" - Lady Gaga, "Hair" 

It's been a long time since I've done a Body Acceptance post.  This one was tricky because I have a long history of loving and hating my hair.  And hair is covers a lot! (pun intended)

For the majority of my life, people have been sending messages about what to do with my hair.  My classmates talked about how "gross" they felt when they didn't shave their legs or when they couldn't wash their hair every week.  I got bullied for not shaving my legs and having greasy hair. My dad laughed at my hairy thighs, and my mom forced me to shave my armpits after preteen me told her that American women shaved.  A Mary Kay salesperson teaching a friend and me how to apply makeup for prom told me to wax my eyebrows, and one of my friends in college insisted on tweezing them.  The Companion, during a more immature time, once requested that I trim my pubic hair, and to this day, a flash of pubic hair could get a show shut down.

Being an anxious perfectionist, I was doomed to develop a discomfort with my naked body and a terrible relationship with my hair.  I didn't want to do burlesque because I felt too hairy, and thus too ugly.  I couldn't see myself stripping down to a G-string, as those strips of fabric never to covered enough.

Then I started to learn about dancers who bucked societal norms.  It began with the belly dance community, namely Unmata, who had tattoos and unshaven armpits.  In burlesque, I discovered Rubyyy Jones, who stopped shaving her armpits and even wore a hairy merkin for an act.  At Viva Dallas Burlesque's DC vs. Marvel show, I met Shan de Leers who was on her own journey to reclaim her body through not shaving.  I started wondering if I could do the same.

By this point, my dermatitis had me not shaving my legs out of necessity, and thanks to the queerlesque community, I was slowly growing okay with it.  However, I've never truly had hairy legs, just dark hair.  The real test would be when I stopped shaving my armpits, a decision I made at the end of August as I prepared for Glitterbomb's Hair show.  I would be telling my story.

Glitterbomb: Hair
Photo by Kristen Gaddis

The act was a reverse strip based on the premise of getting ready for a show.  I wore my long black wig to symbolize how long and thick hair represents femininity and the struggle I have with my mom every time I want to cut my hair.  Although the inclusion of my samba costume was motivated by a desire to recycle an essentially retired outfit, I must confess other motives.  It was my most glamorous ensemble, and it symbolized a difficult thought that lingered in my mind with regards to all the troupes I joined or considered joining.  Despite the support I received, I still felt pressure to shave in order to not distract from the troupe aesthetic.  In a group, you have to consider everyone else in addition to yourself.  Maybe this is why I prefer going solo— in burlesque and in life.

Glitterbomb provided the perfect venue for this new step.  The audience has always been ultra supportive, and some of my fellow queerlesquers didn't shave.  Plus the hair theme was perfect!  The gods might have been sending me a message that it was time.

Photo by Saraphimart

I never looked back… at least when it came to armpit and leg hair.  It's an extra reveal and a way to challenge audience members who have certain expectations of beauty.  I still worry about my pubic hair making an unexpected appearance and causing an issue, but I can solve that issue with costuming and safety thongs.  As for the hair on my head, it's another beast.

My photos for the Esteemed project cover how complex my struggles with hair have been.  Anytime I wear my long black wig and get a compliment on how good I look with long hair, I start feeling a tinge of regret.  Then I see fellow performers with undercuts and shaved sides, and I wonder if I'll ever be brave enough to do that.  Lately, as I embrace my genderfluid identity and do more drag, I'm more assertive about getting shorter, more masculine cuts.  I also try not to go into hairdressers with too specific expectations because that would lead to dissatisfaction and more angst over being too shy to let them know.  There are always wigs, I tell myself.  We're just working on acceptance after all.

Ironically, my drag self has a hair-related name.  I take the Pink approach with Tony Fo-Hawk in that one's hair does not have to match the name.  Speaking of the extreme dude with perpetual helmet hair, you can catch him tomorrow night at Glitterbomb.

#NotYourAsianSidekick or Fantasy

As a nerdlesquer, I have a lot of strong opinions about geeky media.  I get particularly fired up about representation—or more accurately, misrepresentation.  Friends have witnessed my rants on social media, but sometimes that's not enough.  Sometimes I have to dance it out.

Three years ago, Avengers actors Chris Evans and Jeremy Renner called Black Widow a "slut" and "whore".  Although they apologized, it was, to me, a tipping point in the mistreatment of this kickass comic book character.  She's often left out of merchandise, and despite having a very interesting backstory, producers refuse to give her a solo movie.  Even in the Avengers universe, she's not free from misogyny (as much as I love Loki, the rape threat was not necessary).

Tuesday Tease: Spy Who Teased Me
Photo by Danny Fox-Trot

All these things gave me an idea for a Black Widow routine.  At the time, I was busy with other acts so I filed it away.  When I finally had the opportunity to work on it, I found another layer to the narrative: the live-action Ghost in the Shell, starring Scarlett Johansson, was playing in theatres. 

My anger at the whitewashing of a Japanese character could be a post in itself, but there's already a lot of exiting commentary.  I took this somewhat personally because my name came from the Ghost in the Shell anime.  Motoko Kusanagi was the hero I needed when I first tried to reinvent myself as Hana Li.  Casting Johansson as The Major, even if The Major's apparently-white body is artificial, sends the message that Asian women are not complete individuals— that our stories aren't worth telling.

Burlesque has given me another way to tell stories, and now I could get my revenge.  Not only could I strip away how the names Black Widow has been called along with her tough exterior, I could strip away her identity as a white woman.  After all, Marvel Ultimate's featured an Asian Black Widow named Monica Chang.  Even if few audience members would make the connection, I'm still depicting an idea of hidden identities.  The last word I take off before shedding the red wig is "unseen".  That's what I refuse to be.

Glitterbomb: Guardians of
the Glitter Galaxy
Photo by Saraphimart

I took the same approach with Mantis.  Although her innocence was endearing, I raged at how the omniscient Celestial Madonna had been reduced to a slave and the butt of jokes.  She reminded me of everything I hated about being called "cute": all those undertones of being helpless, harmless, and docile.  As Hana Li, I've been able to combat the infantilization I've encountered in looking young and perhaps being a little naïve due to my upbringing.  I would do the same to Mantis and restore her to her sexy kickass self.  I would dare audiences to call my version of Mantis "ugly" (another part of the movie I could critique).

Glitterbomb gave me the opportunity to make this idea reality with their Guardians of the Galaxy show.  The production also made me realize I could get more specific with my nerdlesque themes, as the audience enjoyed what was presented to them whether they were familiar with the film/comics or not.  A bonus for me was getting kudos for referencing Mantis' comic book costume with my bra and panel skirt (from Risk by Raven).  Original Mantis had her own issues in terms of Orientalism, but I felt like I was able to write my own narrative for her.  You get another chance to see my Mantis act next Tuesday at Tease:

You can also catch me this week as part of Viva Dallas Burlesque's weekend of Star Wars show. I'll be debuting a new act inspired by the newer movies on Saturday night.  There's still a few tickets available at the door, but I recommend arriving early to either of the shows.  May the 4th be with you!

Upcoming shows: Glitterbomb and Tuesday Tease

Happy International Women's Day!  How about you celebrate with me by coming out to Glitterbomb tonight?

If you can't make it that show, there's also Tuesday Tease.  I've finally put together the ultimate nerdy show, and I'm debuting a new number for it!

2017 in photos

I almost forgot about my year in review on Tumblr, but trying to get back to blogging helped remind me.  Here is part 1 and part 2.  I made a point to share photos that hadn't already been posted on Tumblr, and that led to some odd choices for months were I was less busy or didn't have photos.

One thing I didn't forget was Instagram Best Nine (since everyone else was posting theirs).

Again, my #1 most liked photo isn't one of me although this time I did play a role in arranging it (it being a proposal at one of my shows).  Clearly, y'all like it when I show skin and wear blue or green.  I don't think this will actually influence what I do this year, but trends are interesting to me.

One thing I want to try to do in 2018 is to take more selfies with people.  My social anxiety catches up to me, and I can never find the right moment.  However, I want the memories.  So far, I've only done it once, but a step at a time, right?

me and Blyre Cpanx
at Tuesday Tease: Toy Box

I've got another chance to take selfie, and you've got a chance to see me perform tomorrow.

Our Pineapple Princess Gone Too Soon

As you might have noticed, I got into a funk with my writing.  A couple weeks ago, I was ready to return with a post, ironically, about timing, and then I got the news.  2017 was already filled with tragedy for both me personally and the queerlesque community, and it had to deliver one last blow on the final day.  The beautiful, sparkling Pineapple of Burlesque, Jette Blaque, had died that morning.

Jette was a frequent performer on the Dallas and Denton queerlesque stages.  Her mentor was my teacher for when I got started at the Academy of Queerlesque, and we first crossed paths at during my second solo performance.  We'd see more of each other as the Sue Ellen's stage became a home for us, and I became familiar her shining presence.  She was full of laughter and joy backstage, and on-stage she could deliver so much attitude.

Panty Raid: Bare Necessities - our 2nd show together
Photo by Kevin Huckabee

We also had the pleasure of working for each other.  I loved having Jette for Tuesday Tease—she was a consummate professional yet a total goofball.  During one of the POC Teases, she became instant friends with the queens I had booked, as they went ga-ga over handsome men and quoted Empire.  It was a riot!  She had also booked me for her POC show at Glitterbomb, and I was so honored to be a part of that experience. 

The last time I saw her was when we were performing for our friend Mina Panamour's surprise birthday party.  Jette was not only going to do a cake sit, but she also planned to stick googly eyes on her butt and twerk during intermission.  Since I was going from Hana to Tony, I had to miss that, but the cake sit was epic!

Dirty 30: Mina's birthday show
Contagious Fantasies Photography

In addition to being a lot of fun, Jette was so kind and generous.  She had organized a surprise Christmas gift basket for the Glitterbomb producers and our dear friends, Lillith Grey and Milo Cox.  It was a great idea, and all of us queerlesquers worked hard to find the perfect items to contribute.  Since I had a Shutterfly account, I made a calendar, and Jette's excitement upon receiving it seemed as though she were the intended recipient.  She and I had also made plans for her to come to my place to give me and The Companion haircuts for a great price.  Previously she had talked about trying to provide cuts for queer clientele who may have faced discrimination or not gotten the cut they had wanted.  Having dealt with microaggressions relating to my hair, I thought the idea was wonderful.

Pineapples were her favorite thing.
Artwork by Jo Moulton

Jette didn't let her health slow her down, and even though she had her struggles, she always had a smile when I saw her.  I didn't know her as well as some other performers, but she still invited me to her and Nate Jones' wedding, which was so sweet and beautiful, and I was planning to get to know her better when she made her house call.  She has taught me to not let misfortunes bring me down, to take more selfies, and to be more like the regal pineapple she was.  Jette Blaque, we miss you so much, but your sparkle will remain with us forever.

(The title of this post was partly inspired by a poem by her maternal grandmother Daisy Kincheloe, "Gone Too Soon".)

Upcoming shows: Glitterbomb and Tuesday Tease

I'm getting ready to kick off a very busy month (plus a week).  I'm working on a new post too.  It's a very personal one, another Body Acceptance entry, so instead of rushing, I'm giving it some more time.  In the meantime, catch me at these two very exciting shows.

Tribute to a fallen queen

Glitterbomb: It's Called Pride Motherfuckers
Photo by Maddy Waltz

We only got to share the stage once.  Tragedy brought us together.  The show was Glitterbomb's response to the Pulse shooting.  She was assisting one of her drag sisters, Christina DeLeon, in a touching tribute to the victims.  The circumstances surrounding that night led to more performers than usual backstage and a greater storm of emotions than usual nerves and frantic excitement.  As a result, I never got to talk to her.

However, I noticed her prominence in the Denton drag and burlesque scenes.  It made me think about reaching out to see if she wanted to come over to Dallas for a performance.  I was still planning to ask about her when the Tuesday Tease Team got the news.  Because I didn't know her, I wasn't as hard hit.  Nevertheless I felt great sadness because it hurts to see one's friends in so much pain.  Pulse brought all of us in the LGBTQIAP community together such that a loss in one community is a loss for all of us.

I've been thinking about the missed opportunity, the subsequent what-ifs, and fears of what-next?  I'm still reeling from past tragedies, yet death stops for no one. Let this be a lesson to always embrace your castmates, to get to know performers beyond the stage, and to take a chance on that newbie.  Life is too short for anything else.

 Ivory Dior, know that you are greatly missed and that your memory will be with us always.

Upcoming shows: Glitterbomb and Tuesday Tease

As you can guess, I've been busy as a bee.  Tomorrow (or I guess technically tonight), I am debuting a very special and personal number about hair and my contentious relationship with it.  So please come out to Glitterbomb.  It won't be all tears though as Tony Fo-Hawk is bringing back his fun tribute to our Snowboard Slopestyle gold medalist with fabulous hair, Sage Kotsenburg. It'll be an unforgettable night so please come out to Mable Peabody's!

For Tuesday Tease, I will be stage managing/kittening for the next show on September 27.  Then I'm producing the October 11 show.  The flyers haven't been released yet, but mark those dates down!

I promise I'll get back to blogging.  The next post is about the Texas Queerlesque Festival, and there's a lot.  In fact, I don't think I can fit all the pictures in so here's one of them.

TXQF16: Sequins and Sass cast and crew
Photo by The Naked Lens

 

Queerlesque, the Movement

"This show is proof that history remembers.
We live through times when hate and fear seem stronger.
We rise and fall in light from dying embers
Remembrances that hope and love last longer." - Lin-Manuel Miranda, 2016 Tony Awards acceptance sonnet

"How does a skater, a failed cloning project, and a/ Drag king, dropped in the middle of a/ Chainsaw repair and beauty shop in Denton for Glitterbomb/ A queer variety show/ Give a history lesson some rhyme and flow?"  My rap composition skills are a bit rusty, but get the reference?

To fully understand the story, let's go back to 2008.  I was in New York City, watching the Tony Awards (on TV) pay tribute to RENT after having seen the show live.  A young man named Lin-Manuel Miranda won Best Original Score and freestyled his acceptance speech.  I was in awe.  The particular run of RENT I saw featured Renee Elise Goldsberry who would go on to star in Lin's next musical.  I like to think that I was destined to be a Hamilton fan before Lin even started writing, but I'm just a fan of unconventional musicals.

Tony Fo-Hawk's Hamilton number came out of a fantasy and a joke.  Alexander Hamilton was on my list of dream theatrical roles, and I wondered if I could do a Schuyler Sisters act with my friends.  Nothing substantial came into mind until one day when Lillith Grey mentioned that Glitterbomb was still looking for performers for their "History Lessons" show.  I make a slightly snarky comment about how I'm surprised she's not getting a million Hamilton auditions.  She wasn't.  I could hear voice of Alexander, "I am not throwing away my shot."  This was mine. 

Although Tony is far from a history buff, he's "young, scrappy, and hungry".  "My Shot" is all about seizing the moment—a message that would be more important as we got closer to the show, which was the Thursday after the Tony Awards.  That meant it was right after the Orlando shootings.  As everyone tried to process the tragedy, the cast decided to change the theme to Pride.  I scrapped my steampunk act for "Jesus of Suburbia", my queerest number.  The angry tone made me apprehensive, but we needed to express a range of emotions.  "My Shot" was uplifting, and with every word I memorized, I realized its application to our community.  Another line rang out in my mind, "This is not a moment, it's the movement."  We were going to rise up.

And that's what we did that night.  I wished I could have seen everyone's performance, but I had to keep a level head to deliver a solid performance.  Lip syncing a rap is like doing three songs in one (and I don't blame Milo Cox for not rapping my intro).  The large crowd also made me nervous.  Due to an earlier event at Mable Peabody's, our audience was huge.  It was great to get the support, and a couple people approached me after my performance to express interest in future shows.  That made me happy because there are styles of drag and burlesque that people don't think about and sometimes they just need to see the right act to be pulled in.  Also it sounded like they had found another safe space.

Photo by Madelyn Waltz

I will forever sing praises for the queerlesque community.  Some stages might not appreciate our aesthetic and some people might not accept our identities, but places like Glitterbomb and Tuesday Tease give us opportunities to let us be heard.  I didn't throw away my shot.

Special thanks to Oliver Clothesoff for taking video and being my ride!

On the subject of opportunities, the movement has grown to where we now have the inaugural Texas Queerlesque Festival.  It's this weekend, and check out this amazing line-up. You can still get tickets to both shows and the workshops so go visit texasqueerlesquefestival.com 

Love Triumphs Over All, Including Storms and Forgetfulness

"Things need not have happened to be true. Tales and dreams are the shadow-truths that will endure when mere facts are dust and ashes, and forgot." - Morpheus, Sandman

I saved the freaking out for the stage.
Photo by KWN Design
www.kwndesign.com

The beginning of April was uneventful, which gave me to time to focus on producing my next Tuesday Tease and get a handle on the effects of my medication.  I've struggled with anxiety for a while but only started pharmacological treatment recently.  The meds caused drowsiness and disrupted my sleep patterns, making me sluggish and scatterbrained.  I had one of those weeks where I just kept forgetting things, and unfortunately that happened with the week of my two shows at Tuesday Tease and Glitterbomb.

I'm sure stress was a factor, particularly with Tuesday Tease.  Lillith was more hands-off this time, but I knew that going in.  The theme was comic books, and everything ready to go a week ahead.  Then scheduling conflicts popped up.  I learned my lesson with Dawn of the Nerd and immediately started contacting back-ups.  I also ran through "Black Glasses" in case I needed to step in last minute.  It turned out I did.

Since I had made Plans B, C, and D, I wasn't too worried the day of the show.  However, a severe thunderstorm that could potentially develop into a tornado decided to hit.  I kept my eyes on the weather report, and the cast decided that the show must go on.  Every member of the cast and crew (including our photographers) deserve so much props for making it out.  I also have to commend the small but dedicated crowd of Tease fans and comic book geeks (as well as some newbies).  It was fun to meet people who hadn't seen "Black Glasses", and I don't think anybody cared that I forgot my Hulk shorts.

Cast and crew of Tuesday Tease: Queer-oes!
Photo by Brandy Lynne Photography
www.brandylynnephotography.com

The same week, I was to perform at a special Glitterbomb show that also doubled as the wedding ceremony for my Academy of Queerlesque classmate Cheyenne and her partner Nephenee.  Our mutual friend Melanie was kind enough to give me a ride, allowing me to do the show and attend the wedding.  However, I managed to forget part of my costume again.  I felt really bad for missing part of the ceremony to search.  At the same time, I wanted to pull off a good performance, and I needed to be ready.  It turned out that I had forgotten to transfer the things to another bag because they were in a separate bag (I put shoes in a plastic bag so they don't get my luggage and clothes dirty).

Despite that stressful moment, I was very moved by the words exchanged between the brides, and that helped clear my mind.  I improvised the missing bits and used this as an opportunity to see how I could work the crowd without relying on anything but my body.  The Glitterbomb audience loved my "Ring Ring Ring" act, and I was honored to be a part of this special show, especially after learning that Cheyenne had introduced her wife to this blog.  It's great to have people champion your work because while I've learned at a young age to rely on myself, supporters give you that extra push to try even harder and go that extra mile.  I hope Nephenee and Cheyenne are doing well in Canada!

I'm happy to say I haven't been as forgetful as I was that week… at least with burlesque (I still sometimes have to go back to lab to put something up).  Both shows reminded me that even if I primarily dance for myself, I do have an audience to entertain.  On the flipside, that also means I have supporters.  They may not come to every one of my performances or be very vocal on-line, but they are there.  So thank you all for taking the time to watch me, follow me, and read my writing!

For those of you who are available, Tony Fo-Hawk is performing at tomorrow's Tuesday Tease.

Upcoming shows: Glitterbomb and Texas Queerlesque Festival

I was going to make a post about Orlando, but like many in the LGBTQIAP community, I'm struggling to find the right words.  Glitterbomb had a different theme this week, but we decided it would be best to celebrate us and our pride.  Therefore instead of just having Tony Fo-Hawk do two numbers, he and I are going to share the act that got us through some tough times.  Because sometimes we need a little rage.

The other act is still a solo from him.  If you're a fan of Hamilton, you don't want to miss it.  The show is tonight at Mable Peabody's.

I suppose now is a good time as any to announce that I have been accepted into the first-ever Texas Queerlesque Festival.  I'm performing in the Friday night Sequins and Sass Showcase.  It's going to be an amazing weekend, and if you want to volunteer, vend, or sit on the producers panel, please click on the link above for more info.

Making Burlesque More Queer and More Nerdy

I'm me.  First, last and always. - Loki, Loki: Agent of Asgard by Al Ewing

Weeknight shows have been difficult for me not just because my lab keeps early hours, but public transport likes to shut down around midnight.  Then I finally got a smart phone and Lyft.  Although I try not to make this a habit since I already need more sleep than what I get, this has opened up a few doors the past couple of months.

If it weren't for Lillith Grey, I probably wouldn't have made my bust-out when I did.  Therefore, I couldn't say no when she asked me to perform at Glitterbomb in Denton.  I'd been reluctant to go to that side of the Metroplex because it's far away and my lungs don't like the smoke.  However, Glitterbomb is a queerlesque show, and that week's theme happened to be nerdlesque.  On top of that, Lillith really went out of her way to create a safe space by adding trigger warnings to acts and having a rule against cultural appropriation.  It was so refreshing.

Helena Isis, me, and Vylette Pairadox
at Glitterbomb Denton
By Kristoph Kale

I pitched my Tuxedo Mask routine to Lillith, and she wound up adding it to the set with my "Black Glasses" act.  Little did I know that there was a guy with a Tuxedo Mask shirt right in the front row.  I actually didn't notice the shirt until Helena Isis mentioned it to me, but he was very eager to tip me and cheered the loudest.   Since my hair is short and I wanted to distinguish between the masculine Tuxedo Mask act and the more feminine "Black Glasses", I opted to wear a wig for the latter.  The Companion bought a wig for his Hange cosplay that he later decided to not use.  It was the perfect length and in a messy but cute style that fit the routine very well.

I didn't realize how famous "Black Glasses" had gotten.  It's always an honor to meet a performer and have them connect you with a routine that they enjoyed.  I have to give a huge shout-out to my friend and newcomer to the scene Vylette Pairadox for being my ride even though she also had work the next day.

Tuesday Tease
By Arctic Fox Photography
(arcticfoxphotography.com)

Then it was Dallas' queerlesque scene's to have a nerdy show.  Sue Ellen's is always a lovely place to perform at, and I had been wanting to just go to Tuesday Tease.  I wound up reprising my "Black Glasses" routine, and the crowd loved it.  I tried to loosen up the choreography so that I could interact with the audience more and take tips.  Since I did not want to wear my onesie in the middle of summer, I decided to don a cosplay for curtain call, and who better else to do than Agent Victoria Hand, the first lesbian character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (at least in my eyes—they neither confirmed nor denied it).  Like Glitterbomb, I had a lovely time celebrating fandom with my fellow LGBTQIA geeks.

Representation in assorted media has gotten better, but more can be done.  I'm happy to see the burlesque scene doing its part.  Queerlesque gave the space for me to take the leap, and I'm happy to see it get a lot of love and hope to be more involved.  In turn, it's helping me find my identity performer by bringing in parts of me that were always present—the parts that straddle the the gender binary, which have always been the position where I feel sexiest.  Now they get to be a bit more glittery.

If you want to see more nerdlesque from yours truly, check out my next show—A Plumb Askew Revue's Popcorn and Pasties: a Film Strip.  Click here for tickets.  You'll want to purchase ahead of time unless you have cash with you the day of the show.