Burlesque on the Brain

Every time I perform in a burlesque show...every time I see a burlesque show...I am surprised. Surprised by how warm and welcoming every body is. Surprised by all the talent I didn't even know was out there until a couple of months ago. Surprised it took me so long to join this community.

Photo of me and the boys in the NY Boylesque Festival,
stolen from Time Out New York.

After hibernating for a few weeks following the New York Boylesque Festival, Lucky Charming came out for two nights in a row this week. First for Burlesque for EveryBody at Goodbye Blue Monday on Wednesday night, then for Homo Erectus at the Stonewall Inn on Thursday. On both nights I met flocks of new performers who both wowed me and were wowed by me. It was a beautiful artistic exchange.

It's still a bit odd to me, because I feel like I have created much more complex performance pieces than the two burlesque numbers I've done so far, but the positive feedback I've gotten on them has been close to overwhelming.

This may sound odd coming from me, having displayed my naked ass throughout various forms of media, but there have still been times when I've felt I have no business taking my clothes off on stage. But my audience and fellow performers truly make me feel that I'm beautiful the way I am and don't need to change a thing. They get me, and they like me, and it's a deeply wonderful feeling.