Today’s reminder, for anyone who needs it. ❤️ It’s okay to have good days and bad days and weird days in your human body. All relationships have peaks and valleys, and your relationship with your body is no exception. Try to be kind to yourself (and your body) on rough days, and remember to celebrate the sparkly ones! ✨
Home away from home 🔮 I always get a lot of writing done here and I invariably sleep like a rock.
Really enjoyed this costume in this lighting. Not sure what I was doing with my hair. ✨🤷♀️
Showgirl fit check! (We spend more time in random basements than you’d expect.)
Fast fans from my show in Bisbee a few weeks ago. ✨❤️💃 I realized it’s been too long since I shared a video (and also too long since I taught a fans class!)
Tonight is the Pink Moon— here’s a pink moon. 🔮😉 Thinking about what I’d like to honor & release this full moon, I came across this photo today. I took it on my birthday in 2021, which I spent alone in a strange city. My bus (where I lived) had broken down halfway between NY & Georgia, where I was headed for winter. I’d decided to make lemonade by getting a cute hotel room to do a self portrait shoot. I got a few good shots in & then the phone rang. It was the mechanic, telling me the engine wasn’t fixable. The bus needed a new engine. He reckoned that’d run me about $14,000. This was a problem, as I’d spent my last two grand buying the bus. I sat on the floor, staring at my phone, & then I burst into tears. I didn’t feel like shooting anymore, & my makeup was trashed anyway but I did take this one last shot. I wanted to remember how that exact moment felt. I spent an agonizing several days trying to decide what to do. I was encouraged by friends & family to give up the bus & move back to New York. I understand why: I was out of my depth, I was scared & exhausted. Still: I thought I heard a little voice inside me whispering “keep going.” But what did I know? What if the voice was wrong? Looking back, I realize how far removed I was from my instincts & my own self possession. I thought everyone else’s opinion was more important than mine, that they somehow had the key to knowledge I couldn’t unlock within myself. I did eventually decide to replace the engine (at a much lower price) but I was painfully confused and conflicted about my choice. Looking back, I realize how far I’ve come. Living on the road requires you to be so close to your instincts — who is trustworthy, which places are safe. I am so close to the voice that tells me what is right for me now. I’m grateful that some part of me knew that this path was right for me. I’m glad I could hear her whisper. Tonight, I want to honor her person I was when I took this photo. She was so willing to consider, to listen. She was exactly who I needed to be at the time. But I’m ready to let her self-doubt go. These days, I can hear myself so much more clearly. I just have to remember to listen. 🌙
I am practicing poi on the beach today, wearing significantly less makeup than this. An all time fave photo by @absesay_photo 🔥
Nothing more satisfying than watching a dancer hit their beats! If this skill eludes you, can I remind you that I teach a whole class on musicality? Live class is Thursday, April 18 at 8:15pm ET, but if you’re seeing this after that, don’t sweat: we’re recoridnf class so you can also take it that way! This video is courtesy of @metropolitan_studios_ in Atlanta! This was ✨literally✨my first show back after the pandemic closures, and you can see how much I was living for the stage! 💃✨❤️
Musicality is an incredibly important dance skill! If you’d like to hone yours, join my workshop this Thursday! 💃 As always, info is in my bio!
Lacing in last night ✨🎀✨ (I can go tighte,r but it was a quick change… and frankly I prefer to leave a little wiggle room for breathing while dancing!) #corset #glamour #plussize #dancer #nightlife #sparkles #plussizefashion
I love how much texture and motion you can see here: velvet gloves, crinkled organza, fluttery feathers and tiny twinkling rhinestones. This is how I imagine I look onstage so it’s nice to see that it’s occasionally true. ✨❤️💃 Thanks @lynzmarie_photo for capturing this!
Sometimes my lives crash together delightfully.
Why does this sparkly dress sound like a rain stick tho? 🧐🌧️
Snapshot with an icon! 🕷️🕷️ This movie was formative for me- tell me if it was for you too? I just found this is my drafts so let me give proper credit for the Rando Elvira cutout to The Surly Wench in Tucson where I performed last month – their giant dressing room is a treasure trove of rad oddities but this was definitely my favorite,
Feeling that eclipse energy today and taking a moment to appreciate the reality of darkness meeting light. No one is always one way— human beings are mutable and ever-changing. Rather than trying to blot out the parts of ourselves that make us uncomfortable, we can choose instead to accept and incorporate them… to look at our shadows with love and tenderness and try to understand why they are there, instead of banishing them. We are all light and dark, and we always will be. The trick is finding balance, and learning to appreciate (and share) all aspects of ourselves , instead of just the most easy-to-accept parts of us. ❤️ 📷 by the incomparable @bettinamaystudios
I love you and I love your love! 💕 Congrats @margomayhem @thesamsonnight on your beautiful and extremely fun wedding! I’m glad there was a surprise third garter (and that Margo knew exactly where to throw it!)
Who’s dancing with me this Thursday? My beginner classes are great for people who want to: ✨ Learn fun & sexy burlesque moves ✨ appreciate their bodies in a new way ✨ Dance joyfully in an easygoing, supportive environment! All details in my bíò!
This is the park where I spent all my outdoor time during covid. I remember writing out the pris and cons of buying a bus on a little notebook on one of these benches. It’s good to be back here and see it full of life. There is a way I always feel like I didn’t leave New York, because I haven’t put down roots anywhere else. But of course time passes while I’m gallivanting around doing adventure, and sometimes I’m surprised to notice which things have changed and which things have stayed the same.
✨CLASS STARTS TONIGHT on ZOOM!✨ If you’re seeing this after Thursday, April 11, don’t worry: you can still hop in to our six week beginner burlesque session! All classes are recorded, so you can just take the first class via video (or, heck, you can take all of them by video if our Thursday live class time@doesn’t work for you!) I just want y’all bump in n grindin! Link in bio as usual. 💃❤️💋
So excited to announce that my Spring intermediate classes are live! I decided to focus on classes that will help students level up in their performances, whether that’s through improving their musicality, bringing better body confidence to the stage, feeling capable and confident about handling onstage calamities, or figuring out how to create great costumes without pro level costuming skills! I hope you are as excited about these classes as I am! All classes are on Zoom. Recordings of class are included with registration, so if you can’t take class live you can take it later! Classes are priced $29-$35, and (as always) there is a discount code available for students who face financial challenges that would make class otherwise inaccessible to them! 💕 Full class descriptions are linked in my bio but if you have any other questions please holler.
Boost your mood & get moving with burlesque this spring! My beginner FLIRTING WITH BURLESQUE classes (all taught on Zoom!) are designed to help you dip a toe into the glittery world of burlesque in a fun, encouraging environment. If you are more experienced, Sparkle Up sessions are designed to help you improve your performance and craft. Upcoming workshops include: APRIL 18 MUSICALITY FOR BURLESQUE APRIL 25 BODY LOVE BURLESQUE MAY 9 OH, SH*T!: HOW TO DEAL WITH ONStAGE CALAMITIES MAY 23 COSTUMING FOR BABES WHO DON’T SEW (AND DON’T WANT TO All info in my bio! FLIRTING WITH BURLESQUE registration is live today, and SPARKLE UP! classes will be available Wednesday. ✨
Fancy Esther’s Kitchen bathroom selfie. @bettina_may has the best taste in all areas. Somehow we didn’t get a picture but she did visit my bus and there’s a sort-of picture of both of us over @lovejez. 📷
✨SACRAMENTO, LET’S SHIMMY!✨ I’m teaching a live in studio class for ONE DAY ONLY in partnership with @vivalachacha & @burlyclines on June 3rd (and you better not miss me at The Darling Clementines show the evening of June 2 at @harlowsnightclub, either!!) Class is happening MONDAY, JUNE 3 at 6pm at @glowstudio_sac. Advance registration is required – please check my bīò fof the link! CLASS DESCRIPTION: Let’s Burlesque! We will learn basic burlesque moves like bumps, grinds, and shimmies, and discover the art of an unforgettable glove peel. We’ll talk about celebrating the bodies we’re in, and learn a quick, fun burlesque combo that will sparkle up our Monday night! Students should come dressed to move, but this class is not an intensive cardio workout. Students can bring high heels if they would like to practice in them, but they are not required. We will discuss full-body striptease, but there is no in class nudity (we’ll just be taking off gloves, babes!) All genders, orientations & levels of ability are welcomed enthusiastically. This class is suitable for both beginners and students with experience. Come experience joyful movement and add a little glitter to your week! 🌟
