****Let me start by saying that I don’t care if this hurts feelings, and I don’t care if this alienates me from gigs. These are my thoughts on a scene that I love, but part of loving a scene is wanting better from it as well, so here I am. If you’ve made it this far into this post, I urge you to please stay a little while longer.
“The sweet sip of everything beautiful and sensual in the world, Kia Sangria is an NYC based burlesque performer and cosplayer. Her love of cosplay and all things geeky has led her to the stage and into the spotlight. With a penchant for anime, comic books, and general pop culture she creates acts paying tribute to the weird, the scary, the unconventional, and of course the nerdy side of burlesque.”
This is me; this is the persona I’ve created for myself revolving my performer life. Every performer needs an introduction in burlesque. Something to get the audience excited about you when they see your performer spotlight, and when it’s the night of the show. You’re behind the curtains taking your last few nervous breaths before going out there to show them what you’ve got, to show them what they came for. I absolutely adore this scene; I love the lights, the camera, the costumes, the acts, and the creativity that goes into these shows. I love burlesque but being in this scene has been a journey. A journey that started off as awkward, but I have finally gained a rhythm and I’ve grown and I know that I’m going to continue to grow as time goes on.
I started my burlesque career by taking a class at the New York School of Burlesque and doing the group performance at “The Slipper Room”. To be honest, the class felt strange, I was the only black girl in it but I didn’t let it stop me. It wasn’t until after that showcase and me finally performing for actual producers did I notice something I hadn’t seen before. There aren’t many black girls on stage, or in shows. It was shocking at first, then disheartening, and then it was saddening after. When people think burlesque they think of Christina Aguilera’s movie which seems to be a big embarrassment to the community. Either way, the one thing that the movie and the actual scene have in common is that it is very white centered.
I say this because there aren’t too many black performers and when they actually do get cast for shows they’re either the stage kitten (The Help), they’re the only black performer, or they’re the same black faces you see on posters every week for a show by the same producer. Personally, I have been blessed to be able to work with some really inclusive producers and other performers. While I am thankful for the experiences I’ve had thus far. I just cannot shake the Idea that we’re still not being represented the way we should be.
I know some producers only work with performers that they know draw a crowd and will fill seats. That is understandable and it isn’t wrong to work that way, but at the same time is it truly right? When it blatantly means they will refuse to work with new performers? We all have had the experience of applying for a job and being told we need experience, but how do we get that if we’re not given the opportunity? There are so many levels to unpack, but it’s also an uncomfortable conversation that obviously not many are willing to have. I believe this lack of opportunity out there may be one of the many reasons black burlesque performers aren’t getting cast for shows the way our white counterparts are constantly booked. I am critiquing this community because I care about it, I’ve had many great experiences with so many different performers and producers, I wouldn’t trade those experiences for anything. The NYC burlesque community is quirky and its supportive, but just like in many other genre’s and communities the topic of blackness is still touchy.
“Well, Kia, what do you want to happen?”
I’m a black performer so I want other black performers to feel valued, and appreciated. NYC is such a diverse city but our burlesque scene just isn’t matching up with this. I want to see more than 1 black performer in a production at a time. Not just in productions centered on blackness, or the same black faces. I want to see multiple black performers in Nerdlesque shows, Fetish shows, and all the shows that are catered to everything else other than being black.
“Well producers are also looking for talent; they shouldn’t have to book black performers just for being black. They have a right to book the best acts for their shows and color has nothing to do with it!”
This is a valid point, and I’m glad you brought this up. I think it’s also important not just for black performers, but for all newer performers to be given a chance to work with different producers. In an ideal scene, it would be amazing if producers were willing to keep 1-2 slots open for newcomers who could pitch and create an act that would fit the production. Doing this would allow budding burlesque performers to have an opportunity with an organic audience and even possibly get video of their act to use for future bookings.
There are some producers in the NYC burlesque scene actively taking steps to correct some of the issues I mentioned and I want it to be known that I am thankful for their efforts. We need more people to get on board so that burlesque is as inclusive as we claim it to be.
I want to give a special shout-out to NYC’s own D20 Burlesque for creating amazing shows that are Inclusive & friendly and the Magical Girl Burlesque team for going a step further from productions and hosting burlesque workshops where beginners can get feedback from an audience on their acts, pictures, and video. I know that we’ll eventually get to a point where these issues will be history, but it’s going to take time and it’s going to take effort.
But we’ll get there, one stocking peel at a time.
Kasually Kia 