I never wore a bikini or swimsuit in public without a T-shirt over top and was constantly worrying about people judging me, and now I do the splits on tables to applause and money! Anything is possible....
I grew up surrounded by wonderful women struggling with eating disorders and in their efforts to “help” me they passed on a lot of unhealthy body and eating issues. Those same women are in awe and inspired by my Fatlesque journey. Because they see how happy I am in my body!
No matter your size, diet culture has really stripped us (mostly but not exclusively women) of joy.
Constantly criticizing ourselves and our bodies doesn’t give us what we deserve. We deserve unadulterated joy.
That’s what I get from burlesque.
I feel powerful, sexy and unadulterated joy! Completely unencumbered by other’s opinions about my body.
Having “successful” fat burlesque performers is so important
Seeing someone making art and being creative, sexy and powerful is so mind blowing! Especially when the norm is straight sized performers covered in rhinestones that just walk around being pretty. And that’s enough.
Fat performers have to work way harder because we are fighting against the norms. Being at Fatlesque Northwest Burlesque Festival in Seattle in January was pure joy!
An all fat cast!! There wasn’t a single moment where I missed small bodies on stage, it was fascinating. There was all the variety you could handle.
Society often perceives fat people as either jolly and funny or sickly and sad and that’s not how I feel. I want to see gorgeous sensual and erotic fat people!
Enjoying and loving your body is a form of rebellion.
Fat, plump, plus size, stout, thick, juicy, succulent, executive sized, tender, luscious, ample, fluffy or buxom; Fatlesque is an opportunity to be sexy and provocative in a safe space where big bodies are celebrated and shared experiences are relished.
Burlesque has changed my life!!! And as a fat performer I know exactly how weird, difficult, awkward and disheartening it can be! Creating safe spaces for all bodies is so important in burlesque.
Burlesque needs EVERY body taking up space and being fierce and having fun!
That’s why I started teaching a burlesque class exclusively for Fat bodies wanting to experience burlesque in a group setting.
Am I big enough for Fatlesque…?
I’ve had these conversations with many other fat burlesque performers.
And it’s all comes down to if you have felt marginalized or excluded or treated differently than straight sized performers. I personally feel like when people comment that “you’re not fat or plus sized“ that they think they are giving compliments but they are actually not. They have not experienced the trauma and discomfort of being the only 'big' one in the room.
'Straight sized' performers are still going to complain backstage about how disgusting they feel because they gained a pound… intentionally hurting their own feelings and unintentionally getting across to everyone around them that being fat is not acceptable. But perhaps the more they see our bodies in in spaces previously exclusive to smaller bodies they will start to be kinder to themselves too. When being good and being thin are no longer synonymous we all win!
Having an opportunity to be with other performers with only similar bodies isn’t necessarily the goal. It’s our experiences that can be shared and help each other as we move forward as performers.
If your experience in modeling and dance is that of a big performer than you deserve to be in the group as much as anyone. It’s all highly personal and subjective.
There are always going to be people acting like they are who decides who’s enough of everything; Who’s fat enough, thin enough, old enough, young enough etc...
Enough is enough.
We would like to welcome Arabella as our newest Cherry Velvet model. Watch her strike a pose in our New Arrivals this week!