Why Burlesque Dancers are the Best People Ever

Of course I'm biased, but when I started as a burlesque dancer, I had no idea that I'd fall in love with the people I perform with even more than performing itself. Here's why!

Brave

Going on stage is hard, and going on stage (near) naked is literally one of the most common anxiety dreams. But we do it.

That's not because it's easy or because we are ultra-confident. In fact, most of the time I perform, I'm worried about some insecurity - such as I feel bloated, I have a health flare up, I got razor burn, I'm on my period, etc etc. I also have big imposter syndrome and that's even harder when you are performing alongside other burlesque dancers who you think are incredibly talented. Despite all this, you still have to get up on stage and give the audience a good show.

A lot of the time I reassure myself by thinking, 'okay, you might be worried about XYZ, but there will be some girlie in the audience who also doesn't like that about herself, and if you show her that it's not a problem and won't get in the way of being celebratory, sexy and powerful, then she might feel better about it too.' It might not be what people are thinking at all but it's the situation I imagine to help me get through low confidence moments.

And that's not just me. So many performers talk about how they got into burlesque after something like a break up, a divorce, after having kids and needing to reconnect with their body. Many burlesque dancers make acts that celebrate plus size bodies, non-heteronormative bodies, trans bodies - and that's very vulnerable! None of it is easy.

It's literally the definition of 'feel the fear and do it anyway'.

Community-Focused

Because of everything I mentioned above, a lot of burlesque and cabaret shows have a special community as their main audience.

Burlesque is a strange and uncanny branch of the performing arts industry simply because of how many people start due to personal reasons. It's not just backstage where this creates a special atmosphere, but in the audience and wider community too.

There are tonnes of charity fundraiser shows and events themed on raising awareness or celebrating specific identities or body types. Burlesque is very often used to create a collective togetherness that is about more than a job.

Also, stripping can be very vulnerable, so care and support are the foundations of burlesque shows. As an audience member, you can expect the show to start with some behavioural rules and a 'warm up' to get everyone cheering and enthusiastic.

From dance classes to support networks, the community genuinely takes care of each other.

Hard F***ing Workers

I swear I spend most of my life trekking around with heavy bags full of costumes, staying up until 2am every night sewing and squeezing in rehearsals whenever I can. Taking the train up north for a gig and then getting a coach to the bottom of the country the next morning for another show.

It's no walk in the park!

For most of us, burlesque isn't paid well enough to live off, so we have have full time jobs alongside. I put a poll on my Instagram story last month to ask what what people call their main job:

• "The one that pays the bills"

• "The Muggle job"

• "The one that actually funds making a new act"

Goes to show the weird double-life we live.

Supportive

How many times has someone backstage been stressed because something has broken, their act went wrong, public transport made them late or they have forgotten a key costume piece? Almost every show. But the supportive energy in burlesque really shines through in these moments.

A vivid memory for me was backstage at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, when a burlesque dancer doing a 'sing and fling' act went on stage - only to find the mic wasn't there. A major technical error if there ever was one. So she had to completely work in the moment and sing without a mic, in a very big room. She came off stage feeling like it was a disaster, but all everyone had to say to her was - this shows you can do anything. If you can handle that, you can do anything.

Because of the supportive and positive energy the burlesque dancers created backstage, wasn't a moment to fall back, but a moment to celebrate growing as a performer and adapting when something goes wrong.

Creative

I love to tell people about how burlesque isn't just about stripping. Burlesque acts will draw on themes, styles, stories and moments in history. You can tell how varied the artform is by how many branches there are - classic, cheesecake, neo, nerdlesque, draglesque.

Lots of burlesque dancers are inspired by periods like the 90s, the Golden Age of classic burlesque, the Rococo art movement. Historical figures like Helen of Troy, Hollywood icons like Marilyn Monroe or musicians like Prince are also things I've seen in burlesque acts.

Neo burlesque acts are my favourite to watch, because you'll see some completely random themes!

A Glass of Champagne

A Coin Slot Machine at a Casino

A Record

A Bowl of Fruit

There's something wildly creative behind a burlesque act, and that's before getting started on the actual production. This includes the costume design, the choreography, the hair and makeup.

Burlesque dancer Anita Dans is a brilliant example of creativity in burlesque! I saw her putting this costume on backstage and ran to watch her act from the back of the crowd. Taken at The Spare Rib Cabaret in Liverpool, 2025.

Not Divas

Despite what many may think about something as glamorous as burlesque, it's still a part of the cabaret circuit. Cabaret shows pop up anywhere and everywhere - not just theatres - so they're not always equipped with dressing rooms, mirrors or any bells and whistles. Sometimes I'll perform in a place with my own dressing room and mirror, and sometimes I'm getting costumed up in a disabled toilet. Most cabaret artists are the same and divas are actually few and far between.

Multi-Talented

Rhinestoning, sewing, dancing, acting, editing music, costume designing, choreographing... They all go into making one burlesque act.

Most burlesque performers make part, most or all of their costumes and props. Clothes are generally designed to stay on so getting items for a burlesque act is actually quite tricky sometimes. Many a time I've bought a dress or a bra and then faffed around with velcro, poppers, tie sides or even magnets to figure out how to get something that stays on reliably when you need it but also comes off easily when you need it.

And then you'll have some random creative hurdle to overcome, like how to make a detachable headpiece.

Burlesque uses every single tiny part of a creative brain and takes a huge amount of time and energy. Sometimes it's crazy how much goes into something that lasts less than five minutes!

Burlesque performer Bella Sincle puts it perfectly in this reel:

Cat People

Finally, I have found my people! I'm yet to meet a dog person at a burlesque show. Cat posters are often on the walls and we even call our stage managers 'stage kittens'.

Gypsy Rose Lee wrote in her novel 'G String Murders' that the term 'stage kitten' comes from the days of grand burlesque theatres. Old buildings frequented by mice.

Imagine spending months making a costume only the have the seams nibbled off by a mouse. So cats became a regular pet of burlesque dancers back in the day. That's why stage hands are called 'kittens' - a nickname given from theatre history.

Burlesque is such a deep part of theatre history, and the people absolutely make the place.