About Me

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Lapsed anthropologist-turned-burlesque performer and post-modern punk housewife/homesteader living in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with a hunky husband, gorgeous daughter, adorable corgi, fluffy rabbit, and three clucking fabulous chickens.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Pregnant Burlesque

(Warning, this post has me in a bra and underwear...and that's pretty much it)

We had a wildly successful show this past weekend, the club was packed and the crowd was very enthusiastic and responsive, which was fantastic.

I'd spent the last month wavering between being very excited about my two solos, and being very scared about how exposed I was going to be up there. Normally when I perform, I leave a waist cincher on because body issues.

There's no cinching in a seven-and-a-half months pregnant belly.

 Seriously, you try to reign that in.

There have been other women in our troupe who have performed while pregnant, and I consulted with pregnant performers from other troupes, like Eva Mae Garnet from Drop Dead Dames in San Diego, who had some wonderful advice.

So I went out there, on stage, in all my pregnant belly glory.

Belly belly belly, rockin' everywhere!

I was worried that the crowd wouldn't be receptive to a heavily pregnant woman on stage, so I pretty much locked eyes with Jewels in the front row and performed just for her(it was her wedding/birthday show, after all).


I needn't have worried. The crowd went just as wild for me as it did for the other women and men in the show. Apparently, during my first solo, Mr. Bear(who runs sound and lights for the show) was pointing at me and excitedly telling the audience "That's my wife! That's my wife!" Which is adorable. I love him.

I'm very glad I decided to perform at this stage in my pregnancy, though it was incredibly exhausting for me. Being pregnant has been a very humbling experience for me. The body I used to have, and had all sorts of body image issues with, is gone, and it's not coming back. Which is freeing, as all those issues are now a moot point. I have a new body now, and after I have this baby, I'll have other issues to contend with. It's like getting a fresh start, and I'm taking advantage of it by getting used to my new skin and celebrating it.

The Washington Post recently ran a story on the new burlesque movement, and how it includes all body types and genders.

Photos by Jessica Turner

2 comments:

  1. This is awesome! You look radiant, and I loved reading this. I'm a burlesque performer, too, and performed recently while I was pregnant with my daughter. I was also really unsure of what to expect, and was surprised by the overwhelmingly positive response I got. It really validated everything I love about burlesque. I'm glad you had a similar experience!

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    Replies
    1. Yay for body-positive burlesque audiences, amiright? :D

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