Life & Work with Cierra Bliss of Las Vegas

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cierra Bliss.

Cierra, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was raised in Las Vegas and have been a dancer my whole life, training in all styles and loving being on stage. I began singing and doing musical theater throughout school, and I received my BFA in Dance Performance with a speciality in Modern dance at UNLV, as well as a BA in Creative Writing.
After graduating, I auditioned for every (and any) show and never got a single job. I fumbled, faltered, and choked during many of those auditions because I felt no one in the room believed in me, maybe not even myself. I don’t look like the stereotypical showgirl most commercial projects look for, and constantly fluctuating between loving and hating my body took such a massive toll on my heart, so much so that I had begun to doubt my journey was to continue here in Vegas.
Six months of auditioning ensued, and then a dear friend of mine from college told me about Dita Von Teese’s residency audition, insisting I come with her to it. I obliged, feeling so humbled that she believed in me enough to invite me, and I am grateful for her encouragement everyday, as she was an instrumental piece of my whole life changing.
I didn’t go to the audition thinking I would get the job, I just wanted to be proud of what I did when I walked away. I wanted to show myself that I, too, should believe in myself the way a younger version of Cierra Bliss once did before the affliction of society set in as an impressionable girl. Little did I know, I wouldn’t be walking away from this show anytime soon.
Dita sat in on the audition and intentionally watched each of us with her detail-oriented eye. I of course knew exactly who Dita was, her legacy stretches over dance, art, fashion, and yet I felt eager to perform for her, not intimidated. Her energy was warm and kind, and I reveled in her and her teams sincerity during the audition to set my excited nerves at ease.
For lack of a better phrase, I locked in completely during this audition. I wasn’t wearing anything spectacular, I wanted to be comfortable in my body so that I could show them the truest version of myself and yet each time I looked at her, she was already looking at me. I danced for only her that day, watching her smile light up and her nodding head in approval every time I stepped out onto the floor. It was one of the most moving moments of my life, an incredible, iconic, and undoubtedly the best burlesque performer in the world looked at me and my body and my skills and let no stereotypes influence her decision: she was the first person to see me and believe in me. I tell that story because of how important it always will be to my life, and the blessings didn’t end at just getting the job. I was so humbled and honored to have been cast for any role in the show, especially given that I had never done burlesque before. Dita and her team trusted my instincts and gave me the tools to flourish.
People such as Ferly Prado saw my star and nurtured it, Dirty Martini and Jett Adore
guided me with their expert burlesque and performance wisdom, the cast, and now life-long friends, encouraged and welcomed all of me everyday, all of which contributing to reason why I am here today.
Additionally to being a dancer, I have been modeling for just as long. It is a passion of mine, and my passion to be in front of the camera telling a story with one image burns just as bright as being on stage.
Dita’s world is star-studded, both in celebrity and character. I had the pleasure of meeting two of those people through her, Gregory Arlt (Dita’s makeup artist) and Douglas Little (owner and creator of Heretic Parfum), who are both masters of their craft. It is because of their first impression of me on stage that I’ve gotten to model for Heretic Parfum, which is yet another testament to the magic of Dita’s show.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
What has been unwavering is the belief that I was meant for something more than the small, and small-minded, city I grew up in. However, an undeniable struggle has been having faith in the things that make me other than; my body and my sexulity were things I didn’t know how to puzzle together in my life and in the world around me. Being a dancer. we are encouraged to be hyper-aware of our body size, and our imperfections, and it was always atypical to see me on stage as an average audience member. But because I’ve performed for so long, I eventually found my audience and my people who wanted and needed to see someone like me onstage. Dita was truly the first person so saw my light and believed in me for everything that I was. She saw my body, yes, but she also saw past it and through to the performer underneath who’s always had something to say. She gave me the opportunity to be seen by an audience who welcomes and celebrates me, for which I am so grateful.
Coming out as queer has been liberating but also difficult. You have to relearn so many things about communication, relationship dynamics, but also yourself, and this is especially difficult as a queer woman. But it was through my modern dance training that I could revel in my queerness and enjoy the liberation of it, aside from the difficulities of learning so many new things.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am queer, multidisciplinary artist and producer based in Las Vegas, Nevada. I have trained in all styles of dance throughout her life and in 2022 received a BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography from UNLV. She specialized in modern techniques and was awarded Best Choreography for her original work, “My Body of Work,” by the UNLV Dance Department.
She currently features alongside Dita Von Teese in her Las Vegas residency show, and has for the past three years. Within that time, her online influence has grown to almost 35,000 followers while she has become a prominent burlesque soloist, featuring in shows all over the US, as well as internationally.
Highlights of the past three years include feauturing in “Burlesque with Evana de Lune” in Adelaide, Australia, hosting and featuring in “Shipteese” by Dita Von Teese, creating and producing “Rhythm and Boobs: An RnB Burlesque Revue” with her co-creative partner Estevan Velasco, and becoming an accomplished print model for brands such as Jeffrey Campbell and Heretic Parfum.

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was incredibly flamboyant, boisterous, emotional, curious, intuitive, and dramatic. I have three sisters, all of which also were dancers growing up, but of all of us I was performing on and off stage. I loved learning, asking questions, and becoming good at things. I developed many skills simply because I felt convinced to do so, like singing and learning how to cook. I used to tell my mom that I wanted to be a chef when I grew up, because I only ever watched cooking shows on TV, and one day I hope that still happens.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://cierrabliss.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cierra.bliss?stkn=bnA0MTR0aTY5dXA5&utm_source=qr

Image Credits
Lover Boy Studio, Nick Lemmer
Jerry Ghionis
Willie Jane
Michel Dierickx
Radiant Inc.