Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessabelle Thunder.
Hi Jessabelle, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
It all started when I saw a burlesque show at Forty Deuce in Las Vegas (the one in LA had already closed down). I was in awe of all the gals and that music just hit my soul. After seeing that, I was on a mission to find more burlesque in LA and anywhere else I happened to travel. I loved watching but never thought in a million years I could actually do it. Cut to being in Denver, CO at Lannie’s Clocktower Cabaret with a boyfriend at the time. They had a student who graduated from their school of burlesque and was performing on stage for the first time ever. I leaned over to him and said, “I didn’t know you could take classes and graduate from a school of burlesque!” He must’ve seen deep into my soul and knew that I really wanted to do it because when we returned to LA, as a surprise, he signed me up for series of burlesque classes. My initial reaction was “Nope! Not doing that! Why would you sign me up for classes AND I have to go alone?!”. Well, it was there in that class that I met so many wonderful women, who I’m still connected to and it was there that I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and began a journey of finding myself and loving myself. I found that person deep down inside of me who always wanted to come to the surface. I debuted in 2009 and haven’t stopped performing since. I’ve met wonderful people along the way and have traveled to places I never thought I’d ever go. I think what got me to where I am today was my drive to push myself beyond my comfort zone and take a few risks her and there as well as the passion I found for performing (I was never a performer before). The amazing friendships and connections I’ve made along the way have all helped tremendously.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. Along the way, I’ve not only had to deal with rejection but I’ve always had to deal with the biggest obstacle, myself. I’m still learning to get over that obstacle. I’m constantly battling with this voice I have that says, “you’re not good enough”, “you’re not slim enough”, “you’re pretty enough”, “Your costumes suck” and on and on. I’m grateful that I have friends who figuratively slap me across the face and tell me to stop talking about myself so negatively. I will say that that voice has gotten quieter and quieter over the years I’ve been doing burlesque. Every day, I’m learning to love myself more and more for who I am and what I bring to the table and I think burlesque has played a huge role in that.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a burlesque performer and I specialize in the art of the striptease. Burlesque is a form of entertainment and an art form that dates back to the 1800s. It used to be about comedy and making fun of political things but down the line, it became mostly a sensual art of striptease…still a very political thing, with it being nearly naked women (now we have all genders doing burlesque!). In this art form, I’m known as the 8th AND 9th world wonder (I let people guess why). I would say that I’m mostly known for my mixture of classic burlesque with modern music, for my flirtatious yet powerful stage presence and my musicality. I love music andante so much even though I’m not a musician or a trained dancer. I’ve been told that I move as if the music was written for me and I’d like to believe that’s because of my love for music and how I carefully choose the music I dance to. I really have to have an emotional connection to it before it becomes an act. What am I most proud of??? There are so many things-from major awards to the beautiful friends I’ve made and the places I’ve been because of burlesque. However most notably, I won first runner up at a huuuuge burlesque competition in Vegas called Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender.
I also was voted number 8 most influential burlesque performer in the world by 21st Century Burlesque Magazine. I’ve performed alongside one of the most known burlesque performers, Dita Von Teese a few times and have done a martini glass act for a huge NYE party in Copenhagen. I think one of the things that set me apart from others in this field is that I’m a black woman doing burlesque. There have always been black burlesque performers out there but unfortunately the history isn’t as extensive as their white counterparts. We’re still out here doing burlesque and there are many of us but still, we’re not getting booked as often as our white counterparts because I think we’re not as visible and in the forefront so people tend to think black women and men doing burlesque doesn’t really exist. Me and so many of my fellow black performers want to and are striving to change that. Most people have one idea of what burlesque looks like and don’t know that it comes in all shapes, sizes and skin colors. Another thing that sets me apart might be my love for dancing to more modern music but keeping my movements somewhat classic. Don’t get me wrong, I can and often do perform to old jazz standards and the music of the 20s-50s but I absolutely love dancing to Odseza, Prince, songs of the 90s and 80s, etc.
What matters most to you?
I can say that idea of what matters most to me has shifted throughout my journey in burlesque. Way back when my goal was very individualized. It was see the world through burlesque and it was mostly about me wanting to travel and sightsee and experience different cultures. Then it became about me wanting to find myself and while I’m still on that journey, my goal is burlesque has expanded to the larger society outside of burlesque. What matters most to me right now is that women feel empowered and find confidence and self-acceptance through this art form, whether or not their performing on stage. Even larger than that, I want black women to see themselves represented in this art form and feel confident and glamorous and empowered. I grew up not wanting to own my blackness and I think that’s mostly because I didn’t see myself represented in the media and if I did, it often wasn’t the most positive depiction. Like most little girls, I wanted to be a Disney princess, then I wanted to be a supermodel and I wanted to be like most of the main women in the movies and tv shows I watched and the majority of times they were definitely not black. When I started doing burlesque, I began seeing people that looked like me. I saw them as beautiful and they owned who they were and commanded so attention, respect and admiration. I saw myself represented in a different light and sadly but also happily, I began to turn inward and realize that I could be like them if that makes sense. Burlesque also has this way of making one be unapologetically themselves and that’s the journey I’m on and that’s the journey I’d love for other women, especially black women, even if they’re merely taking classes.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.jessabellethunder.com
- Instagram: @jessthndr
- Facebook: Jessabelle Thunder
- Twitter: @jessabellethndr
- Other: TikTok: @jessthndr
Image Credits:
The very solo one is by Neil Kendall Yellow photo: @sayhellojess_ White background photo: Jenna Kraczek Feather fans: @VSanchorstudio Gold costume photos: Tigz Rice
