Today we’d like to introduce you to Miss Lady Legs.
Hi Miss Lady Legs, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
Hello! Absolutely. After a lifetime of dancing, as a student and professionally, when I was around 27, I just couldn’t take the hustle of dancing, teaching, and working multiple customer service jobs to get by, and so I took a full-time office job, leaving dance behind. Being in survival mode for a while, I didn’t notice how much I missed dance and how much of my identity was tied to it.
A few years later, I moved to L.A. and was working part-time remotely and wanting to get back into dance. I started substitute teaching again at a few local studios and taking classes, but I was really struggling with my body not being able to do the things that used to come so easily to me, and I fell into a deep depression.
Meanwhile, my whole adult life, I had loved going to drag and burlesque shows. Many of my dance friends in Seattle (where I went to college and spent most of my professional dancing career) did burlesque and in L.A. I saw an opportunity to take a burlesque intensive with a performer I really admired at the time. My mom registered me for the intensive as a birthday present, and I had so much fun; I met some of my closest burly friends, whom I still work closely with today, and the rest is pretty much history.
It allowed me to get reconnected with dance in a fun way that ultimately gave me permission to love it and not tie my self-worth to meeting professional-level concert dance performance standards. In burlesque, I could be a great dancer and entertainer, with complete control over my choreography, costuming, music choices, etc. It was truly freeing.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Nothing worthwhile comes without obstacles.
Some of the struggles have included building my resume and reputation in a new industry and city simultaneously, learning and improving new skills like costume design and creation, and learning what the audience expectations from a burlesque performance are and figuring out how to deliver on those expectations while staying true to my performance style and preferences.
Another big challenge for me has been the lack of hierarchy, etiquette standards, and structure that I’m used to in the concert dance world. The lack of hierarchy and institutional barriers is one of the greatest aspects of burlesque. It’s an art for and by the people. The artist having full control over their craft and how and where it is presented is really special. However, the lack of industry standards can make it challenging to know how to book gigs and handle payment, and can cause rifts in the community between performers. Every producer has their preferences, and there’s really no telling what the backstage etiquette and other expectations are unless you know the producer personally or have a friend who knows that can fill you in.
Honestly though, it’s been a joy the whole time.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I would love to! I’m a burlesque performer, producer, and host. My current tagline is, “Classically trained dancer turned stripper with so much to tease.” As a performer, I’m known for dancing and versatility, also probably for doing pointe work in some of my acts. I think my most well-known act, though, is my “Shark Attack” act. I created it last year. It’s definitely my silliest act, but it has quickly become my most requested act. Besides wearing a mascot-style shark costume (which I made out of a $20 Amazong shark blanket and lots of polyfill), I think the reason it has such big appeal is because it has a clear character arc with a consonant ending. I think it feels very complete even though it’s only four minutes long.
As a producer, I’m known for putting together artsy, creative shows that give a lot of artistic freedom to performers while maintaining a highly curated sensibility.
I’m new to calling myself a host. I started hosting because I didn’t have to pay myself for it at my own shows, so it cut down costs essentially. But I’ve been asked to host some shows that aren’t mine recently, and I think what people like about my hosting style is that I’m personable and funny, and my respect for the performers shines through. I’m really not sure, though.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
As a performer, my biggest lesson is REHEARSE. Rehearse your act multiple times before you take it on stage. You can always tell the difference between a well-rehearsed act and a thrown-together act. Mid-last year, I started holding myself to a standard of rehearsing each finished act at least 3x before a show (even if I’ve done it dozens of time before) and wow! I feel my performance has been elevated 10x since I started doing that.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://burlesqueandchill.com
- Instagram: @themissladylegs
Image Credits
Silent 13 Studios
Benjamin Ross Photography
Brian Jung
Kristofer Armstrong
Meredith Carlson
