Host Androsia Wilde will be facilitating this Q&A with a mixture of pre-submitted questions from the community and questions from the live audience.

Shawna, known as the “Black Venus,” started her burlesque career in 1972. She took a dare from a friend at an “amateur night” contest and won! That was the beginning of her professional dancing career. Inspiration came from headliners she was lucky to work with, including Leigh Sharon, Tempest Storm, Terry Starr and Gina Bon Bon just to name a few. Shawna appeared in Guam, Puerto Rico and became famous throughout the East Coast and Mid-West in the 70s and 80s. The Ponderosa Sun Club in Roselawn, Indiana was infamous for holding the Miss Nude America and several other Burlesque contests. Shawna was asked to participate at the Ponderosa Sun Club in her booking agent's all-nude wedding as a bridesmaid!! Cheri Magazine filmed and published the entire event. Shawna was well known for her “country Western” and spectacular “fire show” in which she twirled tassels with fire! She formally retired from dancing in 1994, but has since returned to burlesque to teach tassel twirling and participate in the walk of fame at the Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender in 2018, 2019, 2023 and was the 2022 BurlyCon Legend of Honor. In July of 2023 she was invited by BurlyCares to perform in Las Vegas, NV at Timeless: a Celebration of Variety Entertainment Legends. In August of 2023 Shawna had the honor of performing at Legends & Icons, an all Black Burlesque Revue produced by Twirlisha Devine in Indianapolis, IN which is the first time she has ever shared a stage with other Black performers. She has been invited to perform at the Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender in 2024. Shawna has been featured in the book, Legends of Burlesque: Then and Now. Shawna now works in healthcare for well-known clients.

Explore the importance of relationships, authenticity and joy in creating collaborative creative communities.

In this short talk, I will tell the story of Virago Nation Indigenous Arts Society and the teachings we have learned about reciprocity, right relations, and empowerment that comes with working together, recognizing our individuality and finding balance through. We will touch on intersectional inclusion and ethical cultural representation as well as the power of collaboration and layering meaning through music, choreography and costuming.

Lighting is a key element of performance, and can be one of the hardest things to talk about. This talk will go over some lighting basics so you can communicate your vision and ensure you get the best pictures and videos of your work. Learn basic lighting position, the 8 functions of lighting and what words can help capture the feeling you want for your work. If you find yourself writing 'whatever you think is best' in most of your lighting notes then this is the workshop for you!

Content warning: We will be looking at a video that does contain flashing lights but does not have any strobing in it.

Pucks shares their personal anecdotes about the founding of two festivals, What the Funk?! An All BIPOC Burlesque Fest and Fatlesque Fest NW, the challenges and successes, and hopefully inspire folks to think about funding in burlesque.

Lexxx will lead you through this quickie examining how we can critically and curiously engage with history. Glamour and neon lights aside, this conversation is meant to set your personal interest ablaze while inviting complicated questions around who's story gets told- and how/why. Lexxx will also launch you with resources to continue this journey of learning, with the shared thrill of expanding the community web of historical curiosity, connection and nuanced art making. Have you ever been hot for your history teacher? You may just be now.

This talk / discussion would be about how to harness your intersections & marginalized demographics into Super Powers.

Being an Autistic, Fat, Unambiguously Femme..it has been quite a struggle to become the Burlesque artist I am today. I have had to deal with Misogynoir, Colorism, Fatphobia, Abelism just to exist. By reclaiming the term Ratchet from a negative meaning of Ghetto, low class, I have decided that it can also mean being Revolutionary- As a Black Nerdlesque performer, I often choose to do acts based on characters whose anesthetics are the complete opposite of mine. I find that with storytelling & commitment to character traits I have been able to embody characters such as Brad Majors from Rocky Horror Picture Show, Anakin Skywalker into Darth Vader , etc. It is a Revolutionary act to break expectations of who people think you should cosplay or build acts as. Artisty-The ability to be a story teller with costumes, facial expressions, props. My TIT-ANIC act us an example of me using a limited budget to make my props, but still tell a complete story & be entertaining without being ultra glamour. Through-Gotta have something for this T Curves-As a Fabulously Body Wealthy gal..I don't fall into European Beauty Standards . I don't feel the need to shrink myself physically or mentally to be on stage. Heart- I try to keep a positive moral compass. I also give all that I can on stage, I found that once I created acts to songs I loved, not necessarily popular, I was able to perform better. As a music lover it's quite important for me to feel something with what I dance to. Energy- Struggling with external situations can sometimes affect our performance. Energy is an important aspect of being a performer. You always want the audience to walk away remembering what you gave them. Truth-I find that doing political or personal acts can either be received positively or negatively. But if you are sincere In presenting YOUR truth ..the audience will feel your sincerity. And you are staying true to YOU & your lived experiences