A Scottish girl in America

Last year (2024) I was lucky enough to perform at 4 burlesque festivals in the USA; Weirdlesque (Oklahoma city), Mile High (Denver), North Shore showcase (Salem) and Ohio Burlesque Fest (Cleveland).

Before this I had only performed at one international festival in Italy, so to say I felt like a small fish in a big pond is a massive understatement. I was jetlagged, overwhelmed and nervous at everyone of these festivals but I also found them to be invaluable experiences.

Performing Jan 24 at Weirdlesque

Before I go any further, I'll address the elephant in the room. Yes, I have a day job that allows me to travel to the States four times in one year for long weekends for unpaid performances. I am privileged to be able to do so, and I'm well aware that for a lot of people, this kind of investment would have to be thought about long and hard. The point of this post isn't to rub my privilege in people's faces but to share the experiences and learnings I took away from them.

Now that's out the way, let me talk about the biggest differences i found in the states to performing in Europe.

The standard and quality of performances in America blew my mind. This is not a slight to performers in Europe in any way, but I do think that having easier access to a plethora of teachers and to the legends of this industry has allowed burlesque in America to reach heights that we in Europe lag behind. The range of artistry, creativity, and finesse has made me re-examine my own acts and look at how I can elevate them to new heights through expanding who I learn from, the skill sets that I have, and rehearsing/dancing with intent.

The second thing I really enjoyed was that every festival had a different set of headliners. Last year I got to meet and see perform some of the big hitters in our community including Margo Mayhem, Raquel Reed, Foxi Lexi Brown, Ginger Lee Valentine, Kitty Kin Evil, Queen Qwan and Jacqueline Boxx. European festivals have a tendency to have the same headliner as each other each year. I understand this is because a performer will be touring and therefore it makes sense for them to headline the festivals but it does mean that nearly every European festival has the same headliner in any given year and reduces our opportunities to learn from a range of performers.

'Calypso' Performed at Ohio Burlesque Festival, Aug 24

The third thing that really stood out for me was a sense of community and caring. All of these festivals worked to provide affordable accommodation, fantastic goodie bags, food, after-parties, and connected the various performers with each other too. 2 of the festivals arranged for photographers for promo photos at affordable prices, continuing to make the investment of the festival pay off in more ways than one. The whole weekends I felt safe and surrounded by community; it wasn't just the performances where people came together but across the whole time.

The final thing I wanted to comment on was the approach to networking. I have never been given so many stickers and business cards as I have when at these festivals. I think in Europe we rely so heavily on just following each other on Instagram, but I have all the business cards I've been given stuck on a mirror, and it reminds me of the performers, and I go see what they've been up to if the algorithm hasn't shown me them in a while.. My favorite thing that American festivals seem to do is Sunday brunch. It's such a nice way for all the performers to mingle outside of a performance space, relax, and network. I truly felt that these festivals were a fantastic networking opportunity, something I haven't felt as much at European festivals I have since attended (although I'm aware this could be a me thing).

All of this to say, I genuinely believe that performing in America has made me a better performer as well as gifting me with connections across the states. It grew my confidence, allowed me to learn in person from unreal performers, and inspired me to push myself to new heights. Sometimes we have to go out of our everyday environments to see what's possible. Later this year I'm attending BHOF, and I can't wait to see the impact that has on me.

Love,

Dinah