Celebrating some hilarious audience participation at The Siren Show. Photo by Melissa Uroff Photography
Engaging as a fan of live entertainment is a pivotal and rewarding role to play within the theater of social connection and culture that the arts afford us, particularly at the local level. That is what being a performer taught me.
Today, I am here to talk about what it means to be a fan of burlesque, and how you can let that active fandom translate into a catalyst for becoming an even bigger fan of yourself, too. The empowerment that radiates through burlesque culture is palpable, and is available for you to seek out and explore at any time.
I am going to tell you to go out and participate, connect, enjoy and soak up the energy of the entertainment and the environment at your fingertips – our world is alive with creatives taking risks to put their work out for public consumption, with the goal of moving you, inspiring you, and connecting you to the heartbeat of your community.
ACTIVE vs PASSIVE Fandom
Nowadays it is all too easy to simply pull up an act on YouTube, or decide to sit home for a Netflix and chill as opposed to getting up and navigating a night out. I got really comfortable in sweatpants during Covid too, but comfort breeds complacency, and that is what active fandom cuts right to the quick. The reality is that we are all still healing from the trauma of the pandemic and the effects of social isolation. However, further isolation is not the solution to reigniting our sense of connection to self and community.
Though many of us still hold anxieties surrounding public gatherings post-pandemic (and I would never tell you to go and do something that makes you feel unsafe), I do encourage you to consider the risks and rewards of all of your behavior and remember that experiencing art in public among other humans is a huge booster to your wellbeing during and after an event.
As an active fan, you can identify that you have found something you feel real passion and excitement for. You are willing to seek out and engage in connection with others who are attracted to similar energy. You do all this while simultaneously enjoying and appreciating the performers who are offering you a slice of their perspective, creativity, vulnerability, and self-expression. This forms a glittery breeding ground for your own imaginative expansion, as it relates to your understanding of self, and your own capacity for self-celebration and expression. This is a positive feedback loop that encourages radical self-love and acceptance, in a way that builds with every show you attend.
And here’s the other thing – you, the fan, are EQUALLY as important to the synergy and existence of your local live entertainment as the entertainers themselves. You both must show up openly for the magic of the arts to conjure an elevating experience for all parties.
This is the difference between active and passive fandom. As an active fan, you are blessing yourself with the opportunity to engage through charged enthusiasm and joyous curiosity. You are giving yourself the gift of opening up to community, and discovering a sense of ease and belonging in an environment intended to connect you with others over shared experience and a sizzling energetic ride.
If you are moved by artistic and creative experiences, get out and support their continued existence in your community by participating in the culture that they foster.
After all, being an arts appreciator should translate into being an arts supporter - there are human beings on both sides of this equation that get the opportunity to help fill each other’s cups in different ways, and that is a beautiful (and valuable) thing.
So buy your ticket, tip well, and spread the word. The gifts and opportunities you will receive through your access to and interaction with the show environment could (and probably will) be priceless.
The secret sauce of life is in connection.
Get Out And Get In On The Good Stuff
One of the most memorable pieces of feedback I ever received from an active fan of The Siren Show (the Sizzling Siren’s flagship event) illustrated to me the power of the culture we were building through our creative efforts. Every month they said they were of course excited to come out, but after a fashion realized that a big part of that excitement also included looking forward to seeing their, ‘show friends,’ – the other active fans they connected with socially at each event, and developed positive relationships with over time. That was the moment I think I really connected with the deeper meaning of our production (for me). It was the individual impact that this community could create for the social and emotional wellbeing of our audience members (and us!).
What I also know without a doubt is that every burlesque production is a special snowflake. Never expect the same experience twice when it comes to burlesque shows. This is an awesome thing about the genre, but it also means that if you find a production you dig and have a great time at, tell your friends and return with more people next time. Burlesque only lives on if its practitioners and fans engage with equal consistency, desire, and commitment to the continuation of the genre and culture that surrounds it.
Let your creativity and sexuality be ignited and inspired by witnessing and engaging with your experience and the other people in it.
I believe without a doubt that you could take yourself out on a date to a burlesque show and choose not to speak to a single person (good luck, but for the point), and leave still feeling connected to the room and the night and the sense of being part of the special group of people that got to experience that together, having had a completely awesome, rich and exciting internal experience, ready to come back for more (and hopefully mingle a little bit next time).
The magic of a good live show of burlesque entertainment literally feels magical, and might even pump up your tires, blow your mind open while turning you on, connect you with new people, and invite you to be a piece of the puzzle that allows this incredible aspect of our live entertainment landscape to continue to thrive in a crazy world.
If you are looking for a cool and welcoming community to participate in as an audience member, appreciator/supporter, volunteer or crew member, student or performer, burlesque is a solid choice to explore in most large towns and cities around the world.
You will discover open-minded people with open eyes and open hearts, that love a good sexy laugh and are down to celebrate the things that bring us joy through novelty, curiosity, sexuality, and energetic exchange.
Expect some self-discovery, as the scene of community and entertainment around you holds up a mirror to parts of yourself you are ready (or maybe didn’t realize you were ready) to explore. Remember that everything you desire in your character is already within you (that’s how they figured it out too, I promise) and that this gets to be one experience on your path that opened you up and deepened your awareness on your learning journey of self. What you choose to do with that is up to you.
For me, that was and is the power of burlesque.
For you, maybe it is something else. If so, and you aren’t sure what it is yet – please, please go start taking shots at finding out. This is your life, after all. Prizing pleasure for pleasure’s sake is a pleasure, for certain. This is and is more than that. We all deserve those tingly, high vibe, connected, and creative experiences.
So tune yourself in, and go get yours!
Are you interested in ways to begin embodying that burlesque energy for yourself? Check out my next post, The Burlesque Ignition Theory.
