I never thought I would be doing what I am today. It all started in 2018 after leaving an abusive marriage and seeing my first burlesque show. I took a “burlexercise” class and realized it was a way to regain my confidence. Being backstage created a sense of community that I needed. I have Ehler’s-Danlos Syndrome, which affects the collagen in my body. This causes ligaments not to hold joints where they should be. Because of the increased dance activity and dancing in heels, my condition got worse. In 2019, I traded my heels for wheels and became the first wheelchair burlesque performer in Minnesota. Between the pandemic and the lack of accessible venues, there have been fewer performance opportunities for folks like me with disabilities. That led me to create a virtual space for other performers and students with disabilities like myself.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Finding places where I can perform has been the hardest. The biggest issue is that most stages are not accessible to folks in wheelchairs. Often, dressing rooms are up or down a flight of stairs, and most bathrooms are not large enough to change in. I also have sensitivities to smoke and flashing lights, which have kept me out of a few venues.

Thanks for sharing that. So, tell us more about your work next.
I am the founder of the DisabiliTease Festival and DisabiliTease Academy. I wanted to create accessible spaces not only for local performers with disabilities but for disabled performers worldwide. The first festival was scheduled for July 2020, and it would have been a mix of in-person performances and a projected virtual performance. It was set to take place at the only wheelchair-accessible venue in the area. It would all be live-streamed for folks to watch. Due to the pandemic, the festival quickly shifted into a virtual event. This allowed performers from around the world to participate. This year, we are finally able to have a fully hybrid event.

On July 19th, there will be an in-person show in Minneapolis, MN, at the only wheelchair-accessible theater in town, a virtual show on Saturday, July 20th, and in-person workshops on Sunday, July 21st. The entire event will be live-streamed and recorded for folks to watch later.

The DisabiliTease Academy started in 2021 as a space for students to take classes from home due to the pandemic and financial, time, and transportation limitations. We have held 30 workshops which included instructors and students from around the world.

I am most proud of finally bringing the festival to an in-person stage while still allowing virtual acts to be shown. Along with my co-producer, Lakota Shekhar, I am finally creating a space for those who cannot access other stages locally or worldwide.