An intimate moment of belonging in action: performers hugging at the 2020 Noire Pageant after a night of entertaining the masses with an unforgettable show. Image by Will M

Stages of Belonging: Black Burlesque at the Crossroads of Community and Industry

When I first started performing burlesque, I did not regard what I was doing as revolutionary. I know many performers understand the political magnitude of striptease right from the beginning, but I was mostly concerned with the seemingly tame aspects of learning how to build a full routine and tie my corset. It wasn’t until