How I found Burlesque

I remember driving to downtown St. Louis one day listening to 88.1 KDHX when some old timey music was playing. I sang along, danced a little, and said to myself, “gosh, I wish this was still around. I would have loved to be a showgirl in this life.”
Well imagine my surprise when I realized that was still a thing. Now, I did grow up kind of under a rock so I had no idea any of this world existed. I was drawn to it immediately.
I was taking a gig and another dancer told me about burlesque. I signed up for classes and didn’t really know what to expect. I walked into Van Ella Studios, stepping into a hallway of fringe lamps, showgirl magazines, vintage glamour surrounding me. I was soon in front of a mirror, in a pair of heels, staring at who I wanted to be. And that’s how I started making my persona. A bigger, more confident version of myself. Someone who wasn’t hiding from the spotlight. Eevee could do anything I was too afraid to try.
I made bold choices. I made silly mistakes. I lost some friends. I gained new ones. It truly felt like a transformation. I was finding my new footing, my new voice. I had all eyes on me as a “new kid” and I just kept craving more.
It was weird to navigate who I was outside of Eevee at this time. An awkward young woman who was fighting with my inner showgirl trying to get out, hah! I often felt like I was hiding a part of myself from those who didn’t know, I even developed a stutter from the anxiety of people finding out and judging me. And it was a damn relief to finally let all of that go. I think once I became more Eevee, that confidence finally grew outside of her and into who I am off stage. I now can command a conversation the same way I command the audience. I’m thankful everyday for finding that song on the radio, for finding the friend that told me to sign up, for walking into my first class, for staring at who I wanted to be and becoming her.