In Her Own Words

What if Isadora told you a little about herself?

Excerpt from an interview conducted in 2020 by Les Feux de la Rampe

LFR: Isadora, tell us a bit about yourself, how did you discover burlesque?
IM: I discovered the art of New Burlesque when the film Tournée by M. Amalric was released, but I only began to explore it a few years later! At that time, my schedule was consumed by the rhythm of Flamenco. Unfortunately, after an injury, I had to put an end to my training and career. It was during this phase of rebuilding that burlesque began to call to me!

What started as a simple challenge to myself, mixed with a touch of curiosity and desire during a workshop, became a true therapy in accepting the woman I am. As I like to remind the women I work with today, I also started burlesque at the back of the room, accompanied by a friend, because I was too scared to go alone! The day I took that first workshop, I had no idea of the incredible journey I was about to embark on, thanks to burlesque.

LFR: Beyond performing burlesque, you also teach it, and you even created your own school, Le Boudoir de Ces Dames—can you tell us more about it?
IM: The very essence of New Burlesque reveals itself when we are on stage, but before we dare to be the person we are on stage, there is a titanic amount of work to be done in terms of acceptance, empowerment, confidence, self-esteem, and self-love.

I like to compare New Burlesque to an iceberg: the visible part, the one the audience sees with its rhinestones, feathers, and glitter, is just the celebration of all the submerged work of self-acceptance.

Burlesque therapy has worked wonders for me, as well as for many women (cis and trans), and I take immense pleasure in sharing the toolbox I've built along my journey with all the fabulous women who dare to step through the doors of Le Boudoir de Ces Dames.

LFR: There are different styles of burlesque. Can you tell us where you place yourself?
IM: In terms of style, I love classic burlesque for its aesthetic, the precision it demands in perfecting its movements, its mastery of the codes, the enchantment it immerses us in, its musical universe, and the references it draws upon.

LFR: If you had to sum up burlesque in one word, what would it be?
IM: If I had to sum up burlesque in a single word today, I would choose: "EMPOWER!" Empowering the woman I am through all her many facets...