Black burlesque performers push for more diversity in Toronto

Toronto's burlesque scene, while thriving, still struggles with diversity.

The artform dates back to the mid-19th century, and Black, Asian, and Latinx performers were a huge part of its origins, though their contributions are often overlooked. Instead, names like Dita Von Teese dominate pop culture. This erasure helped inspire local groups like Les Femmes Fatales to challenge exclusion and celebrate performers of colour.

Today, three Black dancers – BB Bang Bang, CoCo La Creme, and Petra Liyahn – are reclaiming who gets to dazzle and seduce in a space historically dominated by white performers.

BB Bang Bang striking a pose. Photo courtesy of BB Bang Bang.

BB Bang Bang began performing in 2018 after body-affirming burlesque workshops at 519, a 2SLGBTQ+ community centre in Toronto. A longtime admirer of Black cabaret legend Diahann Carroll, she draws inspiration from Carroll's glamour and commanding presence.

She recalls an audience member once telling her, "Years ago, I wouldn't have seen anybody who looked like you up there."

"It really made me realize that as things have changed and you see more performers of colour every day, we're still very few and far between," she tells blogTO.

When it comes to her own performance, BB Bang Bang is thoughtful about how her identity shapes — and doesn't shape — her work onstage.

"I know that my performance isn't wholly attached to my Blackness. I understand what it is to be a Black burlesque performer, and I think that sometimes it's good to just look at it as a performance."

CoCo La Creme performing a burlesque routine. Photo courtesy of Ruth G.

CoCo La Creme got her start over 25 years ago as a go-go dancer for the late Will Munro, founder of the Toronto dance party series Vaseline, before joining Pussy Whipped Wednesdays. Being a "theatre kid," she says, helped her get into character for her burlesque routines.

Early on, she tells blogTO, she was often the only Black performer in the group and sometimes felt tokenized, even witnessing appropriative acts and Blackface in Toronto.

"Having those conversations was very uncomfortable," she says. "But I want to give grace to folks who were able to confront that and recognize the damage in their own actions."

Historically, CoCo points out, burlesque valued individuality and creativity over strict uniformity, though Black dancers in Canada and the U.S. often performed for separate audiences. One of her idols, 1920s performer Josephine Baker, became well-known for breaking those barriers.

Although she doesn't perform nearly as often nowadays, CoCo remains proud of her burlesque work.

"I'm really happy when I can share the stage with other Black performers," she says. "I'm always really happy in general with a diverse group of performers, even if it's not a focus on Blackness."

Petra Liyahn performing "Caribbean Queen." Photo courtesy of Stoo Metz Photography.

Petra Liyahn began her burlesque career 13 years ago, building on a background in musical theatre and dance.

"I love that there are no rules and it's a celebration of bodies," she tells blogTO. In commercial dance, there were strict standards, she says, and even as a Black performer, you were expected to fit a very specific look or skin tone.

Like CoCo and BB, Petra also started out being the only Black performer on the bill, and notes that the diversity today isn't as vast as it should be.

"Even now, it's only with Les Femme Fatales, where I see other people of colour. A lot of the time when I'm doing shows, it's mainly me."

Petra would also face discrimination based on her body type, saying, "being someone who has big thighs and a big booty, club owners would say they want actual burlesque performers. I would not really get hired, even though I'm more than qualified to be doing that."

As a Black burlesque performer of Caribbean heritage, she often weaves her culture into her routines.

"I made an act called Caribbean Queen, where the whole act is to Soca music, which I can honestly say I've never actually seen in burlesque before," she says. Her routine would include a dramatic reveal of a Carnival costume, complete with feathered wings.

"I'm always pushing my Blackness," she says. "In the world of burlesque, I've never felt more celebrated, more loved and more appreciated."

Petra would love to make this a full-time career, but admits how unpredictable it can be. Some months, she's on stage multiple times a week, and then suddenly it's nothing but crickets.

When Toronto won't book her, other cities will. 

"I went to London for their Black burlesque festival, and I'll be going to Melbourne and Halifax soon. I want to make Petra Liyahn a household name."