Bria is your average twenty year old junior at Temple University. A Journalism major with a minor in German, she attends classes, does her homework, studies and even thinks about her future often. There is just one thing that makes her stand out from the crowd. Bria is a Burlesque dancer in Philadelphia and surrounding states such as Delaware and New Jersey.
“I am married to my alter ego,” Bria jokes while discussing how she got involved with the Burlesque scene. Ever since she was a little girl, Bria was involved in both dance and theater. As she got older, she took an interest in modeling. She ended up meeting two Burlesque dancers through her modeling agency and decided to give it a try, only to end up falling in love with it.
“It’s all about empowerment and loving your body,” Bria shared. “A lot of people have this misconception that Burlesque is nothing but chubby wannabe strippers, but everyone is just so different. There is no cookie cutter image to Burlesque. I have danced with girls of so many different shapes and sizes.” Bria’s involvement on the Burlesque scene has allowed her to become more confident in her body and herself, an area she used to struggle with before. “It really made me discover who I am,” Bria confessed.
Bria doesn’t limit herself to one Burlesque troupe, she prefers to freelance when it comes to performing. “I perform with a lot of girls from the troupe called the Whisky Kittens from time to time,” said Bria. She has been a freelance dancer since August 2013.
Aside from just performing, Bria designs and makes her own costumes to wear for her performances. Bria’s favorite part of Burlesque involves neither the performing nor the outfits, but rather the way it allows her to use her creativity. “I love the feeling of creating an idea and then seeing it on the stage,” Bria shared about creating acts for the shows. She enjoys the feeling of being out there, “I just get so much more out of creating something,” Bria gushed.
“Educate yourself beforehand, go to a show and talk to the performers, everyone is super friendly and welcoming,” Bria advised when asked how someone could get involved in Burlesque.
Bria’s days are just like everyone other student’s until classes end. Once she gets home, she is already packing for her next performance and starting her hair and make-up so that she is all set by the time she gets to the venue. “Everyone thinks it’s such a glorious glitter life, which it is, but I’m a dork just like everyone else.” Bria confessed.
You can catch Bria performing at the Scranton Tattoo Convention from April 17th to the 19th.