We recently connected with Shimmy Diosa and have shared our conversation below.

Shimmy, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

I knew that starting a career in Burlesque would be a risk considering I was already known as a Belly Dancer and I worked a full-time day job. Overall, I think it was worth it because Burlesque allows me to explore other avenues of creative expression that (as a non-MENAHT person) Belly Dance could not provide. It has been a very liberating experience.

Recently, I took a risk in bringing one of my idea’s to life. I wanted to create a Burlesque routine that involved a rose headdress with detachable petals. Please note that I did not have ANY experience in making headdresses. I found a YouTube tutorial online (Shoutout to Viva Burlesque!) and followed it until I needed to move into the next phase. After some incredibly helpful tips from my friend, I was able to craft the rest of the headdress. This past Friday (3/21/26), I debuted my signature routine: “Rose’s Revenge” at the Cult Your Night’s show at Fizzwerks, Durham.

For me, there is no compromising with my ideas, I will bring them to life. That is always worth the risk.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hello beautiful people! My name is Shimmy Diosa. I consider myself a “Movement Artist”: I got my start in professional performance art in the Fall of 2017 with Belly Dance/Raqs Sharqi and am still taking bookings to this day. During the pre-COVID era, I would teach for Bellydance Club at NC State and occasionally for Tapestry Dance Company. These days I mostly teach private lessons and from time to time, a workshop or two. I am proficient in Raqs Sharqi, Raqs Baladi, Raqs Assaya (Saidi Cane Dance), Veil, Isis Wings, and Sagat/Zills (Finger Cymbals).

I performed my first professional Burlesque routine on February 17th, 2024, under the stage name “Robyn Heaux”. I have since changed that to Shimmy Diosa as most people know me as “Shimmy”. My artistic theme could be described as “Glam-Camp” and I am excited for opportunities to show that.

I am most proud of my belief in my ideas and my authentic approach to these art forms.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

For anyone who is a “non-creative” or just starting out on their creative journey: before it looks “good”, before it feels good, it’s going to feel crazy. When you try something out for the first time, it will feel uncomfortable. The key is to keep going despite that feeling and believe in your ability to improve from your starting point.

For the record, I don’t believe there’s such thing as a “non-creative”: everyone is a creative, it’s just a matter of whether or not someone is in touch with it and accepts it.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Dismantling Capitalism would be a good start: The commodification of art and services forces everyone within an industry to compete against each other in an unhealthy way. “Unhealthy” meaning to the point of burnout. It also makes it very easy to fall into trends instead of making art that is true to yourself. It would be helpful to have an established Universal Basic Income for artists to survive, especially when they cannot perform. Improving public transit would also be a major plus. Here in Durham, we do have a bus system, however, it is not always reliable and it can take up to two hours just to go six miles into city. A subway system or a light rail with multiple stops around the city and county would be the most beneficial for all people within Durham county.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @shimmydiosa @shimmydiosaburlesque
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@shimmydiosa
• Other: TikTok: @shimmydiosa

Image Credits

Giallo Shots
Spirit Nyx Photography
Bonnie Stanely Photography
David Hutchinson
Emerald Lynn
Bullcity Boudoir