We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Cat LaCohie. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Cat below.
Cat , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?
Unconditional encouragement and proving that “it’s all possible”.
While my dad died when I really young – my mum did the fantastic job of rising to the challenge of becoming an unexpected single parent of two children at age 36. I watched her re-invent herself many times in her 40’s, 50’s and 60’s, retraining for jobs she wanted and was drawn to, rather than staying in jobs she hated. I watched her take her passions and turn then into money making endeavours. I watched her multi-tasking and having it all – taking us to the park or on holiday and at the same time sitting studying for a psychology degree while we were on the swings or in the pool. I experienced her saying, after my brother and I had both flown the nest, “this isn’t cutting it, what do I REALLY want now?” and moving out of the house she’d lived in for 30 years to move to the other end of the country with no partner or local friends to help her figure it all out.
Whether consciously or subconsciously I learned that whatever life throws at you, you don’t have to sit back and take it. Life is what you make it, find what makes you happy and run towards it, and when it doesn’t, be in tune with that and figure out what needs to change in order to find the happy again.
Alongside soaking up these lessons, I also experience unconditional encouragement. Growing up – I don’t remember a single time she judged, negatively questioned or prevented me from exploring a part of myself. A new interest, a new hobby.. even just wanting to dye my hair neon red or wear nothing but black t-shirt and black leggings solidly for 6months!!
Rather than saying I COULDN’T – she would instead educate and inform me on what the thing would entail, the risks, the consequences, the financial and time commitments and then leave it to me to make an informed decision with her support. Even If she was silently screaming inside, “oh please no”, I think she knew that the more she’d tell me not to do something, the more I would run towards it or do it in secret. The more she encouraged me, educated me and even more importantly – showed interest into what it was that motivated me to want to do certain things, the more I could be in touch with whether things were really wanted to pursue and which were just a passing phase. Either way, I was able to try it and find out for myself.
The most important thing I remember her saying when I 15/16 years old and selecting subjects to study at 6th Form College (the two years in the UK before you go to University) was, “…pick classes that you’re interested in and love to do, not what you think will get you a ‘good job’. If you love what you do, you do it more, the more you do it, the more you’ll become expert at it, and when you become the expert, people will pay you to do that thing”. Well she was 100% correct.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am an actor, variety burlesque performer, motivational speaker and coach. I have been referred to as a Renaissance woman as my work in performing and teaching burlesque also includes a variety of artistic talents including costume design, prop-making, music editing etc.
Despite my Mum’s encouragement, out in the ‘real world’ I still experienced judgement, criticism, bullying, and at times believed there was something wrong me, that I was not good enough, I didn’t fit in and needed to change and apologise for who I was. I think we’ve all learnt to hide at sometime in our lives, thinking that some part of us may be broken or shameful. I also believe that the part of you that you’ve spent so much energy trying to hide is, in fact, your most valuable asset and It’s time to quit hiding who you truly are in fear of what others will think, say or do.
It’s through burlesque that I allow and unconditionally encourage people to freely explore who they truly are (thank you forever Mum!) I work with people of ALL ages, abilities, shapes and sizes, to break free of others’ restrictive and damaging labels and, to instead, rediscover and celebrate their inner badass, their inner goddess, their inner Vixen! Whether gaining the confidence to step out onto the Burlesque stage, or out of their own front door, I’ve witnessed students using this new found freedom of self-expression and the ability to be truly seen in order to eradicate insecurities, make huge life changes and in some cases, even prove doctors wrong.
I got into Burlesque in 2006. I had been involved in acting and performing since the age of 10 but avoided dance as I believed I was overweight, not athletic, and physically uncoordinated. I’d tried ballet at the age of 7 and my teacher told me if a giant chose to eat one us he’d pick me first since I had more “meat on my bones”. Needless to say that lesson sank in deep and I gradually stopped going – I didn’t look like everyone else in the class, I didn’t belong.
I went on to do youth theatre, physical theatre and to explore various other artistic arenas, I got an agent at 14, did my first professional commercial voice-over job at 15 and landed a professional theatre role at 17. I moved to London and got a BA (Hons) in Acting and Theatre Creation and after graduation was cast in an “off-west end” play where I met Delores Deluxe (before she was Delores Deluxe). During this play I saw a casting notice for something called “The Blue Revue” – I was so drawn to the description of the production and had never heard the word burlesque. I read and re-read considering whether to apply but it say “dancing”, ( I believed I couldn’t dance), “singing” (I believed I couldn’t sing), “elements of stripping” (I hated my body), so I decided it wasn’t for me.
Towards the end of the run of the play, Delores tells the cast she’s in this new show called “The Blue Revue” and invited us to opening night! When the Universe gives you a nudge, you listen. This was not a sleazy strip show with a chorus line of identical anonymous dancers. Each performer was unique, celebrating their fabulous individual selves, and having a blast doing it… and I wanted to be part of it!! After the show I hung out with Delores, the cast and the producer Kitten Blue and talked myself into auditioning for the next run. Short version of the story – I joined the troupe and Vixen DeVille was born, during which time I then went onto explore the world of circus, aerial, fire performance, side show and magic.
I was with the troupe which rebranded as “The Kitten Club” until I moved to LA in 2012. I had a contact in LA who asked me to start teaching their intro to burlesque classes. Back in London I had also formed the theatre and events company “Room For Pudding” and had taught various workshops under the “Room For…” umbrella. I had such imposter syndrome as the class structure was very dance and choreo heavy. I began to realise that MY intro to burlesque was something different and that was to be celebrated and not hidden and so in 2014 launched my very first intro to burlesque. “Unleash Your Inner Vixen” which rather than focusing on learning specific dance moves, instead focused on technique I’d brought to my own journey into burlesque from my theatre creation and solo performance training – Stage Charisma, Character Exploration, Storytelling. That to me was the foundational training that students can apply to any performance skill whether that is dance, comedy, circus, hosting etc.
I now provide training which takes students through the steps to create their own tailored solo performance. Creating an act which not only MEANS something to them and allows them to express the part of them which THEY want to release on stage, but also an act which is theatrically engaging and connects with the audience.
I am so proud of the students who have come through my doors, the risks they’ve taken and the people they have become as a result. I also love that my students span from ages 18 – 80, are of all walks of life and are not all cis women. I am proud that this work is not solely about accessing your feminine sexy side (unless that’s what the student’s goals are). This work is about celebrating the individual without the need for labels to describe who or what you are.
Since building my burlesque academy I have also branched out into teaching other performance skills including Fire and Aerial and run my “Fire and Flight” retreat twice a year as a further extension of allowing people to face their fears and explore who they are and what they’re capable of.
The through line of everything I teach is “be who you are, be who you want to be.” I will help you get there. In the words of A.A. Milne “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” My job is to provide the space and environment for you to fully experience this truth for yourself.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
You can support artists both emotionally and financially.
Art is important! What did we all do during pandemic? We binge-watched Netflix, we watched people do dance challenges on Tik Tok, we found new creative hobbies – not for financial gain or to sell the finished product on Etsy, but for the pure DOING of it. We expressed ourselves, processed our emotions, we found escapism from the fear of the unknown. We entertained those who needed to laugh and cry. Art in an innate part of Humanity and our survival.
So treat artists with that importance.
Support artists emotionally – encourage their endeavours, don’t ask “what do you really do?”, “what’s your proper job?” or consider their art to be a side line or a hobby. Stop questioning the validity of someone spending time on their art or comment on it being a waste of time or not going to amount to anything. Celebrate their successes when they share them, however small you may consider that success to be. An actor doesn’t have to have been “in something you’ve seen” to be a full-time working actor and for their artistic work to be valid.
Support artists financially. Support the artists you know, those in your family and circle of friends, purchase their products as gifts, go to their performances. Don’t ask for a free ticket or a discount as this promotes the idea that you don’t really value their art. If you really can’t afford it offer something in return – volunteer to help at the event, or ask for a comp in return for you bringing three paying friends with you. Support the artists you don’t know and see what’s going on in your local area. Instead of dinner and a movie, find out what smaller live events are happening, see what art fairs are going on.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
“Be who THEY want you to be (or who you THINK they want you to be)” – This was a hard one to unlearn.
Growing up it was thinking I had to be a certain way to be accepted and to fit in with other kids at school. Being a certain way to get approval of teachers. When I started acting I thought I had to second guess what the writer, director, producer was looking for to fill a role and I would have to ‘become it’. Even in dating, who do I have to become in order to have the other person want to have a second date.
Sometimes the demands of other are very real – parents making it incredible clear they expect you to go to college and be a doctor. Sometimes it’s 100% imagined and we’ve built up an expectation in our head.
As I got further into my acting I realised, I’m not going into the audition room trying to be exactly what they’re looking for and I either get it right or wrong. I as the artist bring MYSELF to the role, add my own little flavour or spin. I say ‘here’s the product I can provide” and they decide if that’s product they want that day. I could be bringing in something totally new and different that they didn’t even know they wanted before I presented them with that option. The audition is not an exam that I get right or wrong, it’s presenting an option that’s available like dishes on a menu.
I really believe that burlesque helped me to unlearn that lesson. When I joined the troupe, the listing had said “looking for singers and dancers” and so that’s who was cast in the first group. I felt the pressure to improve my singing and dancing because I’d decided that’s what was required – because that’s who I was surrounded by. I spent two years taking private singing lessons to get over my fear of singing and my belief that I couldn’t sing – and still didn’t feel any improvement. A few months, maybe even a year into working with the troupe, someone mentioned to me something about fire performance and I started researching. It felt so exciting, not a chore like it was to go to singing lessons and having to practice in between classes. I learnt to eat fire and everything clicked. I found it so easy, so fun, so inspiring and was so excited now to create an act using fire. Rather than trying to be a mediocre singer, in a group full of amazing singers, what landed for me was running towards the thing I found joy in and owning THAT as the skill I was bringing to the table.
This was a lesson I brought to all areas of my life and say constantly to my students – “Instead of being a mediocre version of everyone else, find what lights you up and bring THAT to the stage!”
Contact Info:
- Website: www.VixenDeVille.com
- Instagram: @VixenDeVille
- Facebook: www.VixenDeVille.com/vixDeville
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtWFfAz_CR8L8xtPe800utw
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/vixen-deville-burlesque-and-body-confidence-los-angeles
Image Credits
Unknown Flying Lion Cabaret Art Ruffin Michelle Castillo Adam Colvin Art Ruffin Art Ruffin Steve Curley