Today we’d like to introduce you to Eva D’Luscious.

Hi Eva, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve been training Burlesque performers, producing shows and building community since 2012. First in Sebastopol, CA, then in Portland, OR when my family relocated here.

To me, teaching feels like passing along sacred power, especially for people who don’t often see themselves represented on stage as beautiful or sensual. I first started after the birth of my second son – now about to finish High School.

Before performing I was a tired, overwhelmed, burned out Mom who was trying to do all the things society told me were important, but struggling to find my own joy. Burlesque became a space to play with new ways of expressing myself, engage my creativity and just be an adult. It was invigorating!

I had received so much, it really felt like a responsibility to hold the door open for others. Holding space for others to gather their power, build their intuition and play without judgement, is still the best part of this work.

BodyMagick Temple came into it’s current formation about six years ago. I had already been teaching, producing and performing Burlesque in Oregon and Northern California, but I wanted a space that focused on the aspects that I found most nourishing on and offstage: community, creative expression and connection with my own wisdom.

At that time we were called ShowGirl Temple because our main focus was on growing together through Burlesque.

When COVID struck, we took our classes online and also had the opportunity to expand our offerings beyond performance to confidence coaching. I was able to study and certify as a JourneDance Facilitator and brought this moving meditation into many of our programs, including our monthly New Moon Circles.

It became clear that we were doing much more than preparing people for the stage. Many of our community members haven’t been on stage, and may never go there, but everyone believes in the power of dance to build joy, intuition and nourish ourselves.

We also work with many gender expressions and identities and desired a name the better represented us, so we became BodyMagick Temple.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Lol, no!

The challenges have made us better and taught us a lot, but there have definitely been many of them.

There are the usual challenges of learning how to run a business when you didn’t realize you were becoming an entrepreneur: finances, marketing, tech systems, etc.

Running a business as a mom of young children is very difficult, especially when it’s show biz and you really do have to keep things going because it’s time limited and so many other people are counting on you for their paycheck.

I’m thankful to have a supportive husband who has done almost every job related to running the business and stayed home to be with sick kids on show nights.

I’ve had to learn how to ask for help and rely on other people to get things done. We now have a show production crew of about 10 people, who are amazing and make me realize how hard I was going in years past to make these things happen.

BMT now has a regular teaching staff – our High Priestesses of 5 – who support our community members in many ways and improve our offerings all the time. And we work with many guest instructors to bring new material to our students and bring more voices in teaching.

The hardest parts have been making mistakes that have hurt people’s feelings. It happens because I’m human, and it’s absolutely the worst because it’s opposite of who I strive to be as a person and what we’re about as a business.

I’ve learned to slow down and be more thoughtful about many things, to ask for help and to nourish myself by taking breaks so I can stay my most balanced and compassionate self.

I’m sure there are more challenges to come, and now there’s a beautiful community of support.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m an embodiment coach who helps people connect with their joy, power and intuition through dance. I’m most proud of the community I’ve built through our various classes, shows, retreats and fun gatherings.

BodyMagick Temple is a space where people build ongoing friendships, support each other in finding work and housing, and nourish each other through the challenges of life.

The sparkle of Burlesque envelopes everything we do. Creativity brings energy and connects us to possibility, even our non-Burlesque dancing is very imaginative and generative.

Personal growth requires being honest with ourselves and expanding our capacity in many ways. The purpose of my Work and BodyMagick Temple is to provide a protected space to build joy and laughter fuel the hard work of transforming our lives into something we love.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
It’s two! Compassion for self and others and flexibility.

This is a business built on care for others, so it’s essential that I extend kindness to myself and continue building my capacity to hold others through the celebrations and difficulties of life.

I do my best, and learn from mistakes while allowing myself to be human.

I must be flexible because our world changes constantly. I’m always welcoming new audiences and community members, and I’m still a mother and wife.

I’m many roles and support many people. The ability to flow with what’s in front of me while staying connected to my bigger goals has helped me learn new skills, make several pivots and remain fairly balanced and grounded.

I view both of these as skills that I consistently train and hone. A self devotion practice that nourishes me and informs how I run my business and care for others.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bodymagicktemple.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bodymagicktemple/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BodyMagickTemple
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bodymagicktemple/
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/user/tbsq8l2fpelba9j06x21p3lt2?si=a2453f03cbe84711

Image Credits
AMBERED, Guy Masson, Kaitlyn Taylor, Vanity Thorn, Eva D’Luscious