We were lucky to catch up with Lily Misfit recently and have shared our conversation below.

Lily, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I’d been interested in burlesque since I was about nineteen years old reading Dita Von Teese “Burlesque and the Art of the Teese/Fetish and the Art of the Teese”. However, I didn’t get involved in the scene until the age of twenty three when I first moved to Los Angeles from Houston, TX in late 2011.
I started performing for a group called Santos De Los Angeles alongside one of the top burlesque performers in LA, Ruby Champagne.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a burlesque performer, fire artist and novice bellydancer. Referred to as “The Bewitching Beauty” I am known to captivate audiences with my playful smile and tantalizing glamour!
My first glimpse into the Burly world was dancing with the band Santos de Los Angeles. Although I wasn’t a burlesque performer per se I was enthralled with the scene and absolutely loved being apart of it. It’s there that I met my now husband, Steve! I danced fairly regularly with the band for about six years until they eventually stopped playing. It was years later that I finally had the confidence to officially begin my burlesque journey and I couldn’t be happier!
During the pandemic I came along a dance heels class in Long Beach. The teacher had a burlesque troupe called the Siren Sisters. I joined right away and made my burlesque debut on Valentine’s Day 2022!
After being apart of the Siren Sisters for about a year, one of my fellow troupe dancers branched on her own and started another local Long Beach burlesque group called the Moons Gems. I then became one of the first Moon Gem members and continue to be til this day!
I’m most proud of the accomplishments I’ve made in such a short time as a novice performer. I get to perform regularly all over and have had the privilege of performing internationally! In January I competed in my first ever burlesque festival competition, the That’s Amore Burlesque Festival in Rome and will be competing again in the London Burlesque Games in July!
At this time, I have about three years of professional burlesque performing experience, minus the eight months I was out for an ACL injury.
Everyone in this industry has their own “thing”. As I navigate through my artistic journey I am still learning and finding myself as an artist. I am very excited to be combining the elements I‘m so passionate about of fire performance and bellydance into my burlesque routines! To which I feel the three aren’t usually seen often together.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

In June 2023 during a dress rehearsal for an upcoming show, I partially tore my ACL and dislocated my patella. The injury kept me out for eight months until I finally recovered enough to take the stage once again. Although it has been almost two years since my injury I still have not fully recovered and continue to have issues with my knee. Because of this I am limited to things I am able to do and have been forced to adapt to a much slower style of performing. Which for me has proved challenging as I am a naturally fast paced mover. All and all I am delighted and feel very fortunate to be able to do what I do, even if I’ve been pushed out of my comfort zone.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

GO TO SHOWS!!!! Buy your tickets early! Support your local talent and artists. I have witnessed a recent decline of availability in venues due to low sales but I feel and HOPE burlesque will continue to thrive and be prosperous. It is such a beautiful and inclusive art form to which I believe deserves to be celebrated and enjoyed

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madame.lily.misfit?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Other: https://lnk.bio/Lily.misfit

Image Credits

Zoart Photography
Ol’ DirtyCamera Photography
Oscar Zagal Studio Photography
Sarah H. Photography
Photos By Vincent Photography
M82 Photography
Sventure Snaps Photography