We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Miss Candice a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Miss, appreciate you joining us today. Has your work ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized?
Its interesting. I started singing Jazz “semi-professionally” over a year ago but through the cabaret space. Traditionally I would be called a chanteuse, a singer of popular songs in speakeasies & nightclubs.
People perk up when they hear Jazz usually, which is nice. I say “cabaret” because that is accurate from my perspective of being a singer, but I regularly find myself among burlesque dancers, and I also remove clothing. Thats where the word shuffling begins for me.
In my head during the conversations I go, oh, you like Jazz-great! You are interested in seeing a next show? Cool! Just to let you know…
I love to invite people out, but I have to find a means of describing it so they know its a show for adults.
I also hope that my individual style comes off as someone who does this with a certain kind of classic panache. 1920s-1950s is where I comfortably sit with Jazz so my style as a showgirl(another shuffled term) reflects that too.
There’s a difference between saying Im a singer who strips and saying Im a singer at cabaret shows. While both a true, I don’t want people to mischaracterize-not the nature-but essence of what I bring to a cabaret space.
I can stand, dress up, sing and people have a good time. But people really have a good time, when gloves come off too.
Miss, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I am Miss Candice, a chanteuse and cabaret performer based in Durham, NC. Jazz mainly from the 1920s-1950s in the style I sing and perform in.
I have been performing for over a year, while also having a full-time job. This is my professional hobby. I never thought I would be performing, I was actually looking for a burlesque performer for a wine bar and the opportunity presented itself to sing.
I have always been a fan of burlesque. I have seen Dita Von Teese a few times now, and will go to different cities and check out shows there too.
My background in marketing, sales, and communication design help me with coming up with creative performance ideas and promotional items both in my professional work and hobby.
What I do when I perform can have, both literal and metaphorical layers. I goal is to do and do well-sing, move, and reveal(remove) to a cohesive idea or story.
The nature of the cabaret space is that each show usually has a theme. I come up with the song order relative to reveals, relative to style and tempo, ultimately being relative to a show theme.
One rule of design I learned that still holds true, limits are a fuel for good creativity and design. Though its been a process, it has become a lot easier to work through these considerations for shows.
Not failing to mention having to learn more about sound tech due to the nature of what I do. Considerations with my earpiece hook ups in relation to movement, in relation to removals, in relation to what I can comfortably vocalize. But I do it with love and appreciation for the art. Its theatrical!
Its an excuse for me to hone in on talents, gain new skill sets, be creative, and wear sequins and feathers- fitting right in!
The 13 year old in me is thanking the 31 year me right now.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
2 things; 1-when they sway, hoot, and holler. And 2-when they come up after a show and ask about the process.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
Learning to embrace the singing aspect and the showgirl aspect of what I do. It doesn’t make me less of a singer because I am a showgirl. I put energy into both. I am both.
It doesn’t make me less talented or make me less, because I have less clothing by the end of the show.
Contact Info:
- Website: Callmemisscandice.com
- Instagram: Callmemisscandice
- Youtube: Callmemisscandice