Today we’d like to introduce you to Lola Demure.
Lola, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I came from a long line of dancers (my grandmother was a showgirl on the Vaudeville circuit) and I have been on stage since the age of four. I am a classically trained ballerina and have danced with the Pennslyvania Ballet in Philadelphia, as well as the California Ballet Company here in San Diego. I have been a professional dancer since the age of 14.
I found burlesque in 2009 when I took my son to a Mommy & Me tap class. The owner of the studio insisted that I come audition for her burlesque troupe. I had no idea what burlesque was at that time, I didn’t really care because I had stopped performing to be a mom. The idea of being on stage again was very appealing.
I danced with the Caburlesque Kittens from 2009-2012 and it really gave me a foundation for what was to come next.
In 2011, my son Jaxon was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and I was devastated. I didn’t know if my son would ever be able to live a “normal” life. I went through a six-week depression/grieving period. Once I got my bearings and my head wrapped around his diagnosis, I wanted to do something about it. What could I do that was original and entertaining to bring awareness to Autism, as well as raise money for research. I decided to produce a burlesque & variety show. Over three years of producing Breaking The Chains: A Burlesque Benefit For Children With Autism I raised over $15,000 for the Race for Autism here in San Diego. The money went to the National Foundation for Autism Research who funded research on Autism, support groups for parents and all sorts of fun activities for our kiddos (young and adult).
Since 2012, I have produced and performed in hundreds of burlesque shows all over California as well as other major cities in the US. I currently have a residency at the San Diego House of Blues with my show “Lola Demure’s Burlesque & Variety Show”, we are in our 5th season.
In 2016, I helped in the founding of Glitter Tribe Burlesque Studios, the only dance studio dedicated to the art of burlesque in San Diego. This studio is a wonderful space for women (and men) to get fit, have fun, or train to be a burlesque performer. At Glitter Tribe Studios, we have created a positive and supportive atmosphere. We want everyone who walks through our doors, to leave feeling confident, sexy & empowered.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
No one’s path is a smooth one. Mine had MANY bumps, twists, and turns… I’m very lucky that my outcome is what it is.
In my late teens, I struggled with drug addiction, it almost ruined my ballet career. I had to quit dancing in order to get clean and by the time I was 21, I was back on the right track, auditioning for ballet companies. Well, life had one more surprise in store for me! I found out I was going to become a mother at 22. I kept dancing right up until my son was born and went right back to it when he was six weeks old. Life got in the way and when you’re a young mom, you have to buckle down and do what’s right for your family.
Burlesque saved me in many ways. It built my confidence back up and gave me a wonderful family of sparkly sisters, who would ALWAYS support me no matter what. It gave me a place to redefine what being a performer meant. It gave me opportunities to support my family financially and an emotional outlet. I got to be a ballerina again… ON MY TERMS.
At the age of 30, I was offered a contract with the California Ballet Company, something I never thought would happen again (especially since I was now covered with a full sleeve of tattoos). My son even got to perform in the Nutcracker with me. Ballet fed burlesque and burlesque fed ballet. Constantly pushing boundaries on both sides.
Becoming an event producer meant that I had to learn a lot about business the hard way. Shady dealings/negotiations with venues, people not paying what they said they would pay. I even had to sue a venue! It’s a lot of responsibility to negotiate terms with venues, pay your performers and make sure you yourself are making money! Through all of that, I have created a really amazing business workshop where I now teach other performers the business side of burlesque… so people can learn from my mistakes and hopefully be smarter in their business dealings.
My advice to other women… DON’T EVER STOP YOURSELF FROM DOING WHAT YOU WANT TO DO. The only thing that can hold you back is yourself. Don’t let others opinions of what you are doing color your decision making. If you need to, be the black sheep… I’ve made a career out of it. Would I change any of it? ABSOLUTELY NOT.
We’d love to hear more about Demure Productions/Lola Demure’s Burlesque & Variety Show.
In the burlesque world, I have earned the tagline “The Prima Ballerina of Burlesque”. This is because the majority of my acts are variations from classical ballets that I have added striptease to. I do the original choreography and add the strip. I have three different acts that encompass the ballet Swan Lake. White Swan, Black Swan, and a duet with both swans. I am most well known for dancing en pointe, my technique, and execution of my acts.
Lola Demure’s Burlesque & Variety Show is a burlesque dinner event featuring top talent from San Diego and beyond. Performers from all types of disciplines perform including: circus, singing, comedy, and theatre. Audiences never know what to expect or what will be coming on to the stage next.
As far as the “Lola Demure” brand goes, I am not beholden to a troupe. I hand pick what I feel is the top talent in each industry (OR up and coming talent) and present that to my audience. Some shows are themed, the majority are not. I want my top performers to bring their best acts to my stage.
Do you feel like there was something about the experiences you had growing up that played an outsized role in setting you up for success later in life?
I grew up in a very religious household, surrounded by the patriarchy and there were only two things expected of me. To become a professional ballerina and to get married in the temple. I yearned to be so many other things… a cheerleader, an Egyptologist, myself. I was always the black sheep… too loud, personality was too big and bright. Girls were intimidated by me and I fit in just fine with the boys… but of course, I got labeled as “boy crazy” because of that.
Because of that, I grew up to be a very strong (and stubborn) young woman. I didn’t take no for an answer and whenever someone said I wouldn’t be able to do something, I went out and proved them wrong. I became self-reliant and no one else’s opinion mattered but my own… not to say that it didn’t hurt when others voiced their opinion, but it the long run, it didn’t matter. I realized at a very early age that I could never depend on anyone for anything. If I wanted something for myself, I was going to have to go after it or create it.
Contact Info:
- Email: demureproductions@gmail.com
- Instagram: @lola_demure (performer IG) @demure_hob (burlesque show IG)
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/lolademure
- Twitter: @lola_demure
Image Credit:
Vixen Photography, Tim Hunter Photography
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