Will you please tell me and my CurveInspire readers your name, troupe or city you work in, and facebook or web link? My name is Vixen Valentine, I am a solo burlesque performer based out of Seattle, WA & can be found atwww.seattlelatenight.comHow long have you been a burlesque performer? I have been a burlesque performer for 2 years.

What got you into the world of burlesque? I have been involved with theatre companies around Seattle for over 10 years & went on to pursue a BA in Drama from the UW. While I was working on my theatre requirements, I began taking elective credits in the Women Studies Department and eventually earned a BA in that department as well. I loved learning the history of women in theatre and different performance genres and less than a year after I graduated from the UW, I took a burlesque 101 class at the Academy of Burlesque and well, the rest is history!

How did having curves affect you growing up? Since I grew up as a heavier girl, I’ve probably fallen for every trick in the book; Dieting by the fifth grade, struggling with eating disorders during my early teens, struggling with low self-esteem. All of these created this foundation where I had to realize that the societal ideal was unrealistic. It was miserable for me to try and compare and live up to it, and eventually this forced me to develop a strong personality and include things in my life that I enjoyed doing.

How did you accept your curves? 

One day during the end of middle school or beginning of high school I just stopped watching television, I stopped reading teen magazines, I stopped buying into the how to look/act like a proper girl in society, and focused on the things I wanted to do. I started volunteering, I read up on subjects that interested me and focused on developing my sense of self. Then, when I started burlesque, it was reaffirmed all of the tools I had taught myself, and started living them instead of studying them!

How do your curves help you in your career?  My curves taught me to be unapologetic and stay focused on the things I want in my life. Burlesque is such a unique performance art because it allows the performer/audience to appreciate the natural body and talents. Plus, they allow me to have more space to dazzle, sparkle and glitz up!