Burlesque Artist, Educator, Montréal, Canada

Montréal has always been the epicenter of Canada’s burlesque scene, a craft that combines such disciplines as acting, striptease, dance, costume design and comedy. Burlesque derives from a rich tradition and a compelling meaning. Traditionally, burlesque is a type of variety show that is both provocative and comedic. It features a chorus and solo dances, plus bawdy, slapstick skits and songs. And yes, it may feature striptease acts, but not necessarily. Burlesque comes from the Italian and means “mockery.” Historically, it was used to refer to an array of entertainment that used caricature, ridicule, and distortion. (source: Dictionary.com) Historically burlesque was applied to literature, music and theater. It was related and partly derived from the English tradition of pantomime, in which a musical theatre parodied a serious work such as a Shakespeare play, with the addition of music and songs and humorous verse. A certain level of literacy was assumed of audience members, as burlesque often made various high-brow references. Of course in North America, burlesque gained an additional layer of sex appeal, humour and eroticism.

As one of the only burlesque houses especially dedicated to this craft in Canada, Montréal’s The Wiggle Room didn’t disappoint. I wanted to catch an act and speak with the women behind the scenes or in this case, by taking them to the streets, alleys, and to the lamp posts in the neighborhood for a chat and a photoshoot. This was one of the most fun-filled evenings in Montréal. And I have Frenchy Jones and Roxy Torpedo to thank for that.

Confident and creative on stage, in an intimate setting, these talented ladies brought the house down with the joie de vivre, mainly French interludes, creative, sometimes silly but always well-crafted costumes. Ms. Roxy was an absolute class act, pridefully sharing her passion to perform with a roomful of masked and guarded off from one another attendees. We were starved for a live show experience in the 2020 COVID normal. The Wiggle Room was conscious of the safety allowing us to drop the dollar bills into a bucket, instead of inserting them into the garter belt straps. Luckily we could loudly cheer and wink at these performers to our hearts desires. We did plenty of both.

I admire the performers who bravely bring their craft to the masses, pouring themselves, their sexuality, adventurous and creative spirit onto the stage. Night after night. Definitely make sure to look up The Wiggle Room and Ms. Roxy Torpedo when you happen to find yourself in Montréal.

1. Name.

Roxy Torpedo

2. Where is your hometown? 

Montréal, Québec, Canada

3. What is your profession/career/title/self-label/designation? What does your average day look like? 

I'm now a full time burlesque artist and educator. Feels crazy to be writing this. I've been doing burlesque for six years now but I just took the plunge of being a full time "burlesquer" on January 2020. Thanks to COVID-19, my big plunge was more of a small dip for now.

I work for Arabesque Burlesque which is the only burlesque school in Montreal. So my average day is to show up at our studio to work on all of our projects to make our school survive (we started online classes to make burlesque accessible to everyone during COVID) and during the evening I teach classes.

Teaching is what gives me the opportunity to keep practicing, dancing, training and living in the burlesque world. 

5. What was the journey like to get where you are (in life and career-wise)? Write about some of the achievements that you are most proud of. What was the breakthrough moment for you (in your personal life and/or career?) that set you on the current path in life? 

The journey to get where I got now was pretty intricate. I've always been on stage since I was a little girl, so it's all very logical for me now. But as I mentioned, I was studying to be an actress and I understood quickly that it would always be really hard to be casted in Quebec as I'm mixed race. Never dark or white enough, I would not fit in the boxes that were given to me. I started studying special FX makeup, worked on movie sets for a bit, hated it.

Went back to university and studied to have something more practical in my skill set: marketing. I've stopped being on stage for a couple of years. It killed me. Every time I'd see a live show I would cry, feeling emotional because it felt wrong to be in the audience. When I saw a burlesque show I said to myself: "I can do this." I auditioned, got in and the rest is history. My biggest accomplishment is to have listened to myself at that moment and allowing myself to get back to my true passion.

6. How is your life different from what you pictured at 20? 

It's much more sensual and erotic, but other than that, pretty close to what I imagined.

8. Advice for other women? 

Not an advice, a fact. You are so powerful. Try not to forget it.

9. Knowing what we know now in a current political climate, can women be "all that we can be" in today's world? What is the way forward, as you see it, for "feminist values"? 

There is so much left to be done. I'm aggressively feminist and always will be. I'm glad to see discussions opening up. I realize that I live in this privileged bubble where we are able to have discussions surrounding feminist values. We are able to challenge each other and keep ourselves accountable. It's very important for me to keep educating people to the best of my knowledge. Women's bodies are still public property and as long as it's the case we'll have to fight that.

10. Where in the world do you feel “tallest” (i.e. where is your happy place)? 

On stage.

11. What extra-curricular activities/hobbies are you most proud of? Why? 

I'm really proud to be a brand manager and a project manager that has worked for big companies like Cirque du Soleil.

13. What fears are you still hoping to overcome?

I actually still need the approval of a lot of people. This annoys me the most. My entire character is about being unapologetically confident, that doesn’t match with needing other people’s approval. But I’m human I guess. Not a good look. 

I also wish to overcome the fear of being disliked, which is similar! It’s OK that some people don’t like you. I don’t like them either!

14. What keeps you motivated? How do you decompress after a series of shows and what are some challenging (if at all) things about getting back into the character?

My passion usually keeps me motivated. It’s like a craving for création. When it sleeps, I feel sad and useless so I motivate myself to bring it back. 

Usually after shows the reward is drinks and a meal with my friends/fellow performers. It can be simple but this reward of friendship, connection and this sense of community is all I need. 

The challenge of getting back into character is mainly that, yes, sometimes I don’t feel so hot and don’t feel like showing my titties on stage. BUT, faking it usually works for me. Faking confidence, faking carelessness actually makes it become real. That’s what playing a character is all about.

15. Anything you'd do differently, if you had another go at life?

I wouldn't. Life is just as it's supposed to be.

16. What inspires you? 

People around me. My family. My friends. Love. Sex. 

17. What are you hopeful about? 

I'm hopeful that women will take over the world.

19. What are (at least) three qualities you most love about yourself and why? What are your superpowers? 

I'm generous, creative and funny. That's what makes me oh-so charming. My superpower is to make people around me feel good about themselves.

21. What are your favourite books?

I’m not a big reader, I used to read a lot of theatre though. I’m a fan of French comedy and Greek tragedy. Nerd alert. 

22. Who is a WOW WOMAN in your world who inspires you and why?

I admire all the women in my community for being themselves unapologetically. 

23. Where can others find you/your work (links to websites, blogs, etc.)? 

Instagram, Facebook: @roxytorpedo