Member Spotlight: Nina Nightshade

What’s one memory from your first BurlyCon experience that sticks out to you?

I keep thinking about different experiences I had at my first Burlycon. Do I talk about meeting Waxie Moon for the first time? Do I talk about driving Dee Milo from the airport? Do I talk about Jo Weldon’s lecture? Do I talk about my peer review? I just keep coming back to one thing: the feeling I left with. I left feeling like I had finally found the performance community I was meant to be a part of. I was overwhelmed, intimidated and awestruck, but somehow I still felt like I had opened a door and behind it was my chosen family.

You’re a BurlyCon Supporting Member and donated to the Legends Archive project. Why is donating to BurlyCon important to you?

In my non-sparkly day job, professional development and the opportunity to have access to it is a high priority for me. Burlycon offers opportunities to learn new skills, hone our talents, and create connections. It is a form of professional development that is hard to find elsewhere. I may have already taken many of the classes offered and I may not be able to go every year like I used to, but I want to ensure that this opportunity remains available to everyone who wants it. I donate to Burlycon because it is about more than just what I can get out of it. Specifically, I donated to the Legends Archive because I want people to hear their stories from them. I have had the good fortune to hear many legends share stories with me both at Burlycon and in personal conversations. I want others to have that opportunity as well.

As a burlesque show producer who has booked burlesque legends, what’s one piece of advice you’d give to a new producer who is unsure on how to book a legend for their show?

My biggest piece of advice if you want to book a burlesque Legend is: “If you love your legends, BOOK THEM”! I was still a fairly new producer the first time I booked a legend. I was nervous, but I sucked it up and reached out to Dee Milo and asked what it would take to bring her to Portland. The rest is history. Maybe you can’t afford a legend’s fee. Maybe the travel requirements are more than you can accommodate. Maybe they have accessibility needs that make it more challenging to host them. Then again, maybe you can make it work and you’re giving yourself excuses. You’ll never know if you don’t ask. I have more thoughts on booking Legends and if someone wants them they can do the same to me and just ask. Most of us don’t bite (without consent).