Today we’d like to introduce you to Edie Bellini.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Edie. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I had all the makings of a starry-eyed showgirl from a young age. I took 13 years of dance school as a kid. I loved to sing and perform for my relatives. I loved Rocky Horror Picture Show–and even joined a shadow cast to my glee eventually. I was involved with musical theater throughout high school and college. Even every musical I starred in involved adult content–Chicago, Cabaret, Rocky Horror Picture Show Live. I was happily finding myself scantily clad, singing and dancing onstage for audiences many years before Edie was ever a thought in my mind. Really, my becoming a performer feels like such a natural progression given the course I’ve chosen for myself. It feels like it makes perfect sense to me. Since becoming a burlesque performer, I’ve been fortunate that the Rocky Horror affirmations of “Don’t dream it, be it” have become real for me in ways I had only daydreamed of. I became one of the few hyper-femme drag performers in the Southeast with the support of House of Gunt–a Savannah-based gender-nonconforming drag collective. I opened up for RuPaul’s Drag Race winners and actors I’ve seen in movies I love. I’ve performed stand-up comedy alongside some of the funniest people I know. I’ve danced on stages in Texas, New York, and Las Vegas. In so many ways, I really did find a way to become the girl of my dreams.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It certainly has not. The thing that people don’t tell you about once you make your dreams come true–you have to start living with the realities of that dream. I’ve struggled a lot with feeling out of place in my own community–whether that’s been struggling to connect with other artists or with folks making me feel like I’m not queer enough aka too femme to be performing in LGBTQ spaces. I’ve heard so many times throughout my 5-year career that something I’m doing or the way I style myself “isn’t drag” or “isn’t burlesque”–whether it be from another performer or an opinionated audience member. These are just some of the mental hurdles I’ve often encountered on top of the given struggles–learning how to be a professional in a nightlife dominated industry, how to make smart financial decisions, when to say no, how to balance show life while keeping yourself in check. I think that any person who lives their truth is bound to encounter these struggles though.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I am a queer femme performance artist known for a stage style that blends elements of burlesque and drag and often wraps audiences up in vintage era nostalgia. In the burlesque world, I’ve set myself apart as a high energy showgirl who often performs to a 60s+70s soundtrack and is always looking like a cover girl from a vintage issue of Vanity Fair. I’m proud of my characters that have struck a chord with audiences all over the webosphere–Wendy Peffercorn, Jodie Foster in Taxi Driver, the bunny from Goodnight Moon–and I’m really proud of the work I’ve done with renowned queer organizations such as WUSSY, Southern Fried Queer Pride, and the Texas Queerlesque Festival.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
There have been so many moments of dream-like accomplishment (not the least of which was the opportunity to open for Sasha Velour, season 9 winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race, during Halloween season last year) but I have to say that I haven’t felt anything quite like the feeling I had during my recent trip to Clexacon in Las Vegas. I spoke on a panel about queer representation in burlesque alongside some of my dearest companions in this industry. That feeling of looking out into the audience at all these queer women who came to hear what I’ve learned from my experience these past five years filled me with an emotion that “humble” doesn’t even begin to describe. I found myself thinking at that moment “I started in Savannah, and now, I’m here.”
Contact Info:
- Email: ediebellini@gmail.com
- Instagram: @ediebellini
- Facebook: Facebook.com/EdieBelliniburlesque
Image Credit:
Savana Ogburn, Julie Hunter, Matt Hardy, Charles Bailey, Brendan Klaus
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