Disabilitease Owning The Stageβ¦
What connects burlesque, body confidence, and people with hidden disabilities? Emma Donohoe meets the performers owning their sexuality and challenging perceptions.
"What connects burlesque, body confidence, and people with hidden disabilities? Emma Donohoe meets the performers owning their sexuality and challenging perceptions. Through cabaret and burlesque they're trying to put together a show called DisabiliTease... but it'll be touch and go whether they can they sell enough tickets to make it succeed. And how does the glamour and risquΓ© world of burlesque make these performers feel about their disabilities and about their bodies?
βI feel like Iβm flying, donβt feel my pain anymore...a lot of people donβt think weβre sexual or have sexβ¦ itβs seen as shameful and should be hidden, [but] itβs nothing to be ashamed ofβ, says Dottie May, one of the performers.
In her late teens when she was hoping to have a career in dance, Emma was diagnosed with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) - a condition that can causes extreme chronic fatigue, muscle aches and difficulty concentrating. In more recent years she has been able to get her condition under control, and now she's intrigued what inspires these performers to ""out"" their disabilities on stage. Will Emma find inspiration in this group of performers?
Every cast member in DisabiliTease has a disability. In coming together for the first time, their goal is to create a platform for people with disabilities both visible and invisible - where they can showcase their talents and find their performances empowering and liberating.
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