For these Asian American women, burlesque provides an avenue to subvert race-based stereotypes that pin them as subservient and docile.
Sachyn Mitalof a traditional Indian dance instructor, Padma C. has been performing on stage since she was 3, and she exudes a confidence that reflects years of experience. This confidence, she found, resonated even when she began dancing on a far less traditional stage. To kick off her performance at New York City’s Asian Burlesque Festival last month, the 26-year-old walked directly to the center of the floor in a pink and white lingerie set, lightly concealed by a rose-colored Indian dupatta.
But Padma didn’t want to abandon her traditional performance background entirely. Indian dance was how she connected to her heritage. It was how she fell in love with performing in the first place. And so she began exploring what balance would look like — and what it would mean to channel her feminine power without abandoning the cultural traditions that felt sacred.
This creative agency makes burlesque a unique outlet for performers of structurally marginalized identities, according to Jo Weldon, the founder of the New York School of Burlesque, one of the city’s longest running burlesque academies. Weldon, 60, encourages her students to bring their whole selves to the practice, drawing from past experiences to add authenticity and beauty to their performances.
Onstage at the festival, Chang donned a curly pink wig with a sequined plastic straw sticking out of it, personifying a bottle of bubble tea. As the raucous crowd egged her on with hoots and whistles, she sultrily removed the black boba balls that were taped onto her iridescent sequined dress. She looked back at a packed theater, full of people of Asian descent of all ages, with a playful tease and a cheesy wink.
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