Tanya Christopher founded Lily’s Burlesque in May 2021 with a particular vision: bringing Las Vegas-style performances to Lowcountry stages. According to Kiara Star, who assumed ownership of the organization in December 2022, Christopher boldly sought to bring a “modern, big-city feel to Charleston,” a place in which she sensed there was a budding scene for burlesque.
Star told the Charleston City Paper that the mission of the group appealed to her, in part, because it aligned perfectly with her own education and experience.
“I have always enjoyed being active and first discovered dance as an art form during high school,” Star said. “In college, I was able to continue my dance training and learn about different styles of dance, including classic burlesque. During this time, I also began working at a local night club, which truly began my journey with dance as an expressionist art form.”
Indulging in risqué entertainment is only part of the draw for Star. To her, this endeavor is also centered around empowerment — for herself and anyone else who cares to come along for the ride.
“As a female-founded and female, minority-owned business, Lily’s aims to welcome all who want to join a place to enjoy and learn about the art of the tease,” she said. “Our ensemble comes from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, but on the stage, we all have a home together.”
While she functions as the owner, artistic director and producer, Star is quick to point out that Lily’s Burlesque depends on the dedicated ensemble of performers who also step into various supporting roles, like costume design. “Many think burlesque is easy and that it doesn’t take a lot to do,” Star said. “On the contrary, burlesque is a practiced art form that can take years to hone and relies on very specific collaborations.”
Although she now carries the weight of small business ownership, Star somehow manages to maintain a good sense of humor about it all. Of course, it helps that her field has historically leaned into the more comedic aspects of life. “Burlesque began as a satire,” Star said, “and was closely related to the cirque scene of Vaudeville.
“Lily’s Burlesque, now as a modern burlesque company, continues to combine dancers, aerialists, acrobats, vocalists and other performers to create a spectacular show with a sexy twist. We work closely with Out on a Limb acro and circus to produce new aerial and acrobatic acts to bring to the Lily’s stage.”
Star added there is always an interesting musical backdrop to these shows, including hip-hop, country and even vintage-style renditions of popular songs.
There’s really nothing quite like it in town. Unfortunately, the over-the-top work that Star is engaged in with burlesque is often misunderstood and underappreciated by the public at-large, she said.
“As you can imagine, there are many misperceptions and judgments of burlesque,” Star said. “The most obvious is that burlesque is no more than skin deep, when in fact most of our performers have had really impactful and positive changes in their personal lives due to burlesque. We also deal with a lot of lack of respect, and often we have to open our own doors.”
Even so, Star admits those metaphorical doors leading to a world of greater acceptance do seem to have flung open wide recently in Charleston and beyond.
Lily’s Burlesque has an upcoming show April 29 at the Charleston Music Hall in addition to monthly performances at The Purple Buffalo and Forte Jazz Lounge with The Gatsby Orchestra. Follow @lilysburlesque on Instagram to learn about future performances including larger shows with aerialists and acrobats.
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