Burlesque troupe Les Femme Fatales are celebrating Black and Indigenous bodies like nobody else

CBC Arts Presents Queer Pride Inside: A Buddies in Bad Times Cabaret was a virtual cabaret featuring over a dozen LGBTQ Canadian artists that CBC Arts produced in partnership with Buddies in Bad Times this past June in celebration of Pride Month. Over the course of the summer, we'll be highlighting some of the individual performances that were included in the cabaret. 

Les Femmes Fatales are Canada's premiere burlesque troupe for Black women and women of colour, femmes and gender non-conforming persons. And for their contribution to our special CBC Arts Presents Queer Pride Inside: A Buddies in Bad Times Cabaret, curator Dainty Smith said she wanted it to be all about "Black and Indigenous bodies living and moving through this brutal world." 

"It is a heartfelt creative piece about learning how to love ourselves, trust our magic, celebrate our beauty and celebrating our resilience and our surviving and thriving," Smith said. 

Watch the performance above, and then get to know the Femmes Fatales in their own words below.

Dainty Smith

Dainty Smith is a Toronto-based actor, burlesque performer, playwright, producer, and speaker. Dainty believes that through the art of storytelling and a willingness to be exposed, genuine human connections can be made. Her performances often tell deeply vulnerable stories regarding race, religion, sexuality and challenging social boundaries. 

Dainty studied performing arts at George Brown College and is a powerful self-taught storyteller and orator. She acted in the acclaimed independent theatre group Les Blues. She was a co-producer in the performance art collective Colour Me Dragg. Her work includes Allyson Mitchell's performance art piece Killjoy's Kastle: A Lesbian Haunted House; Victoria Mata's multidisciplinary Callejon de Memoria: The Embodiment Of Memory; assistant director for Shaunga tagore's play Letters To The Universe; and principal actor in Katie Sly's play Serenity Wild. She has written two plays: Daughters Of Lilith and Blood And Memory. Her diverse array of stage performances include the Mayworks Festival, Rock. Paper. Sistahz for B Current Theatre, Caminos Festival for Aluna Theatre, The Rhubarb Festival at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, Artscape, and Daniels Spectrum Theatre. She is the founder of Les Femme Fatales: Women of Colour burlesque troupe, the first burlesque troupe for women of colour in Canada. 

Ravyn Wngz

"The Black Widow of Burlesque" is a Tanzanian, Bermudian, Mohawk, 2-Spirit, Queer and Transcendent storyteller. Ravyn is a co-founder of ILL NANA/DiverseCity Dance Company. She is the artistic director of Outrageous Victorious Africans Collective. She is a steering committee member of Black Live Matter Toronto, a group who is committed to eradicating all forms of anti-Black racism, supporting Black healing and liberating Black communities.

Ivory

Ivory is a multidisciplinary performer known best for her booty-shakin', shenanigan-making, and a voice that just won't quit. A singer/model/actor/dancer, body-positive advocate, and graduate of Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts, this former Miss Canada Plus has graced stages across North America as well as the U.K. and the Caribbean, been featured in print media such as the Toronto Star, Toronto Sun, Globe & Mail and National Post, and appeared across numerous TV networks. An archer, equestrian, axe-thrower and firebreather, Ivory boasts a potent bag of tricks which are sure to wow any crowd! She is a member of the Succulent Six, Canada's team of curvy superSHEroes, and Les Femmes Fatales, Canada's first burlesque troupe for women of colour.

Violet Vixen

The Violet Vixen is a siren and storyteller, equally dedicated to orality and sensuality. Violet draws from traditional dance styles of the Nile valley and Afrofuturistic rhythms and aesthetics. She is an interdisciplinary artist experimenting with word, body and rhythm.

Sweet Delilah

Sweet Delilah, the Saintly Sinner, is a little bit of sweetness and a whole lotta spice. She's hot chocolate with a dash of cayenne pepper. An alum of both Dainty Smith and Ravyn Wngz's Body Love, and Belle Jumelle's Burlesque 101 & 102, her style is equal parts playful and sensual. By day she writes poetry, and by night she practices her perfect pout. She's new to the burlesque world, but don't hold that against her. She's a quick learner and oh-so-eager to please.

Dolly Berlin

Dolly Berlin is "high-femme, low brow" and proudly Indigiqueer. This bump n grind beauty has delighted audiences in Ontario and beyond for over a decade with her blend of raw sensuality, humour, and retro styled charm. For the last six years, she has curated Toronto's weekly burlesque night "Sinful Sundays," aiming to highlight a diverse array of burlesque, drag and variety acts.

See CBC Arts Presents Queer Pride Inside: A Buddies in Bad Times Cabaret in its entirety on CBC Gem.