Ellen Chorley has always loved ballet. But at a young age she realized her curvy body type would never fit the tiny ballerina mold. After years of struggling, the Edmonton-based playwright and performer took matters into her own hands and founded Send in the Girls Burlesque. The result is sexy, smart storytellers spreading body positivity and feminism through the art form of burlesque.

In this video by Justin Brunelle and David Baron, Chorley tells CBC Arts about her latest burlesque project — challenging the gender norms and female character stereotypes in Shakespeare.