Daybreak Star Radio has been a longtime fan of Lou Lou Duchesse, whose signed poster was the first framed piece to go up on the walls of the station. Sherry Steele had the opportunity to sit down with Lou Lou Duchesse AKA Lauren Ashley Jiles to discuss her career as a burlesque dancer.
Lauren is proudly from the Mohawk territory, having grown up in Kahnawake with her family. She has done extensive work on the burlesque competition circuit but has recently retired from competition life. Over time, she has become a respected member of the burlesque community, even being crowned Queen of Burlesque at the Burlesque Hall of Fame Museum in 2022. She was also recently named most influential performer by 21st Century Burlesque Magazine.
Having started her journey as a burlesque dancer at 18 after a friend sent her a Myspace ad looking for performers, Lauren spent years building up her skills and taking the circuit by storm; her career only growing after the birth of her daughter. Burlesque itself is a very body positive environment and allowed Lauren’s confidence to flourish with her body and how she viewed herself. The art form has given her a space to play safely and curate power, sexuality, and confidence.
Though the native community can lean towards the conservative when it comes to women and their bodies, Lauren’s family were supportive. Her mother often frequented her show, and even her grandmother gave her blessing; simply advising that if Lauren were going to do it, don’t half ass it.
Burlesque is an inherently sexual performance style, but it has many layers to it that allow performers to share personal messages and ideas. Lauren explains that burlesque is empowering and political, not passive as some might interpret it. It is a great way to honor your body and can be used as a form of medicine and healing, as all dance can.
Unsurprisingly, burlesque is not Lauren’s only artistic talent. She also enjoys beadwork, sewing, and leatherwork. Learning to sew from her aunt when she was five, Lauren uses beading and sewing as a way to meditate, even making her own shawl for her Fancy Shawl dances that she used to do. The shawl took four months to fully bead and is an excellent example of patience and passion coming together to create something beautiful.
Over the past few years Lauren has extended her talents to other mediums as well including a horror style music video and a contemporary dance troupe. Adding her unique flair, she helped to tell the story of the 1907 Quebec Bridge Disaster that affected many in her own community.
Lou Lou Duchesse is currently in Portland for the Metalesque Fest and has several more performances around the U.S. before the end of the year. To catch when she next performs, follow her on her social media!