Q & A
Whenever I have a chance I try to be as active as possible on my spring account answering questions. But, being sick has had me out for literally three weeks now; I rarely become ill yet it always seems as though it hits me like a bull dozer when it does.
Looking on the bright side it has given me enough time to sit here and answer questions and feel free to keep them coming!
Q: Favorite season
A: I am definitely a late summer to fall girl. I love it when it is not exceptionally hot but not blistery cold either. I am definitely a California/Texas chick!
Q: Where are you from?
A: I was born in Bangkok (as well my two older sisters) due to my father's work. I grew up in San Antonio and California. I consider Texas and Bangkok home.
Q: Do you consider yourself Asian?
A: Yes and no honestly. I will always feel the connection to Bangkok and Thailand has been wonderful to me and my family always. Ethnicity wise I am Native American and Ukrainian but I can understand why my older sisters consider themselves Thai because that is really what we feel closest too especially them. So that sense do I consider myself Thai yes I do actually.
Q: What do your parents do?
A: My Dad was a college professor and novelist, prior to that he worked for the US government he retired shortly after I was born to write more and teach. My Mum was a runway model and musician. Both of my parents attended college and had amazing careers/successful in their own rights. My Mum majored in music when she attended college so we were constantly surrounded by music; my earliest memories of my family are with music, my older sister and brother are exceptional guitar players so yea music is definitely in my blood.
Q: Do you perform music yourself?
A: I have been songwriting since I was 14 under an alias and I still do. Few people have an idea what it is but it is my way of letting go of stress. I never had intentions of recording anything just mainly write but I may someday never know. But yes, I sing and write music but I always had an affinity to dance growing up.
Q: When did you start dancing?
A: I started when I was 6. My Mum took me to see Giselle (ballet) I remember looking at her and saying, "I am going to do that" and ever since been dancing.
Q: Favorite style of dance?
A: Modern and ballet. Burlesque I am meh I don't necessarily love it but don't hate it either. Maybe if I had different experience with burlesque I'd feel differently.
Q: What is with the local burlesque scene in Columbus?
A: Don't get me wrong, I think Columbus is an okay city but it is also very closed off to the outside world...almost isolated. Just not being open to a diverse style of dance or people and that is okay. I do think people are very closed off when it comes to race, culture here. People are threatened by it...it meaning anything different than "normal" white suburbia.
Q: Will you completely give up burlesque?
A: Yes and no. We would always travel during the summer to Las Vegas so I was always in love with the Showgirls they all looked so glamourous. I love that aspect of it but these past two years I have seen so much ugliness associated with it. So it is a matter of if I want to just focus on the good parts and keep performing or not.
Q: Why do you think you have gotten so much criticism in burlesque?
A: Insecurities. I am not perfect no one is, but it is more I am not much for always revealing you can be a burlesque performer and not constantly show everyone all that you have. It's sad because I have seen and know many girls who constantly pose nude not because they genuinely feel good about themselves it is more of how much attention I can get and as a why to show confidence. To me it is more confidence when you don't have to show everything and still be comfortable anyone can pose nude or just shake their ass and take their top off but to really entertain a crowd without doing all of that is the real challenge, to me it is anyway.
Q: Have you been asked out by a celebrity?
A: Yea, I have who I prefer not to say.
Q: When did you start modeling?
A: I started actually when I was 16. I was with an agency for a while but over time I felt I was always being forced to change and be something I wasn't.
Q: Favorite color?
A: Purple
Q: When is your birthday?
A: September 26
Q: What do you think about race and burlesque?
A: It is like any other outlet. I do feel white models/performers are promoted and featured more and I know some performers think I am insecure of other performers just solely on race or culture. Actually which is not the case. But yes, there are some performers/people who feel they are "better" than me because of this and I do get "lumped" into one category. People will not even half of the time ask what my ethnicity or culture is they will automatically assume I am something else. I have had agencies and photographers try to make me "look" African-American in shoots, etc or just try to lump me as that. I had one photographer darker me significantly in a photoshoot should I would appear "black". I remember once I answered a casting call and the photographer wanted Native American models but I was rejected the model he casted was a blue eyed, dark blonde model. I feel people have really mixed up views about what is generally culture and ethnicity. So I think it transcends into the burlesque world. It is sad how people in our society still think truly is. To this day, I am quite certain there are performers I have worked with who still are unaware of my culture/ethnicity and just going off of assumptions.
Q: When are your next shows?
A: I don't have anything planned until March
Q: Your new numbers are darker than usual numbers?
A: Yes, they are. I think finding myself as a burlesque performer I kind of know where I want to be and what kind of performer I'd like to be. So yea, I can have more control over what I want to do performance wise and they have gone darker.
Q: What are your thoughts about the boycotting of Wall Street?
A: I support our LBGT community always have and always will. I know that rape culture is not something to make fun of in any society. My Mum was a rape survivor and it was one of the many things I truly learned about her after she died. My Mum was a musician and she was sexually assaulted after a gig when she was in her late teens (roughly 18-19). I can only imagine what any woman would go through in that experience and seeing how it affected my Mum it made me understand why she was how she was when I was much younger. I feel if you are posting that on your personal FB or something fine do what you want even if it is ignorant you're allowed freedom of speech but when using that to promote a business or an event I do feel that is rather distasteful and unprofessional.
Q: You have gotten slack for your feelings about the boycott?
A: Yes, I have and honestly don't care. No matter what I say or do someone will always find issue with it and that goes for anyone. I do respect that people have opinions and perhaps to them it was funny. Our society has become rather careless in that we have developed "oh, I'm like this so I can make fun of it" no not the case. I would make fun of Native or Thai culture even though those things are a huge part of me and my sisters. People are so anti social anymore and have no regards to personal boundaries. It's frightening and sad at the same time.
Q: There has been questions about you being bullied in burlesque have you?
A: I don't think it was more so "bullying" because honestly, I think when you are a grown woman 40 years and older messaging a woman my age the sort of things I received, I don't see that being a bully it is just being an asshole.
Looking on the bright side it has given me enough time to sit here and answer questions and feel free to keep them coming!
Q: Favorite season
A: I am definitely a late summer to fall girl. I love it when it is not exceptionally hot but not blistery cold either. I am definitely a California/Texas chick!
Q: Where are you from?
A: I was born in Bangkok (as well my two older sisters) due to my father's work. I grew up in San Antonio and California. I consider Texas and Bangkok home.
Q: Do you consider yourself Asian?
A: Yes and no honestly. I will always feel the connection to Bangkok and Thailand has been wonderful to me and my family always. Ethnicity wise I am Native American and Ukrainian but I can understand why my older sisters consider themselves Thai because that is really what we feel closest too especially them. So that sense do I consider myself Thai yes I do actually.
Q: What do your parents do?
A: My Dad was a college professor and novelist, prior to that he worked for the US government he retired shortly after I was born to write more and teach. My Mum was a runway model and musician. Both of my parents attended college and had amazing careers/successful in their own rights. My Mum majored in music when she attended college so we were constantly surrounded by music; my earliest memories of my family are with music, my older sister and brother are exceptional guitar players so yea music is definitely in my blood.
Q: Do you perform music yourself?
A: I have been songwriting since I was 14 under an alias and I still do. Few people have an idea what it is but it is my way of letting go of stress. I never had intentions of recording anything just mainly write but I may someday never know. But yes, I sing and write music but I always had an affinity to dance growing up.
Q: When did you start dancing?
A: I started when I was 6. My Mum took me to see Giselle (ballet) I remember looking at her and saying, "I am going to do that" and ever since been dancing.
Q: Favorite style of dance?
A: Modern and ballet. Burlesque I am meh I don't necessarily love it but don't hate it either. Maybe if I had different experience with burlesque I'd feel differently.
Q: What is with the local burlesque scene in Columbus?
A: Don't get me wrong, I think Columbus is an okay city but it is also very closed off to the outside world...almost isolated. Just not being open to a diverse style of dance or people and that is okay. I do think people are very closed off when it comes to race, culture here. People are threatened by it...it meaning anything different than "normal" white suburbia.
Q: Will you completely give up burlesque?
A: Yes and no. We would always travel during the summer to Las Vegas so I was always in love with the Showgirls they all looked so glamourous. I love that aspect of it but these past two years I have seen so much ugliness associated with it. So it is a matter of if I want to just focus on the good parts and keep performing or not.
Q: Why do you think you have gotten so much criticism in burlesque?
A: Insecurities. I am not perfect no one is, but it is more I am not much for always revealing you can be a burlesque performer and not constantly show everyone all that you have. It's sad because I have seen and know many girls who constantly pose nude not because they genuinely feel good about themselves it is more of how much attention I can get and as a why to show confidence. To me it is more confidence when you don't have to show everything and still be comfortable anyone can pose nude or just shake their ass and take their top off but to really entertain a crowd without doing all of that is the real challenge, to me it is anyway.
Q: Have you been asked out by a celebrity?
A: Yea, I have who I prefer not to say.
Q: When did you start modeling?
A: I started actually when I was 16. I was with an agency for a while but over time I felt I was always being forced to change and be something I wasn't.
Q: Favorite color?
A: Purple
Q: When is your birthday?
A: September 26
Q: What do you think about race and burlesque?
A: It is like any other outlet. I do feel white models/performers are promoted and featured more and I know some performers think I am insecure of other performers just solely on race or culture. Actually which is not the case. But yes, there are some performers/people who feel they are "better" than me because of this and I do get "lumped" into one category. People will not even half of the time ask what my ethnicity or culture is they will automatically assume I am something else. I have had agencies and photographers try to make me "look" African-American in shoots, etc or just try to lump me as that. I had one photographer darker me significantly in a photoshoot should I would appear "black". I remember once I answered a casting call and the photographer wanted Native American models but I was rejected the model he casted was a blue eyed, dark blonde model. I feel people have really mixed up views about what is generally culture and ethnicity. So I think it transcends into the burlesque world. It is sad how people in our society still think truly is. To this day, I am quite certain there are performers I have worked with who still are unaware of my culture/ethnicity and just going off of assumptions.
Q: When are your next shows?
A: I don't have anything planned until March
Q: Your new numbers are darker than usual numbers?
A: Yes, they are. I think finding myself as a burlesque performer I kind of know where I want to be and what kind of performer I'd like to be. So yea, I can have more control over what I want to do performance wise and they have gone darker.
Q: What are your thoughts about the boycotting of Wall Street?
A: I support our LBGT community always have and always will. I know that rape culture is not something to make fun of in any society. My Mum was a rape survivor and it was one of the many things I truly learned about her after she died. My Mum was a musician and she was sexually assaulted after a gig when she was in her late teens (roughly 18-19). I can only imagine what any woman would go through in that experience and seeing how it affected my Mum it made me understand why she was how she was when I was much younger. I feel if you are posting that on your personal FB or something fine do what you want even if it is ignorant you're allowed freedom of speech but when using that to promote a business or an event I do feel that is rather distasteful and unprofessional.
Q: You have gotten slack for your feelings about the boycott?
A: Yes, I have and honestly don't care. No matter what I say or do someone will always find issue with it and that goes for anyone. I do respect that people have opinions and perhaps to them it was funny. Our society has become rather careless in that we have developed "oh, I'm like this so I can make fun of it" no not the case. I would make fun of Native or Thai culture even though those things are a huge part of me and my sisters. People are so anti social anymore and have no regards to personal boundaries. It's frightening and sad at the same time.
Q: There has been questions about you being bullied in burlesque have you?
A: I don't think it was more so "bullying" because honestly, I think when you are a grown woman 40 years and older messaging a woman my age the sort of things I received, I don't see that being a bully it is just being an asshole.
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