Check Out Lilith Von Tal’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lilith Von Tal

Hi Lilith, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve been onstage, performing, and involved with show business since I was 8 years old. Stage life comes naturally to me and being in a theater feels like being at home. I have a BFA in Acting and spent most of my young adult life professionally acting. I accomplished some really amazing things as a stage actor- I’ve had plays written for me, I’ve been a part of award winning casts- but I reached a point where the joy was missing.
I decided to step away from the world of acting, the singular thing I had dedicated my life to till that point in time, the only thing I really knew how to do. I quit acting without a knowledge of what was next for me. I spent time in stillness until a quest to find my voice became a driving force in my life. I realized I spent my artistic life until that point telling others’ stories and I felt a desperate need to find my own voice and tell my own stories. That’s where burlesque came in.

Seven years ago I rolled the dice and took a chance on burlesque classes. I enrolled in an eight-week introductory course. In all honesty, I had wanted to try burlesque for so long. Too many excuses piled up for too long kept me at a complacent and comfortable distance from the most vulnerable and empowering thing I have ever undertaken. Burlesque became my creative haven, part-and-parcel to my healing, a community, and an industry I could be absolutely obsessed with. The glitz, glamor, and vaudeville-esque aspects initially made it absolutely tantalizing. The need to spend time in my body was a tonic for my soul. And the ability to bear all (within reason and the nudity laws of Wayne County) forced me to touch a vulnerability that asks “Who are you doing this for?” And what I found was that the answer was ME. Every time, me.

Burlesque is indeed the Art of Tease. It is indeed sexy, but it’s so much more. Burlesque is storytelling. Burlesque performers create moments of wonder and awe, they evoke and provoke through movement and shapes the body can make through time and space, clever choreography, musicality, and the reveal. The reveal refers to the conscious and deliberate removal of an article of clothing, or costume piece. I have come to deeply believe that what makes burlesque the captivating art form that it is has very little to do with the nudity often seen on burlesque stages (not a required component, in my opinion). The Art of Tease does not demand nudity, but rather choices. And choices are an extension of one’s existence.

In the seven years since I made my debut, I have performed across SE Michigan and many parts of the Midwest, festivals, and competitions as an award winning, burlesque dancer. I speak at conferences and events as an advocate for body positivity/neutrality/fat liberation and empowerment through burlesque. I’ve produced burlesque at music festivals and have two regularly scheduled burlesque productions- Lilith’s Big Ol’ Golden Show at Planet Ant and the Metro Detroit Burlesque Academy’s student showcases where I am also an instructor teaching this beautiful craft to new burlesque-hopefuls. Performing, producing, emceeing, teaching, costume crafting and sewing, prop building, choreography development…in all the things I do centered around burlesque, my bottom line is rooted in the idea that choices are an extension of one’s existence. I consciously aim to make burlesque accessible and a message of validity- that burlesque should be accessible to all and that whatever a person brings to the table is valid, worthy, and enough. My shows prioritize safety for the most vulnerable among us and center the voices and lived experiences of those whose stories need to be told.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, it has not been a smooth road. There is a lot of body policing in the performance world in general. I’ve dealt with it my entire life. I’m six feet tall standing barefoot and I’ve always been a plus-sized person. I’m fat. I do not use that word disparagingly. I have done so much work within myself to embrace body positivity, body neutrality, fat acceptance and fat liberation. I am a proud, fat burlesque dancer. An award-winning fat burlesque dancer. Even so, there are stages and spaces where bodies like mine are either not welcome, not respected, not seen as valid, or simply forgotten. There is a beautiful movement within the burlesque industry to move away from these archaic and oppressive mindsets and create space that explicitly uplifts larger bodies and diverse bodies.

Having my own show, I am very intentional in the way that I cast. There will always be fat performers, BIPOC performers, Queer performers, and diversely abled performers on my stage. The trust placed in me by the performers who grace my stage is sacred to me. I have a dedicated and loving fan base who show up and show out with the amount of love and joy they feel in the two hours we spend together during a show. This joy would not be possible if the spaces I create were unsafe. I have become this intentional because I know what it feels like to have my own safety not considered. I know what it feels like to be heckled because of my body. Luckily, I am in a position to take a stand and do differently. From explicit, informed consent being a thing I talk about with every audience to my closing line of “Be safe, be kind, and always Stay Golden,” I try to imbue every moment of my shows with intentionality.

Burlesque is also expensive in time, energy and resources. This is not a hobby, obsession, or profession that is easy on the pocket book or calendar. Being intentional is something that I learned the hard way. In my first two years performing I crafted over 25 acts. Of those 25, I have only performed and handful for a second time and only 2 or 3 remain in my repertoire. I found myself burnt out and disenchanted. I started this journey to find my voice and fighting burnout reminded me to stay focused on what mattered. Focusing and honing that is an ongoing journey. While creative inspiration flows in this industry, challenging myself to be ever-asking if this or that idea is truly what I want to do has become a necessity for my budget, wellbeing, as well as the quality of my craft. My newest act took eighteen meticulous months to devise and craft. Because of that intentionality, I am able to say I do have a repertoire that I love performing. One of the most common things people say to me is that watching me perform puts a smile on their face. I’d like to think that’s a byproduct of my own joy in performing the acts I’ve created.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a burlesque performer, producer, emcee, and educator. I am a proud, fat burlesque dancer. I specialize in theatrical, bold classic and neo-classic burlesque. As an educator, my specialties are in movement, character development, stage presence, and creative process techniques. As performer, I am known for lighting up and taking over a stage and audience interaction. I am a ham, so I love to ham it up.
My taglines are “Detroit’s Golden Girl” and I’ve been dubbed “The Brené Brown of Burlesque.” I do love the color gold and it’s become a part of my brand, but the initial title is derived from a combination of my first signature act which is head to toe gold and a nod to the colloquial title of a Golden Girl being a woman on the rise, everyone’s sweetheart.

I think I am most proud of how I got my other tagline. To be the “blank” of burlesque is something that traditionally is bestowed upon a performer by another and a student gave me that one. I ask a lot of my students but I promise them all I can give in return. After a particularly vulnerable class, a student came up and said, “You’re like the Brené Brown of Burlesque.” As the daughter of two clinical social workers, that was possibly the best compliment I could have been given. I know that in that phrase what was implied is that I made that student feel seen, safe, and uplifted. That’s what I strive for and it’s what I am committed to continually pursuing.

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
This is a hard one. I feel like I’m pretty transparent about who I am as Lilith Von Tal in the burlesque world. In addition to acting, I studied Human Rights in college and have a background in Nonprofit Development. I also used to work in juvenile detention facilities as a dance and theater instructor. That was probably the most rewarding job I’ve ever had in my life and I’m glad the arts were a part of it. Those are some things people may not know. Hopefully they’re not too surprising.

This may not be surprising either, but the only art form I have ever been completely obsessed with is burlesque. Spending a lifetime in the theater, I never cared who won the Tony or who took home the Oscar or what new playwright was the rising star. I lived in a bubble of my own creation. Burlesque’s open horizons are a joy to witness, I am captivated to continually learn, and push the boundaries for myself within burlesque.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lilithvontal/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/lilithvontal

Image Credits
1. Art Box Creations, 2. Kendall D. Lartigue, 3. Kendall D. Lartigue. 4. Lauren Jewell Roaming Roach Photography 5. Josh Justice 6. Josh Justice 7. Lauren Jewell Roaming Roach Photography 8. Josh Justice 9. Kendall D. Lartigue 10. Kendall D. Lartigue