2025 - Interview with Mose Podcast

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 S’émanciper à travers le Burlesque

Mose – Soyons Intrépides is a French-language podcast that shares inspiring stories of people who’ve dared to change paths, reconnect with themselves, or challenge norms. Through intimate, often poetic interviews, host Juliette Jaillet invites guests to speak freely about creativity, courage, and personal transformation.

This interview with me originally aired as Episode 34 of Mose Podcast on 21 March 2025. It was recorded in Paris in November 2024, and has been adapted here into an English Q&A format for ease of reading.

(If you speak French, I encourage you to listen to the full episode!)

It’s the story of a little girl who dreams of becoming an acrobat. It’s the story of a wild imagination slowly overtaken by the responsibilities of adult life.
This week, discover Kirsty’s story—how, growing up, she lost touch with her creativity. In her busy adult life, everything was moving fast, but nothing felt right anymore. She no longer had time for herself, or space to ask what she really wanted.
Everything changed the day she chose to reclaim control. Just one hour a week—stepping out of her routine to take a tap dance class. Who would have thought it would lead her this far?
In this episode, Kirsty talks about burlesque—an artistic practice that helped her rediscover herself and find personal freedom. She shares how this art helped her reconnect with her body, her sensuality, and explore sex-positive values.

We’re mainly going to talk about burlesque and dance—because they really changed my life. For the better.

There’s one moment that really stands out: the first time I performed burlesque solo on stage with my own choreography. It felt like bungee jumping—a total leap into the unknown. My hands were sweaty, my heart was racing—but I did it. Even though it wasn’t perfect, I was on stage, I did striptease, and I loved it. I was on cloud nine afterwards. I felt so proud—sharing my sexuality, my sensuality, my creativity, and doing something I love in front of the world.

It really started when I decided to take a tap dance class (at 6th Position in Canberra). At the time, I was working as a restaurant manager in Canberra, doing sixty-hour weeks, and I hadn’t carved out any time for myself. I found a tap class for adults and thought, “Okay, I can commit to one hour a week just for me.” It went so well—I loved it. We even did a small performance. It reminded me that I love performing—being on stage, doing shows.

After that, I moved to Sydney where there were a lot more dance options. I’d been following a studio, Sky Sirens,  online that looked really cool, so I signed up. I started with pole dance—which I still do and really enjoy—and after a few terms, I began trying other styles because the studio offered such a wide range of classes.

I started with pole dance, then tried fan dance, chair dance, burlesque, neo-burlesque and lyra (aerial hoop). I kind of just threw myself into everything.

Oh, absolutely. I didn’t feel sensual or confident at first. But doing these types of dance really helped build my confidence. I realised that sensuality and sexuality are things you can learn. You’re not born sexy. If you are, well… that’s a bit weird, right? (laughs) At first, I thought I’d never be sexy—but in the end, I learned so many techniques and ways of connecting with the audience. Now I feel so much more confident. It’s empowering to step on stage and say, “This is me. Like it or not, I’m here, and I’m celebrating myself.” To be able to show that to the world is pretty incredible.

In Sydney, I loved how the classes were structured. They ran in short terms, and in the first class, everyone would sit down and introduce themselves with their names and pronouns. That helped create a sense of inclusion from the start. The studio was incredibly inclusive—welcoming people of all body types, people with disabilities or chronic illnesses. If you needed accommodations, the teachers would adapt the class. There wasn’t one “type” of dancer—there were all kinds of bodies, personalities, and stories in the room. That diversity made it easier not to compare yourself to others. When everyone is different, you feel free to be yourself—and that’s beautiful.

Yes, definitely. And they introduced things gradually. In the first week of burlesque class, maybe you’d take off gloves. The next week, maybe stockings.  Then we’d start dancing with boas. By the end, some people removed their bras—but even then, if you weren’t comfortable, you could wear two bras so that the second one stayed on. There was never any pressure to undress more than you wanted to.

To me, burlesque is dance, but it’s also theatrical. It’s storytelling through the act of undressing. And it’s not about casually stripping off your jeans and T-shirt—it’s about elaborate, beautiful costumes: corsets, sparkles, glamour. As you remove each piece, you’re revealing part of your story.

Yes! There are so many shows—and even festivals. In 2023, I went to the Sacré Burlesque Festival in Reims. It was a three-day event with one big show each night. Burlesque is so different from something like the Moulin Rouge. Moulin Rouge is more synchronised and uniform. Burlesque is deeply individual. Each performer submits a video to apply, and every act is entirely unique. It’s like getting a glimpse into someone’s brain.

It had a femme fatale vibe—very proud and maybe a bit dangerous. I started with gloves, used feather fans, danced with a chair—there was a little bit of everything. It wasn’t my best act, but it was my first, and I’m really proud of it.

Yes! My sister came to my first show—and my then-boss, who was also a close friend. They filmed it, but you can’t hear the music because my sister was screaming so loudly in support! Later, I performed in Paris, which was way outside my comfort zone, and that time I went alone. I’ve also done pole dance performances where some of my coworkers came to watch. It’s great when people support you—but I also know burlesque isn’t for everyone, and that’s okay.

Yes—I’m actually planning a little performance for my 30th birthday! I was talking with my sister about how it’s such a shame that people always have to pay to see art. I’d love to bring performance back into community spaces and share my work with friends and family in a more open, accessible way. 

I'm also performing in an upcoming emerging talent showcase called 'Velvet Garden' on the 9th May in Sydney. 

Community. 100%. Burlesque helped me make amazing friends—especially in Paris, where it can be hard to connect with people. Performing together made us bond quickly. (I danced at L'Ecole Filles de Joie, Paris.) There’s so much support in the burlesque world—even for beginners. Everyone lifts each other up.

One of my dance teachers (Juliette Dragon) had a strong feminist approach, and every class felt like a mix of dance and feminist history. She also introduced me to the sex-positive community, which really expanded my thinking. It helped me explore different ways of living that you don’t always see in mainstream culture.

It’s about not being ashamed to enjoy sex. It’s about being open, talking about what you like, what feels good—without hiding it. It’s also about recognising that sexuality is healthy, not shameful. There’s something very liberating—and even anti-capitalist—about claiming that space publicly, rather than keeping it hidden. My teacher introduced me to those ideas, and I’ve learned a lot from the sex-positive community. I even performed at a sex-positive venue (IKSK) in Berlin once. The show was held in a place that teaches shibari (Japanese rope bondage), among other things. It was a wild and fascinating experience.

Don’t be afraid to carve out a little time for yourself. Just one hour a week—for a hobby, for creativity, for movement—it can completely change your life. We are not our jobs. Having a passion outside of the grind can bring you joy, open doors, and help you find your people.

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Thank you so much to Juliette at Mose for the chance to discuss this passion of mine and cap off my experience living in Paris so perfectly. 

Curious to see me perform?

You can find upcoming shows over on my performance page and you can follow my dance journey on Instagram. ✨