This year, Cleveland-based burlesque performer/producer Bella Sin aka “Cleveland’s Burlesque Queen,” will be celebrating her 20th year in the business. She first launched her troupe Cleveland Burlesque (initially “Le Femme Mystique”), followed in 2011 by the first Ohio Burlesque Fest which has now grown into a major multi-day event — one of the largest in the region — with performers from across the country and overseas (August 15-17 — mark your calendar!)
And Bella’s national reputation as one of the country’s most significant burlesque personalities keeps growing as well. She was recently again voted #19 most influential personality in the national burlesque scene by 21st Century Burlesque for the second year in a row. And on the heels of that honor, she learned that she was chosen to be one of the 10 contestants in the Miss Viva La Vegas competition held at the Orleans Showroom during the 26th annual Viva Las Vegas festival, billed as “the largest rockabilly event in the world,” April 18-21 in Las Vegas. And not just any contestant: while a panel of judges chose nine of the contestants, those contestants chose the 10th to join them — and the Contestant’s choice was … Bella Sin.
As Bella’s acclaim grows, so does the reputation of Cleveland as a hotbed of burlesque, thanks to the groundwork she’s laid locally. Her multiple annual shows at the Beachland Ballroom (the next is the Sweetheart Showcase February 10), in addition to the Ohio Burlesque Fest, expose local audiences and performers to top national burlesque stars, raising the bar for local performers who have risen to the challenge. She has tirelessly promoted performers of color, especially Latine (she’s Mexican as she will never cease to remind you) and the LGBTQ community, using her shows to raise money for related nonprofits. Recently, her four-night holiday show, Tease the Season, a first for Cleveland Public Theatre, was a complete sellout.
Learn more about the Miss Viva Las Vegas competition at vivalasvegas.net/burlesque-competition/.
Keep up with Cleveland Burlesque here.