NATIONAL TREASURE: The Shanghai Pearl

Red Hots Burlesque’s National Treasure: The Shanghai Pearl

The Tantalizing Temptress from Taipei, Tempestuous Temple of Temptation, and Princess of Pulchritude! The Shanghai Pearl has been dazzling the Northwest as an in demand solo artist as well as burlesque instructor and costume designer. With over-the-top costuming and a serious sense of humor, the Shanghai Pearl constantly contests stereotypes.”I think my very existence and persistence as a professional burlesque performer, instructor and producer challenges societal (and familial) expectations,” she tells Red Hots Burlesque. “I like to treat societal expectations with a great deal of humor and irreverence. For example you’ll never see me play the ‘china doll’ or ‘dragon lady’ parts straight, there will always be a play or twist.” This busy lady’s a burlesque producer, hosting the burlesque legends Grant Avenue Follies in Seattle, and just this past weekend performed at the Asian Burlesque Festival in New York City. She constantly keeps things different, be it playing a jewelery-loving colorful Marie Antoinette or channeling that classic beauty of plush boas and dripping sequins. “I have a pretty pervy sense of humor and I love creating beautiful and naughty acts… but mostly I just do what I love the very best I can and I am lucky people enjoy it!”