Today we’d like to introduce you to Valentina J’adore.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Valentina. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born in College Station, TX and from a young age was immediately drawn to the performing arts. I trained in ballet and piano from the age of three, then later began auditioning for local musical productions, which gave me the theatre bug that carried over into college. I started performing burlesque almost four years ago with The Moonlight Dolls in Houston, TX. I was hot off of earning a musical theatre degree from Sam Houston State University and had performed professionally in traditional theatre settings such as Stage Repertory Theatre and the Houston Grand Opera. But I was back to making the normal audition rounds when I saw the call for The Moonlight Dolls and since I had always had a secret desire to try burlesque, I decided I had to go! After a few callbacks, I got the call that they wanted me to join as a Moonlight Doll and I’ve been hooked ever since. Throughout my time in the troupe, I’ve grown tremendously as an artist. Being able to choreograph, direct and design my acts has been such a challenge and blessing. Performing and developing my stage persona with the Dolls has also led to many other performance opportunities in the world of burlesque, such as the Pegasus Peepshow in Dallas and Tease! If You Please in Los Angeles. I am currently a soloist with The Moonlight Dolls every weekend and plan to direct my first show with them later this year.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has not always been a smooth road. After my first year with the troupe, I took a six month break from performing all together because I felt like I couldn’t find my footing as far as who I wanted to be as a burlesque soloist and I was also questioning if I wanted to stay in burlesque or go back to my roots in traditional theatre. I was letting other people around me dictate some of my choices and I felt the only way to get a clean slate was to quit for a while. As rough as taking a break can be for performers, it was so necessary because when I came back to the troupe, I was so much more passionate and confident in my stage presence. Another struggle, as with any performer, is facing rejection. It will come to you a lot in the entertainment industry and learning to handle it is always a battle. But the longer you are in the industry, the more you learn never to take it personally.
Please tell us about your business.
My tagline is “The Texas Firecracker of Burlesque” and I’m known for giving a lot of sass and energy onstage. The tagline was born from another performer stating that they couldn’t believe I was such a firecracker onstage after observing how quiet and shy I can be off the stage. I’m also known for my musicality. My choreography is timed intricately to the music I’ve chosen. When I was studying musical theatre at SHSU, I focused on dance and choreography but also received extensive training in acting and music. I bring as much of that training to my burlesque routines as possible. I am most proud of how I have grown my own brand organically over the past few years.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I definitely plan to start hitting the burlesque festival circuit harder next year! I performed at the Mobile Burlesque Festival last year and enjoyed the whole experience so much. Along with that, I want to start traveling more often and shooting with more out of state photographers. I also plan to branch out into theatre again at some point and direct more projects in both the burlesque and theatre arts worlds. I have always enjoyed being part of the creative team behind the magic and want to gain more experience in that area. In fact, later this year, I will be producing for the first time on a short film being shot in Los Angeles.
Pricing:
- I run a Patreon that has $1, $10, $20 and $100 tiers.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2118 Lamar St, Houston, TX 77003
- Website: patreon.com/valentinajadore
- Phone: 9792188380
- Email: valentina.jadoreburlesque@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valentinajadore
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valentinajadore
Image Credit:
DMR Depictions
Mikah Danae
Lieurance Designs
WTH Photos
Saol Ghra Photography
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