Meet Piper Daily | Burlesque Artist and Auntie to the Houston community.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Piper Daily and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Piper, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I found myself in this beautiful, glittery world of burlesque because….why not? That’s the question I asked myself when I first saw classes were available back in 2017. I had been enamored with burlesque since I was 14. The glitz! The glamour! The luxurious fantasy! But I never thought this was something I could do. I’m a plus size woman and growing up, I was bombarded with comments about my body and my dance/performance capabilities.

I had come out of an awful relationship that left me a shell of my former self and at rock bottom. I had given up on everything I ever enjoyed, so all I could do from there was rebuild. My confidence, my mental state, what it meant to me to be sexy and seductive. I needed some way to get my power back. When I saw that a local performer was offering classes I thought to myself, “well…why not? I have nothing left to lose.” Looking back, I can say with confidence that was the best decision I ever made.

That simple idea of “why not” has pushed me forward and kept me going. Sure, I’ve had those moment of doubt. Moments of thinking, “should I, a plus size woman, even be doing this? Every time, the answer is, “well…. why not?” It began as an experiment of reclaiming my own personhood and has morphed into this neverending opportunity to share myself with the world.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a Burlesque entertainer, Teacher of Tassels & Tease, and the Auntie of the Houston burlesque community. I use my platform to support and advocate for the newbie performers, the plus sized performers, and maintaining a community free of mean-girl cattiness and hateful competition. There is a place for all of us and all of our shows here. I’m just trying to be the change I want to see in the world.

What sets me apart is my confidence and love of campy glamour. With every act I create and every time I step on a stage, I aim to keep the classic campy style alive. To carry on in the spirit of Dirty Martini, World Famous BOB, and all those legends before me. I like to go big and be a bit over the top…. much like my big top!

I began teaching at Silk Studio Houston in early 2019. What I love about teaching is getting to share my knowledge with those that have the desire to try something new. Sometimes, it sparks a fire in someone’s eyes and they do what I did. Which was keep going. I didn’t have a great support system when I began, so I strive to be for them what I never had. My students, burly babies, and all newbies know I am there for them and I am a safe place to vent or ask for help.

At times, this journey has certainly taken me into wild territory. Getting to work with some of the most celebrated performers in modern burlesque is a highlight every time. Even if we’ve worked together many times before. I have made so many friends I hold near and dear to my glittery little heart. On the flipside, I have certainly enountered my fair share of narcissists and negativity towards my body. I’m a marshmallow of a human with a big heart, which is both a blessing and a curse. You’ll always have bad apples in any business, though. That’s showbiz, Baby! The trick is to be so unapologetically YOU that your own light burns brighter than any hateful words or treatment from others.

I want to be known for using my talents and time to be a pillar of motivation and kindness. To be for others what I didn’t have when I began. We bare our bodies for this art, but we also need people we trust and can bare our souls and minds to. That is so important to keeping a level head in this industry. It is SO EASY to get caught up in the competitive, clique-like nature of any artistic endeavor. Feeling the need to have a better costume than so-and-so. To land more gigs than her or taking any opportunity, however poorly managed, just to able to say you’re a better producer than them. It is a soul-eating rat race that will chew you up and spit you out if that is the type of thinking and behavior you abide by.

Again I say, they key is knowing who YOU are and being unapologetically YOU, no matter what. No one and nothing can take that power away from you then.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I am a beer fanatic, so I would absolutely have a night of brewery hopping around Houston. We’ll start outside the loop at Klaus Brewery, make our way into town to stop by True Anomaly and Equal Parts, finishing the evening off with phesant dogs and all of the great beers on tap at Moontower Inn.

For cocktails, we would hit up Lei Low in the Heights, Captain Foxheart’s Bad News Bar downtown, and NightShift in the East End.

And in between all of these boozy adventures, we’d be sure to catch a few of the many high quality burlesque shows around our great city.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Perle Noir, Dirty Martini, and World Famous BOB for always being guiding lights and flames of inspiration.

My community of performers, venues, crew, and creatives of all types for loving and respecting me for who & what I am.

Valentina J’Adore, Nikki Knockout, Abby Cadabra, and Emma Vauxdevil for always supporting me and giving me my biggest opportunities.

And those no longer in my life for being such valuable lessons.

Instagram: @piper_daily

Facebook: Piper Daily

Image Credits
Triple Moon Photography Showgirl Studios Planet Kaci