Burlesque with endometriosis: A conversation with Shaan Valentine

I’m proud of every single student that comes in and does a workshop or class with me.

But perhaps none more so than the lovely Shaan Valentine.

I first met Shaan in about 2015 when she joined my burlesque classes. And from the start, I felt really privileged to have this really talented dancer and artist come into my orbit. She just radiates style, enthusiasm and kindness.

As a performer, Shaan really took her time to get on stage. She really having thought through what style she wanted to present on stage and wanted to ‘give it her all’.

I find this dedication so admirable (consistency is a quality I really admire in life in general). But more so, when i found out that Shaan was doing all this through a diagnosis of endometriosis and having to manage this. Doing this during - what I can only imagine to be - chronic pain both mental and physical.

The power of blogging, I think, is really be able to share our stories and to lift the veil on these issues. Burlesque can feel a bit lonely and it can be really wrapped up in this ‘glamour’ image. So it’s nice to be able to lift the lid on how we manage our unique challenges. Because whatever we think, I know that we aren’t alone. And while our issues may be unique, there are sometimes really common challenges.

So I’m super proud, that Shaan recently launched her own blog to share more of her story.

But we also chatted recently to open up another conversation about endometriosis and what it can be like performing with this. I hope that other burlesque dancers living with this condition feel less alone - but maybe that whatever your challenge you feel less alone and like you can still keep performing. Even when you can sometimes feel really shit.

Grace Cherry: When did you first get diagnosed? It seems that so many women struggle with the symptoms of endometriosis but don't get diagnosed. Was this your experience?

Shaan Valentine: I was formally diagnosed in November of 2018. I first raised my concerns to my GP in the middle of 2017, after some of my symptoms that I had been experiencing for quite a while seemed to get worse.

I have always struggled with uncomfortable and heavy periods since I started getting them at 14. After I gave a brief description of the symptoms I had (super painful, heavy and long periods, pain during/after sex or with using tampons, extreme bloating, pelvic pain and period-like pains between periods, pain with ovulation) she was convinced it was endo. I was lucky enough to have an AMAZING GP, who I found out actually has endo so I think that really helped with the diagnostic process. After that initial consultation, I was referred to a specialist Gynaecologist and put on the waitlist for a laparoscopy for diagnosis and treatment.

Grace: How has having Endometriosis affected you in burlesque ?

Shaan: My burlesque career took a real hit when my health started to get worse. At first I found it helpful to go to class and work on routines and be distracted. But as my pain increased, my confidence took a real hit. I felt like my body had totally betrayed me, and like it didn’t belong to me anymore. Burlesque is obviously centred around a lot of pelvic movement and bumps and grinds, and I suddenly found myself unable to do such movements, or that they caused me more pain.

On the other hand, I have found such amazing strength and support in the burlesque community. Whenever I felt like I was letting myself or others down, I had so many wonderful people around me to help me.

Grace: I think it seems really challenging when your performing is so wrapped up in your body . And you can’t be the only performer with endo and who might struggle here.Do you have some tips for any performers (either in burlesque or other artists) in managing?

Shaan: To be honest, I don’t have any life changing advice here! My biggest point would be that it’s okay to put yourself first. It’s okay to not always do your 110% best - a lot of the time 50% is fine (and probably more than people are expecting). Let people know that you’re not doing so well so they can help. It’s okay to ask for help and support.

Grace: Has anyone given you some great advice that you would want to share or that helped you out?

Shaan: My therapist has told me so many times to not be so hard on myself. I’m not very good at taking this advice, but I’m trying to get better at it! For a while I was really working myself into the ground, and only ever taking time out to rest if I had pushed myself too hard. This made me reassess my work hours and drop down to 4 days a week so I could actually get the rest I needed

Grace: I’m really moved by the really strong campaigning in the public eye about acknowledging Endometriosis as a medical condition. The viewing figures of "Emma Wiggle's" story on her diagnosis were reportedly insane. I’m so interested in the power of sharing. Does having high profile women sharing their experiences, help you in any way? I always wonder when I see stories on mental health issues for example, if anyone else suddenly feels less alone or abnormal?

Shaan: It definitely helps a lot. When I was in the early stages of diagnosis, I would talk to people about what I was going through and was almost always met with blank stares and confusion. When Emma’s story came out, almost overnight there was a change. More women started coming forward with their own stories, and this was so liberating. To know that I wasn’t alone felt so good, and to be able to help others too is really great. I can only imagine that the awareness will get bigger and better from here!

Thanks Shaan for sharing. I hope that this was so illuminating and inspiring for others. You can learn more on her blog, Chronically Glamorous.

And if you would like to follow Shaan Valentine follow her on Facebook or Instagram.