We had the good fortune of connecting with Fiona Fox Aka Vegas St. James and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Fiona, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
After years of being in-and-out of school with 7 major changes, I finally landed on majoring in Communication with a minor in Cultural Dance Studies, graduated last year with honors and multiple Presidential positions, being a Political Science T.A. and Features editor/writer for the University paper with a toddler on my hip with pride.

As a dancer for over 30 years, I knew I wanted to combine my love for politics, journalism, and passion for dance with my new found burlesque obsession (ca. 2021) and have a centralized area for burlesque artists, professional performers, and aspiring students to go to enhance the artist and scholar within.

And that’s what I did! I created Under the Lights with Vegas St. James podcast for those that respect the art form so deeply while amplifying the images of those creating and who have created what burlesque is while bringing the shadow work of this genre to the light (we all have a dark side); if our dark side is hurting others in our community, I’m happy to address it with my interviewees.

You see, journalists for the most part have painted burlesque dancers as the problem child. I’m here as a showgirl journalist and learning historian to be on their side and change the arts and culture game because these artists deserve their place in the sun. I know this, because I am a professional burlesque performer myself.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
As a professional burlesque performer, if you want to play the game, you have to understand you are a business. Add an academic/artistic podcast to that, there is a level of entrepreneurship involved some might not fully see.

What sets me apart performance wise is I’m not afraid to bring vulnerable emotions to the table; some people are afraid they are alone in those big feelings but not me! I’m happy to demonstrate the human experience and connect with the audience through it.

Podcast host wise, I write all of the episodes. I spend hours upon hours of research, writing, recording, editing, publishing each episode and view myself as the storytellers PR agent. I love amplifying images!

In both fields, I am the social media manager and that is looked down upon but it’s a lot of work to try to keep up with trends or be interesting through this medium.

The challenges I have faced are not being fully supported especially by those I support or looked up to, being criticized for my writings or topics, technical difficulties, being scammed by choreographers out of money, or making friends with individuals who weren’t really my friends. I have failed, I have won, it’s all a dance and at the end of the day, I am responsible for being my own best friend and biggest supporter. I get to determine what I write or dance about. I love feedback, it’s part of the process. Now, it’s not always fun, but I see what fits and thank the parts that don’t and keep it moving.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
In California where I just left, I would take my bestie visiting San Diego to Old Town. We would sit outside at Casa de Fred’s and they could have a margarita while I drink something non-alcoholic (because #soberlife). We would split a taco plate and sit by the crushed glass fire pit, head over to the Whaley house and other historical buildings on site, shop the shops, and dance to the live music near the park.

Being in Austin for a few months now, I would take my bestie visiting to La Piscina, sit outside, they could have cocktails while I drink my Non-alcoholic beer, eat the beef and shrimp fajitas family style, then head over to The Vortex and catch a burlesque show put on by Blaise Ricin while sipping drinks and end the night outside with their in-house kitties and butterfly garden.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to thank my mom, Susie Fox, for putting me in dance classes at 3 because I demanded it!

I am grateful to Lola Demure for helping me find the burlesque world in California, Coco L’Amour for her mentorship at Flaunt Dance Studio, and Crimson Rose for supporting and constantly collaborating with the podcast.

For my professional dance photographer, Leah Osborn, for always capturing my creative angles and seeing and hearing me with love.

I want to thank Dr. Daniel Cooper at CSUSM for helping me find my academic burlesque voice and Dr. Elvis Nshom for guiding me to follow this dream, and Dr. Smith for trusting me with coaching students to understand politics through writing.

Phoenix A’Blaze for being a great burly big sis: I didn’t think I could feel so seen and supported by a woman I wasn’t paying to mentor me.

I want to thank my husband, Trevor Ryan, for financially helping me to finish school, while being a full time mama so I could leave the bartending industry because my pro performer pay isn’t banging (haha) but one day this will come back to him and he’ll know the trials we went through emotionally and financially were all worth it.

Website: https://Vegasstjames.com

Instagram: @itsvegasstjames and @underthelightswithvegas

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094509010128&mibextid=LQQJ4d

Other: Podcast on Apple:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/under-the-lights-with-vegas-st-james/id1745484404

Podcast on Spotify:


Image Credits
Leah Michelle Osborn

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