I started at Femme Fatale in August of 2017 knowing that I wanted to do burlesque and give the apparatuses a try. Burlesque is a quick way to challenge your inner thoughts about body image and what a ‘woman’ is. I know for myself I have dealt with body issues since I was 8 and having a young daughter I wanted to be (or at least fake) a woman comfortable with her own skin, confident, and strong. What I didn’t expect is the amount of growth mentally, physically, and emotionally. As I kept coming and getting out of my comfort zone other people noticed my growth in confidence, my growth in strength, and my ability to push myself even when I wanted to quit. My daughter took a quick interest in what I was doing as I shared videos of things I had learned from that week. Before you know it I purchased a yoga trapeze and was showing her how to invert and V kick. She enrolled in ballet and I have had the pleasure to help her at home because of Femme. She takes gymnastics and we do yoga and stretches to improve her flexibility. Femme doesn’t just grown on you; it becomes a part of you. You take the strength, attitude, and will with you everyday. It has been almost 2 years since I joined and not only have I become the role model I wanted for my daughter but she has embodied that same strength, attitude, and will. She is more daring with her activities and has repeatedly asked for a Lyra at home so she can ‘fly’ too. There is a whole tribe of women my daughter looks up too. She has not met a lot of them, but she sees them conquering tricks, performing routines and she wants to be them. They say it takes a village to raise a child and this village has done an awesome job in empowering my daughter. For that, I am forever thankful and grateful that I woke up one day and was like “oh Burlesque seems like fun.”