Iona Fortune
@ionafortune.bsky.social
95 followers 50 following 34 posts
Burlesque dancer, producer, costumer, and art historian www.ionafortune.com DM for commissions
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✨ Introducing The Velvet Verse—a brand-new literary burlesque experience where poetry strips down and storytelling gets sultry!

Join us Friday, Oct. 3 at The Reading Room for our first show, blending bold performance with bookish charm!

🕗 8PM | 🎟️ $25 | 🍸 21+
📍1505 Farnam St
Tix on eventbrite!
✨ Introducing The Velvet Verse—a brand-new literary burlesque experience where poetry strips down and storytelling gets sultry!

Join us Friday, Oct. 3 at The Reading Room for our first show, blending bold performance with bookish charm!

🕗 8PM | 🎟️ $25 | 🍸 21+
📍1505 Farnam St
Tix on eventbrite!
Get ready to shop at Nebrask-Gay Market! I’ll be selling reusable pasties, boas, and more!

June 22nd from 11am-4pm at Floors, Floors, Floors (7052 Maple St. Omaha, NE)

Swing by and shop something dazzling! 💖🌈 #NebraskGayMarket #BurlesqueBoutique #burlesque #burlesquedancer #omahaburlyq
Hello folks! I’m seeking to connect with individuals who performed burlesque in the past! If you or someone you know has a history in burlesque and would like to share your experiences, I’d love to hear from you. Please feel free to reach out to me via email❤️✨ #Burlesque #burlesk #burlesquehistory
Beatrice, Nebraska, might not be the first place that comes to mind when one thinks of burlesque. However, like many small towns across America, Beatrice, has its own unique story to tell when it comes to entertainment history. Read more below!👇
ionafortune.com/2025/03/25/b...
#burlesque #burlesk
Burlesque in Beatrice
Nestled in the heart of the Midwest, Beatrice, Nebraska, might not be the first place that comes to mind when one thinks of burlesque. However, like many small towns across America, Beatrice, has i…
ionafortune.com
Photos courtesy of Leslie Cunningham and TRIBES Entertainment
“Harlem in Havana” was a groundbreaking traveling revue that showcased Black & Cuban performers during the segregation era. The revue featured a mix of music, dance, comedy, and burlesque, captivating audiences! Read more below:
ionafortune.com/2025/03/19/h...
#burlesque #burlesk #burlesquehistory
The Hot Mikado was a 1939 burlesque a comic opera. It featured an all-African-American cast and brought a jazz-infused twist to the 1885 opera. Read more about the cultural significance of the production in my new article:
ionafortune.com/2025/03/17/t...
#burlesquehistory #burlesk #burlesque #burlyq
I spoke on the Let's Burlesque podcast about the life of Rosita Royce "The Dove Dancer"! Listen on Spotify now! #burlesque #burlesk #burlesquehistory
I’m so excited for this episode of Let’s Burlesque! ❤️🤗
We got to tell stories with the wonderful @ionafortune.bsky.social this week! Catch it now on our patreon or this week everywhere else
#Podcast #burlesque #burlesquehistory #patreon #spotify #iheartradio #amazonmusic
Burlesque has long been a stage for bold self-expression, yet history often overlooks the contributions of POC performers, who defied racist societal norms. This article celebrates those unsung POC performers and honor their impact on the burlesque world!
ionafortune.com/2025/03/11/b...
#burlesque
Burlesque Dancers of Color
The art of burlesque has long been a stage for bold self-expression, dazzling creativity, and fearless individuality. Yet, beneath the sequins and spotlight, history often overlooks the contributio…
ionafortune.com
Join me on Friday February 28th, as I dive into the history behind the costumes so lovingly taken off!

ionafortune.wordpress.com/rsvp/

Can't make the in person lecture? RSVP at the link above and I will share a recording of the lecture post-event!

#burlesque #burlesquehistory #burlyq #burlesk
A preview clip of Cab Calloway with his band performing "Minnie the Moocher" in 1932
#jazz #cabcalloway
Every body is a burlesque body!
Burlesque is for everyone!
#burlesque #burlyq #burlesquedancer #burlesquehistory #everybodyisaburlesquebody
Posters by me.. Dancers by Jelena Katkova
Tarza was a Black burlesque and shake dancer from the 1940s through the 1960s. She was born Pauline Young in Detroit, Michigan and was featured in the film "Burlesque in Harlem"!
Learn more about her career in my article: ionafortune.com/blogs/perfor...
Thanks for reading ♥️
Noma was a famous fan dancer of color in the 1930s. She performed all over the country..Her fans cost between $200 and $300 ($4k-7k today), were made of pink and white ostrich feathers. Learn more about her career here: ionafortune.com/blogs/perfor...
#burlesque #burlyq #burlesquehistory #burlesk
SAVE THE DATE for my next lecture on the History of Burlesque Costuming!!

Friday February 28th
6:00pm Doors
7:00pm Lecture with Q&A
Where: North Omaha, NE

More details to be revealed!

#burlyq #burlesque #burlesquehistory #burlesquedancer #omahaburlesque #cabaret #costume #costumehistory
Happy Black History Month! Amy Spencer was "The Lady with the Fan"! The inspiration for Cab Calloway's infamous song. Did she invent the fan dance before Sally Rand?
Read more about her life and dancing career in my article: ionafortune.com/blogs/perfor... #burlesque #burlesquehistory #blackhistory
Clara Bow ♥️
Congrats "THE SITUATIONSHIP" by Samara Meyer

Third Place winner of the Internet Archive's 2025 Public Domain Day Film Remix Contest.

Clara Bow shines in this sapphic love story's bold storytelling.

Explore all the winners: https://archive.org/details/2025-public-domain-day-film-contest

#cinema
Catch me performing TONIGHT! Moonday at the Down Under is a free monthly cabaret show in Omaha! 🌙