Your name is lovely! What is the backstory and inspiration?
I feel like I got really lucky actually! A friend and I used to frequent Uncommon Grounds in
Uptown a lot and my signature drink was was a Dirty Hazelnut Chai. (I still drink these
religiously. lol) We were flirting with the barista and they called me a dirty little hazelnut, and
Haughty Hazelnut was born! About a year and a half later I was taking classes at the Twin Cities
Burlesque Academy and we had to pick out names as part of their level one program. I was
inspired by the Uncommon Grounds incident and spent hours combing through every name in the Red Hot Annie’s Name Directory when it was still live (RIP), along with every social media
platform I could find to make sure it was free. Haughty Hazelnut was the only name I every tried
to come up with and it feels like it was meant to be.

What thrills you about being on stage?
I think the most exciting part about being on stage is the fact that I’m a Black, plus-size body
that for many reasons, never thought I’d get the chance to be on stage at all. It’s such a joy to
be able to connect with people on an authentic level while expressing myself through the
artforms I love. I am so grateful for this chapter of my life. Being on stage has been a proving
ground for and to myself, and everytime I take a stage it gives me more information about what I’m capable of.

What is the most challenging part of burlesque for you?
I’m trying really hard right now to not pay attention to the background noise. I think any part of
performing culture comes with a certain degree of feedback and commentary. Growing up I had a lot of experiences dealing with others commenting on my body and physical features, so putting myself in a position to be judged and critiqued on a regular basis has been a struggle. And while the thought of people perceiving me GIVES ME GREAT ANXIETY, it has also given me a lot of opportunity to keep my eyes on my own paper and try to just do the work. This has also been a good lesson for my non-burlesque life! I am a recovering perfectionist, and I think I’ll always be my worst critic. Burlesque has given me the opportunity to show up and build something for myself that I love and am proud of, with the reminder that everything is always evolving. I still feel very new in a lot of ways, and it’s a constant reminder that consistency and growth are actually the goals that get you to longevity. Showing up as authentic and at all, vs. perfect, is definitely a focus right now.

What influences your style? Who do you emulate (if anyone) when you create your
numbers?
I love a classic costume! I really create all my acts from the music first, and then figure out what kind of costume pieces I want to feature from there. I don’t think I’m very comical or gimmicky, but I’m excited to expand my repertoire of acts and styles as I continue to grow!

We have so many wonderful performers and teachers here in Minnesota, I'm lucky to be able to work and create with many of them. I could shout out a lot of people, but I’ll forever be grateful to be in a place with so many resources for this art. I definitely wouldn’t be doing what I am without Nudie Nubies, The Twin Cities Burlesque Academy, or The Rose Academy of
Burlesque. I’m not sure I have any one person who has been a “signature” influence, but I have
a burlesque playlist I’ve been building for years at this point, and there is a song on there for
every person I’ve worked or taken a class with.

When it comes to representation and tokenism, what is your idea of what representation
should look like in our artistic communities?
I’ll start with saying that my voice is not a monolith for all BIPOC voices, and that there are many ways to be marginalized. I’ve worked in a lot of arts,entertainment, and non-profit spaces both inside and outside of burlesque, and representation to me looks like making sure the art/message reflects the audiences you’re serving. There’s a lot of conversation about
diversifying audiences here in Minnesota, but that starts with the acts, the performers, and the
stories you’re casting and putting in your spaces.

If you were to point out what tokenism is in our artistic communities, what have you seen
or experienced?
The Oxford definition of Tokenism is: the practice of making only a perfunctory or symbolic effort to do a particular thing, especially by recruiting a small number of people from underrepresented groups in order to give the appearance of sexual or racial equality within a workforce. BIPOC, Queer, and Fat bodies are almost never given the spotlight as a headlining feature, and we quite often see only one person representing these categories in a show. Let alone many of them together. If you’re only seeing one person in a cast of many that is of a marginalized group, ask yourself why that is? Is that actually representational to the city or community you live in? Are they making a spectacle or showcasing someone for their differences instead of their talent? I know I have often been the only Black or Fat body cast in a show, and there are many of us. Coming home from Fatlesque Fest NW in Seattle this year where everyone was a Fat body, and how GOOD it felt to be among company where I wasn’t an outsider in size or in color, really put things into perspective for me. Only casting one different body in an all white/thin cast inherently reduces our ability to get stage time on a regular basis, which prevents us from being able to grow as performers. There are spaces here in MN that I’ve seen do a phenomenal job countering these scenarios, like The Rose Academy, Petty Treason Productions and TC Cabaret. I would love to see more thought from spaces and producers on casting a wider variety of humans as shows begin to pick up again.

And, with representation, Black artists are often not given their due. With your show,
what is most important for you to not only center your Black artists but also to provide
for them and other Black artists in our communities?
I firmly believe that representation should always be a focus in every arena. Giving space to
Black voices and Black artists is important because we have just as much to say and just as
much art to share as anyone else, while often not having the same opportunities to participate
as white and strait sized entertainers. From the lens of living and growing up here in the
Midwest, I think there is this wrong assumption that Black and Brown people are this small,
small percentage of the majority - but it’s not true, and it’s only continuing to be more diverse.
And I will add that it’s especially not true in our art spaces. Black artists across the board from
rock n’ roll to burlesque have been pioneering influences, and often have to work much harder to get a fraction of the exposure while having their art erased or stolen from them. If I have the
chance to create an event that gives more room for Black and marginalized voices to shine, I
will do so.

What draws you to producing a show or event?
I love creating concepts from scratch. I don’t have a traditional theater background but I’ve
worked in my fair share of venues, and used to review a lot of shows/do booking on the side.
Before I was ever a burlesque performer I was an event production and marketing manager
around town, and bringing those skills into this world has been both very validating and a lot of
fun! I’m also very passionate about activating cultural spaces in new ways. Producing has
started to give me a chance to bring all my worlds together.

And finally, tell us what you are most excited about your show. What do you want us,
your audience, to walk away with after watching your amazing event?
Wow. There’s so much to say about this event!! I was formerly the Assistant Director of
Operations at Meritage, and the Hamm Building was where I produced my very first show back
in 2016! I always said if I were to have the opportunity to produce a live burlesque show in the
restaurant that I would do whatever I could to make it happen. I have a deep love of French
culture, good food, and of course burlesque, so when the management came to me to ask if I
would help them create a concept for the room I was all in.

Not only is this a non-traditional burlesque space, we’re also partnering with Meritage as part of their Guest Chef Series which allows us to highlight more awesome people like Chef Jametta
Raspberry in new ways. It really is very cool to be able to showcase burlesque in partnership
with a very beloved restaurant here in the Twin Cities.

Meritage en Nuit is also my first official Hazelnut Productions venture! I am very honored that
they are taking a chance on opening their space to this artform, but also to me as a producer
who wants to actively bring people and concepts into new places as both performers and as
guests.

I hope anyone in attendance at this show, whether they’re familiar or not with Meritage or
burlesque, are able to truly witness the greatness of the art we are presenting, and also walk
away feeling like they were well taken care of. Here’s to a good first run, and hopefully many
more!

Can’t wait to see everyone around town soon!

Thank you so so much!!! Your show is going to be super fantastic! Break a lash and
some hearts and get that well deserved coin! <3

Here’s some additional information about Haughty Hazelnut, too!

Meritage en Nuit is a special partnership in presentation with Meritage - St. Paul Restaurant and Hazelnut Productions that features guest chefs, and sizzling burlesque.
Hazelnut Productions is an inclusive and thrilling production company focused on highlighting
exceptional burlesque, activating new spaces, and uplifting marginalized bodies.

haughtyhazelnut.com