Today we’d like to introduce you to Madazon Can-Can.
Madazon, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born and raised in both the country and the West Side. I’m a little bit country and a little bit rock n’ roll as I like to say. I did the Mormon thing until I realized I was in love with women and promptly got kicked out of my house at 18. This led me into a series of strained relationships with men that eventually led to an uneventful marriage and divorce.
This divorce is what led me to find the circus. The circus started my journey into the world of performance art. Following my circus training (specifically in clown) I fell into the world of Burlesque and then Drag a few years later. To say it’s been a bumpy road is an understatement. I have kept my home through not only the scary years post-divorce as a part-time art teacher but also a pandemic and a venue loss that radically changed the way I do business.
Pre-pandemic, I traveled extensively (2-3 times a month out of state) and just recently completed a 6-week circus theatre tour with Fox and Beggar Theatre Company out of Minnesota in the Summer of 2021. I now work full time as a performer, performance art educator (Burlesque and Drag) out of the Salt Mine and Ex-Mormon Domme, yup… you read that right.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Coming to terms with my own queerness has been the largest challenge. I’ve always been an advocate, but my coming out years were incredibly difficult and included multiple suicide attempts by my lovers that caused me to hide who I really was. The more openly queer and trans I became… the harder it was to stay connected to the work at my main performance venue.
It was only in the Pandemic that I realized they stopped talking to me completely when I performed a Gay Pioneer Act and suddenly lost all my income. That caused me to move into a teaching capacity at the erotic dance studio I work at, The Salt Mine and it’s changed my life. I run programs all throughout the year for Burlesque and Drag and my students are my everything. Keeping my home through all of this has been so incredibly difficult. I once paid my mortgage by selling one nude online to a very generous customer.
I also bought a ladder to fix the lights in my house with stickers I sold during the pandemic. Thank God for pre-pandemic investments paying off. Convincing a state that doesn’t know what the HELL burlesque is has been an enormous challenge as they think it’s all white, blonde, skinny girls who take their sparkly tops off. Le sigh. It’s so much more.
It’s soul work, it involves everybody, gender, expression, sexuality, size, ethnicity… everything. Utah is so restrictive in more than just the Blue Laws… the very mindset of the state inhibits progress every step of the way. Drag was also hard because folks don’t know what a Drag King is! It’s getting better of course, but even I didn’t know what a King was until I started performing.
We have a long road to fight for us in terms of visibility even now.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an educator first. That is my heart through and through. I teach Burlesque and Drag to every Body. My classes are called, “Burlesque for Every Body” and my programs are Madazon Can-Can’s Burlesque Training Program (Spring and Fall) and Drag Camp (Summer). I specialize in creating acts that stem from a person’s most authentic self. This involves a lot of character work and plays as well as theatre training and professional coaching (on and off stage). I’m also a community builder.
I produce shows including Can-Can Cabaret with my students and will be doing more shows highlighting the masculine presence within the scene. You can catch that at Why Kiki under the title, “Masc-erade.” I’m known as a clown primarily even though most of my work. This is because so much of my work came by finding the circus and blending the erotic and gender expressions into my work as a full-time fool. I’m known for my costumes and color palette as well as being a storyteller and weaving together a show with intense imagery and emotion. I get hired as an emcee more than just about anything.
I am most proud of my programs and Can-Can Cabaret. These are the pieces of my heart that I want to affect the valley more than anything. The goal is to show that anyone and everyone has a story and a place to showcase that. No matter where they come from or what prior experience they have. I get them to a place where they are not only able but encouraged to show pieces of themselves to an audience and get applauded for their personal authenticity. I’m headstrong and direct.
I go after what I want and I don’t let anything stop me. I’m a producer, emcee, performer, and teacher and often it is known that I speak some heavy truths even if folks don’t want to hear them. My honest approach, undeniable integrity, and accountability are what keep me booked in even the most unlikely of circumstances and keep me traveling and on tour all throughout the year. I’m also a kinkster and people know where to find me for lessons, coaching, and services of the dominatrix kind.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
Where to find me: Burlesque and Drag – www.madazoncancan.com.
Domination – www.exmormondomme.com.
Blog-Confessions of an Ex-Mormon Domme (via madazoncancan.com).
Merchandise:
Sin and Salt, SLC on Instagram and Facebook
Pricing:
- $500 for the Burlesque or Drag Program
Contact Info:
- Email: madazoncancan@gmail.com
- Website: www.madazoncancan.com
- Instagram: @Madazon_Can_Can
- Twitter: @mxnovatrix
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj6zukyHPYs61sohquX-4Eg
Image Credits
Todd Collins, George L. Blosser, Nikkita Nouveau, Kate Dalton, Sassy Chassis (Annette Neeley), Jake Penrose, and Beyond the Darkroom for Brabar Boutique
