Check out Maxi Millions’ Artwork

Today we’d like to introduce you to Maxi Millions.

Maxi, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I’ve been a performer since childhood. I would put on 1 act plays in my living room in front of the television, so my parents would have to watch my masterpiece. As a young child, I was involved in a quite a few dance classes, but as I got older I started to gravitate more towards acting and eventually became heavily involved with my high school’s theater department.

When I enrolled at ASU, I started off as a theater major, but feeling the pressure to get a degree that would help ensure some job safety, I left theater and acting behind. Years went by, and I ended up with that job and financial security, but I was bored. I had no creative outlet, and I missed entertaining a crowd.

I went through a pretty horrific breakup, and so to help myself out of the funk, I signed up for burlesque classes on a whim and instantly fell in love. Eventually, I started performing and continuing to fall for burlesque and it’s incredibly powerful medium of expression. After performing for a few years, I knew I wanted to push myself further and try my hand at producing and in 2014 founded Spellbound Burlesque with fellow performer, Frankie Fillmore.

We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
As a performer, my number one job is to entertain my crowd. Burlesque as a form of artistic expression can have such a broad definition — much more than what we have been shown in pop culture. Burlesque can be political, funny, sexy, or emotional. My peers are of all ages, sexual preferences, gender expressions, and sizes. A part of what makes this art form such a draw for me is the power to use it highlight who I truly am and show myself how I want to be seen as a woman. I especially feel that women do not get to have that kind of control over their bodies in their daily lives because they are constantly bombarded with ways to look better or younger or thinner — the underlying message being that they are not enough as they are. Through the medium of burlesque, however, I learned how to quiet the societal norms of beauty and discover my own. And even though who I am on stage is a developed character, there is also great power in tapping into my sexuality and using it to entertain a crowd. When I’m creating an act, I like to center my message on expressing pure glamour, sexuality, and high energy. I am inviting the audience into my fantasy of being a fancy lady who is cleverly and effortlessly stripping out of her costume purely for their enjoyment (and of course, my own!). The ability to bring an audience joy or even titillation is a gift I treasure and I am constantly looking at ways to create burlesque that will keep dazzling them.

Do current events, local or global, affect your work and what you are focused on?
Burlesque has always been a political statement. In the early 20th century, many shows were shut down for violating obscenity laws. Back then, burlesque was the strip club, and it wasn’t until the 70’s when obscenity law enforcement was relaxed that things changed. It is important to note, though, that these laws are mostly still on the books. Burlesque shows today are still shut down, with local officials still citing obscenity laws for the reason. The city of Nashville rejected Dita Von Teese’s show even after she wrote a letter stating that she would tame the sexual content and comply with their Blue Laws (minimum coverage requirements for a performer).

To this day, I still think it is a political act for a person to declare ownership of their body, and especially women for daring to be sexual publicly. I still hear questions like “What does your boyfriend think of you doing this?” Which implies that my partner has ownership of my body, and is an incredibly offensive question, but one that is still common because of cultural norms.

And so, it is still political to be doing burlesque — even Dita herself cannot escape being denied. I think that every time a burlesque act is performed, it is political in nature for these reasons, and we must continue to fight against outdated points of view on nudity and this art form based in striptease.

Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
You can definitely catch me performing regularly in Phoenix! I am one of the co-creators and producers of Spellbound Burlesque, which has regular shows in the valley. Spellbound is known for intimate, in-the-round showcases that feature a variety of local Arizona performers as well as guests from all over the US (and sometimes beyond). We keep our calendar updated on our website: www.spellboundburlesque.com

Contact Info:

• Website: www.missmaximillions.com
• Instagram: @missmaximillions
• Twitter: @maxi_millions

Image Credit:
Studio shots — Michael Luna Photography
Live Shots – 48th & Pixel
Arms up live shot with the bluish lighting- Rogelio León

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