excerpts from 'Diary of a Burlesque Dancer'

By Indigo Sage

Burlesque gave my body a home  

Stripped bare on a stage I’ve never felt more sure

That this body is mine,

And what a gift that is

Burlesque made me believe  

in my own divinity.

---

The stage is my altar,

I wear glitter like holy water.

They call it a sin,

I call it prayer.

Each move an act of devotion,

to a god who believes that bodies are sacred.

---

My movement is not

for the pleasure of others,

though I welcome

the witness,

of what I am learning.

With the hope that in my learning

I may be the beginning  

of yours.

---

Rhinestones,

Lipstick,

Heels,

Feathers.

These are the elements

of my armor.

When adorned,

I feel safe.

I feel powerful.

I feel held by a  

history;

richly woven,

with the stories

of audacious women.

---

I dance for the same  

reason I write—

every move a line of poetry

somehow both begging to be seen and hiding in plain sight

I dance with the desire  

to grow  

just a bit more honest

with each breath that moves my body

a step closer  

to the truth

I dance, for the same reason I breathe.

To live.

---

Indigo Sage (she/they) is a burlesque dancer local to Columbus, Ohio. Diary of a Burlesque Dancer, her third poetry collection, releasing in October 2026, is a love letter to the art of burlesque and the community it creates. Indigo is a firm believer that art is political and when you have a platform, it is your responsibility to use it for the betterment of your community. Merging her love of political activism and burlesque, she co-founded 'Political Pasties': a burlesque-led movement fundraising and advocating for change in Ohio politics.

Follow Indigo on Instagram @indigosagedances, @politicalpasties and @soulfire.poetry

Photo credit: Amomda Photography @amomdaphotography