Montreal Indigenous burlesque artist named second most influential in the world
Posted January 11, 2023 10:37 am.
Last Updated January 11, 2023 6:30 pm.
17 years ago, Lauren Ashley Jiles, who goes by the stage name Lou Lou la Duchesse de Rière, performed her first burlesque act at Montreal’s Cafe Campus.
Now, the Afro-Indigenous artist from Kahnawake – west of Montreal – took second spot as most influential burlesque dancer in the world by 21st Century Burlesque Magazine.
(Photo Credit: 21st Century Burlesque Magazine/screenshot)
Voted on by thousands of burlesque fans and performers, she said “it’s an honour” to be on that list.
“I respect each and every artist and I look up to each and every artist that’s on that list. So, it’s really cool to just even be on that list,” said Jiles.
#WATCH: "It's really cool to just even be on that list," said Lauren Ashley Jiles, who is also known by her stage name Lou Lou la Duchesse de Rière, after finding her name second place as most influential burlesque dancer in the world.
READ: https://t.co/qWuUPAt26f pic.twitter.com/UOqkKeBz9s
— CityNews Montreal (@CityNewsMTL) January 11, 2023
At the age of five, Jiles was performing at Turtle Island Theatre, an all-Indigenous theatre in Kahnawake where she grew up. It was a few weeks after her 18th birthday when she found burlesque, after receiving a flier for a live audition.
“I was like, I think I could do this, and I don’t think I fully understood what I was getting into until I was on stage and performing,” Jiles said. “And then it was just very addictive. It felt like breathing.”
Ever since, she’s been performing around the world, even winning the title of New Orleans’ Queen of Burlesque in 2018.
“I just won Miss Exotic World six months ago. And I was like, wow, this is the best day. I don’t know if it can get any better than this,” said Jiles. “Then being voted into this list, it’s really just like the love and appreciation from all of my peers.”
(Photo Credit: Bob Debris/Instagram @loulouladuchesse)
Her love for burlesque goes beyond the act of performing – she gets to travel the world and have conversations with other Indigenous people and artists.
“To see how my work resonates with people, that really means the world to me,” said Jiles.
Behind her five minutes on stage is months and months of hand beading her garments and collaborating with other Indigenous artists – such as Barbara Diabo and Simik Komaksiutiksak – on her choreography.
Jiles calls it, “a labour of love.”
(Photo Credit: Lauren Ashley Jiles)
“When I started, there was not a lot of Indigenous performers. There was not a lot of representation on stages.”
According to Jiles, there has been change in the representation of Indigenous performers in the burlesque industry. “The community that we have now is growing every single day and it’s just it’s so nice to be a part of that.”
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Her next chapter? Working more on production and mentoring other artists to take space on stage.
“I hope to keep dancing until my knees give out.”
