Today we’d like to introduce you to Gemmi Galactic.
Hi Gemmi, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, let’s briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I was always the weird, shy kid who wanted to read, write stories, listen to music, craft, and watch classic Old Hollywood movies. But I was terrified of being in any spotlight. But in my mid-twenties, I learned about burlesque, that it wasn’t just something I saw referenced in old movies, but an entertainment form revived in the 90s and thriving in Austin. After attending shows and studying all the YouTube performance videos I could find, I signed up for classes WITH COCO LECTRIC at the Austin Academy of Burlesque. I wanted to audition for the local troupes but had yet to learn to break into the scene without having an in with any of the performers. So I convinced a couple of friends to join me and formed my first troupe. John at Elysium gave us our first chance for a show back in 2011, and Frisky Business Burlesque has been performing there regularly ever since. In 2015 I Co-Founded the Geekgasme Revue with Professor Argo, which still has a regular home at Kick Butt Coffee. In 2016 I was a nominee for Best Burlesque Performer in the Austin Chronicle poll, and in 2018 I became an instructor at the Austin Academy of Burlesque. Last year I decided to step back from producing such frequent shows (every other month and even quarterly shows for two productions is so much work!) and accepted the role of Co-Producer of the prestigious Texas Burlesque Festival, now in its 16th year.
Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Performing is amazing but making it a full-time gig is hard work. I’ve had many challenges in my burlesque career. I was hit head-on by a drunk driver in 2013, broke my hip and wrist, and was out of work for a while. The Austin Burlesque community put on a benefit show for me to help me survive while I recovered. In 2019 I had a baby, which changed how much time and energy I could give to my art. But I’m still going! And it was hard to read announcements of our beloved venues closing down. Covid hurt the local scene. I’m sad to see a few performers I love not return to it after the shutdowns canceled so many shows for so long.
Burlesque and drag go hand in hand, and most Burlesque shows have both. So many people don’t know what burlesque is because it’s seen as more of an underground art form. And it’s currently under attack by the state legislature’s agenda to pass anti-LGBTQ bills. HB 643 (a clone of a couple of existing bills) aims to make drag performances and any venue or business that hosts it non-existent. These bills are the biggest threat the entertainment community (musicians, too!) faces now. Burlesque is a queer community with important queer history, and we will not stand by while our drag family is attacked. Please call your representatives and let them know that drag is a valid art form that poses no danger and should not be discriminated against.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
What I love most about burlesque is that it can be anything you want. I started out wanting to be a glamorous classic burlesque dancer. But I quickly turned toward the weird and wonderful world of nerdlesque, the brilliant marriage of burlesque and cosplay. My geeky brain thinks of each nerdlesque act as a juicy love letter to an existing fandom or character. My Star Trek Trouble with Tribble act might be my most notorious. I perform as a pregnant Tribble and embarrassingly keep birthing tribbles all over the stage. I even have a Tribble Doula help me deliver a boa of tribbles. It’s out there; only Star Trek fans would really appreciate it. But my work is much more than just on the stage. For a decade, I produced Frisky Business Burlesque and Co-Produced and eventually Produced Geekgasm Revue on my own. I MC shows, a model for local art classes and photographers, have acted in music videos for local bands, and work to help support and grow the Austin Burlesque community. I also did drag as Dr. B. Hindstein and worked briefly with the amazing Boyz of Austin drag king and gender-non-confirming performance troupe. I’ve been sharing my weird sense of humor as Gemmi Galactic for 13 years and have performed in 18 Burlesque Festivals and Cosplay Conventions nationwide. So far!
Any big plans?
I’m excited about my new role as Co-Producer and Social Media Director of the Texas Burlesque Festival. I watch 87 incredible submission videos from around the world, and I can tell you our festival on May 12th and 13th at the Rollins Theater at the Long Center will be an epic show. I have a few other projects I’m working on that I’m not quite ready to tell about yet, but keep an eye on my Instagram, and something new will be coming to my YouTube channel in a few months! I plan to keep building Austin Burlesque by supporting the other troupes and performers, performing in as many shows as possible, creating more fun and silly acts, and spreading the joy burlesque brings.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gemmigalactic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gemmigalactic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gemmigalacticburlesque
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/gemmigalactic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/gemmigalactic
Image Credits
1- Ricardo Acevedo 2- Tribbles- Fernie Renteria 3- Grumpy Bear- Fernie Renteria 4- Mcing- Brian Ulstead 5- Kelpie- Brian Ulstead 6- Grapes- Fernie Renteria 7- Robe- Self Portrait 8- Pink hair- Self Portrait 9- Pickles and Ice Cream Maternity- Fernie Renteria 10- Window- Ricardo Acevedo
