Today we’d like to introduce you to Rainny Daze.
Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, how did you get started?
I started participating in school plays when I was 14, and my love for all things performance (and production) grew from there. I’ve always enjoyed bringing a creative vision to life on stage. I earned a BFA in Performance and Production at Texas State and moved to Austin in 2017. I became obsessed with the local alternative drag scene when I got here. It was refreshing to see people of all types using their unique brands of gender expression to entertain others. I joined the Boyz of Austin in 2019, and I’ve been performing under the name “The Great Flying Cervix” with them. It’s been a wild but fulfilling ride.
Please talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned. Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
First, being black and queer in Texas has always been a struggle. Performing as afab drag entity in certain spaces is hard. Discrimination is real, but I can tell things are slowly changing. Austin is full of talented afab drag performers, and we will always be here. I am very lucky to be in the Boyz of Austin because I feel like I’m part of history. The drag scene could use more drag king and afab representation. I’ve also faced some mobility issues. I am partly disabled, and I require a cane at times. That does not stop me from aerial and dance training. I’m a regular at several aerial gyms in town and practice gymnastics. It means a lot to me to remain present and connected to my body. So, practicing movement helps.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
So, I am an Austin-based performer. I specialize in drag, burlesque, aerials, flow dance, writing, and comedy. I also moonlight as a dominatrix; making sure sex work and sex workers are talked about publicly is important to me because the stigma against us needs to be erased. Sex work is work, ok? I am most proud of my ability to make the audience feel emotion during performances. It gives me satisfaction that my emotions can reach the audience through the movements of my body. It makes me feel connected to them.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you, and are any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
The Covid-19 crisis taught me the importance of community. When the pandemic hit, the live entertainment community took a real hit. My troupe, Boyz of Austin, produced monthly Twitch shows, which was fun. It’s different from being in a room with an audience and being able to feed off their energy. I had a day job at that time, and we went remote. I depended on my community the most for support. I live alone and use my creative pursuits as a chance to socialize, so it was hard to be cut off from that, but I found ways to survive. (artistically, I mean.) The troupe would meet regularly in Zoom and socialize while planning the next show. I remember Zoom meetings being a big help in not feeling isolated from my people. Also, there is something so comforting in watching your loved ones in their home spaces.
Pricing:
- Artist booking fee $75
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greatdazeofglory/
Image Credits
Queeriesandmoore v.s.o. Photography, Sequin Spotlight Imagery, Leon Clinton, Sir Maxim
