Today we’d like to introduce you to Amelie Ahmose.
Hi Amelie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started out training to be an actor because I didn’t know what profession I wanted to be in when I was fresh out of high school, and I figured if I was an actor, I could learn a little bit about lots of different things and professions via role research and playing different roles. It was also around this time that I became interested in singing and vocal training and started pursuing that as well for fun. But I was also a dancer for most of my life at that point, and eventually, that “won” out in adulthood as I found more paid opportunities as a dancer for both freelance, and as a part of a local dance company.
This is what eventually lead me to burlesque, which is what I mainly do now, and that so has been my favorite way for me to marry and utilize all of my acting, singing, and dance backgrounds. I do not have degrees in acting, music, or dance of any kind, but I have sought education and further training in other places, and personally, I think actual experience is the best teacher.
Although, unfortunately, back in May, I was diagnosed with IGA Nephropathy, which has no cure, and stage 4 kidney failure. My only viable treatment option is now a kidney transplant, so that has now dominated a lot of my time and energy.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No road into adulthood, personally or professionally, is ever actually smooth. We’re all constantly growing and changing, and will never the level of control we would like to have over our own lives, and the external forces that affect them. My biggest struggles recently have been health and financially related. Like many other working artists, my income was very affected by the pandemic in 2020, so I had to get creative with how to still pay my bills and turned to the digital space for shows and Only Fans. Learning new skills during an already stressful time is also stressful.
Before 2020 I had been dealing with health issues, specifically stomach issues, that I, unfortunately, am still dealing with. In 2019 I threw up blood while I was performing in a show in Tulsa. I still performed though because I needed the money and was frankly in denial about how severe my situation really was until after the adrenaline from being onstage had worn off. In my defense, I had never thrown up blood before, so the entire experience seemed unreal. I was told in the ER that it was from a torn esophagus.
In 2020 I was in a car accident on my way to a show in Oklahoma City. It was just me driving myself, it had already gotten dark, and there was a ladder in the lane I was changing to, so I straight up drove over a ladder, pulled over to tape my bumper back together, and THEN got to the venue where I proceeded to stress barf, and then do 2 acts, 1 of which was me live singing.
After that episode, there were more incidences of me either being sick at shows, or having to call out sick (one of which in December of 2019 might have been due to an early COVID-19 case).
I did get a formal COVID-19 diagnosis in January 2021, which seems to have some lingering effects on my already problematic stomach, which has caused me to have to slow down or not take work like I would have pre-pandemic.
As I mentioned earlier, I was diagnosed with stage 4 kidney failure back in May (which honestly probably explains some of the issues I’ve been having), and I am now currently in stage 5.
Funny enough, prior to my hospitalization and subsequent diagnosis in May, I was cast in Gilbert and Sullivan Austin’s The McAado. I returned to rehearsals 2 days after being released from the hospital, and performed on opening night. We only got to do one performance out of our planned run, though, because of how many people (including myself) got COVID. So I had both kidney failure and COVID for about a week in June.
My biggest challenges since that diagnosis have been getting a kidney transplant before needing dialysis (still working on that part), while also working/performing, and helping co-produce shows, all while having said kidney failure. I am happy to say that I still have had many successful shows and performances since diagnosis despite the organ failure, and the side effects from medications. I am also still looking for a live donor, and anyone interested in learning more can do so at https://utclivingdonor.com/.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am known for having an incredibly wide range and variety of acts, and am also one of the very few local singers who use a headset mic to be able to do more choreography and movement during live singing performances. I am also known for my comedic stylings, just as much as my more gorey, burlesque (depending on who’s seen me do what). I am proud of the diverse body of work that I’ve created for myself, and the range it shows. I also take some pride in how none of my costumes are off the rack. They are either something I made, was gifted to me, or had someone else in the community make. At the end of the day, I am a performance artist who is fearless, while maintaining a sense of humor in connecting with the audience. I have been called both accessible and relatable. I am a burlesque performer: At all times when I am performing, there are eyes on me, and they never look anywhere else. What better place to feel free to captivatingly strip off my layers than at home on the stage?
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
Well, I had to learn photo and video editing for one, which are 2 skills I did not have before. I also learned how to slow down and learn to live more comfortably with the quiet. I also learned a lot more about community outreach, and the most effective, small ways I can still support my friends and community members. On a less fun note, in my personal health crisis, I have had to learn A LOT about dialysis and organ transplants, which, to be honest, are things I never really had any true desire to learn about, but given what I am facing I still want to be as informed as possible. Even about the really sucky things.
Contact Info:
- Website: AmelieAhmose.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amelieahmose/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amelieahmoseburlesque
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/amelieahmose
- Other: https://utclivingdonor.com/
Image Credits
Green Fringe headshot: Naomi Loghry
Leopard Print Belly Dance w/ red veil: Naomi Loghry
Geekgasm Revue white fans: Patrick Rusk Butterfly
Isis wings: Errich Petersen
Unseelie Fae w/ quartz bra: Ricardo Acevedo
Red Lingerie Picnic: Ally Boobior
Tan Lingerie Phone Call: Blackheart Media Productions
Navy Blue with headset mic: Captured Desire Photography
Bucket Blood Dump: Patrick Rusk Photography
