Local StoriesNovember 5, 2024

Conversations with Bella Fire

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bella Fire.

Bella Fire

Hi Bella, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
The Journey… I often get asked how I started burlesque, and the short version is — I got divorced. There is so much more to the “How and Why” of how I started burlesque than that. I will say it feeds my soul like nothing else does and made me feel whole again. My stage name is Bella Fire. My real name I rarely use anymore lol. Performing, event hosting, and modeling work combined are my full-time job now, but I had an entirely different life not that long ago.
In my former life, I was a Department Chair and Professor of Mathematics. I spent 28 years working in education and 26 of those in higher education. I hold both a Master’s and a PhD in Mathematics Education. My area of emphasis is “Writing to Learn Mathematics” and “Alternative Assessment in Higher Education.” In addition, I worked as a consultant with Colorado Department of Higher Education, Complete College America, The Charles A. Dana Center, and with multiple colleges across the nation on “Math Pathways” redesign.

So why burlesque? The vulnerable piece is that I had lost myself. I was married to someone who didn’t see me. Over the course of 21 years of marriage, I had somehow became a combination of “too much and too little”. I put away parts of myself to make things easier in our relationship. “Going along to get along” had become the norm until I no longer recognized myself. I didn’t like who I had become in my private life. I felt uncomfortable in my own skin. I decided to leave and start my life over.

While working full time, I didn’t share with many that I am a burlesque performer. When I moved to Denver and took on the role of department chair of Mathematics at one of the community colleges, I had to sign a moral turpitude clause as part of my employment contract. Even though this art form is centuries old, there are still unwritten societal rules regarding what is “acceptable behavior” for women. I have pushed boundaries my entire life and am happy to push this one. I also found a way to heal my heart and my soul by stripping all things away.

I decided to embrace it to the fullest and am focusing on this artistic path full time. While I perform and host shows primarily in Denver, Colorado Springs, and Boulder, I travel often out of state as well. In Denver catch me most often with Blue Dime Cabaret, Ooh La La Presents, and MissFits Entertainment. In Colorado Springs, I regularly join the cast of Stripped, Munchies, the Champagne Cabaret, as well as perform and host at La Burla Bee Cabaret. I have made appearances at the Clocktower Cabaret in Denver and travel to Vegas a few times a year to perform. My newest endeavor is producing the burlesque show and pinup contest at the Colorado Tattoo Convention.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has definitely not always been smooth. Finding who you are again after so many years with someone else was both lonely and overwhelming at times. My newly single status changed my circle of friends. Some of those friends walked out of my life as my journey expanded. Dancing always helps me feel grounded and centered, so I spent a lot of time in the studio and rehearsing as part of my path to self-discovery. One thing that was very challenging was a self-launch into performing burlesque. Many performers start with an experienced mentor. They have a debut performance with the support of their mentor and a dance family. My start was with the support of a few close friends and my parents. Burlesque along with my newly single status made some friends and family uncomfortable. My friend (I will call her Momma Rose) who took me to my first burlesque jazz class, my parents, and a small trusted circle helped me create a new foundation on which to build the next part of my life. Letting the others go took some time. I had to recognize that letting go is a healthy and healing part of starting over. Painful at times but essential.

A self launch was very challenging and not something I recommend. The first big festival I submitted to was at the start of my journey. I was surprisingly accepted and it fell on the night of what would have been my 21st wedding anniversary. I was in the worst of the battle of my divorce and thought it wasn’t taking that big of an emotional toll. I submitted to the festival, because I wanted to grow and to push myself to be a better performer. I was a bit naive as a performer, definitely overwhelmed about how to launch into the Colorado scene, and hopeful about what could be. I created a number that shared an experience with someone new who made me feel seen and more like myself. I was still holding back on stage a bit. Nearly naked and vulnerable is quite scary initially. As part of the festival, I took a class that peeled back some layers and unraveled me emotionally. While it was rough in the class, it allowed me to tap into emoting on stage in a way I had never done before. Opening yet another window into the work I needed to do not just on stage.

While the journey to the stage has been a bit of a challenge, the biggest challenge I face is my daily battle with vertigo and arterial migraines. Due to a set of rear end auto accidents (in which the other drivers were at fault) and the last one by a semi in 2018, I struggle with vestibular and cervical vertigo along with arterial migraines. I’ve had an inner ear surgery for a fistula repair as well as an endolymphatic decompression surgery. I feel nauseous more often than not as well as experience constant disequilibrium. Throw in some unexpected tilts and spins unexpectedly, and I’m at the amusement park without any rides.
I often have to make light of it because if I don’t I would cry. It would be easy to spend too much time wallowing in what my body used to feel like or to give up all together and simply stay on the couch.

As a dancer and fitness professional, I expect more from my body than the average person when it comes to movement and control. When I was injured for the third time, I was in the best physical shape of my life and felt the most devastated trying to battle back to that state. I had to come to terms with my new version of healed and health rather than focus on before the accident. My injuries required taking medical leave from my position as a Professor of Mathematics for a semester and limited hours the following term, a 4 month long driving restriction, and very limited physical activity. I wasn’t able to teach my fitness classes or dance for almost 7 months while trying to get the correct diagnosis. Once I finally did, it was another few months before surgery. After the surgery, I essentially started retraining my vestibular system again.

I’ll never be the same as I was before the accidents. I get quarterly injections for arterial migraines and have a constant low grade headache. There are days when my vertigo is terrible, and I crawl through my house. I don’t missed bookings because of my vertigo or migraines. If I am committed to an event, I find a way to give it my all. I plan rest days and listen to my body.

I rarely talk about these days, but they are important to share. Hearing someone else’s story might change your own. I could have given up. I could have never danced again. I chose to fight to get back some semblance of the life I had. I gave up teaching high impact fitness classes and expanded my showgirl life instead. While it’s not always easy, it’s worth every moment.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
In my former life, I was a Professor of Mathematics, a Director of Academic Assessment, a Department Chair of Mathematics, a consultant for Colorado Department of Higher Education, and a content specialist for Complete College America. I am very proud of my PhD. I was included in a cohort of a National Science Foundation grant (which funded my program) and had the pleasure of being part of the graduate research team for the Center for Learning and Teaching in the West. At present, I have retired from teaching mathematics, but may still do some consulting or advising in the higher education arena from time to time.

Now I am working as a performer, emcee, host, model, and pinup. Almost every weekend of the year, I am on stage somewhere and I love it! While I am most often on stage in shows in Colorado, I have taken my tassels to California, Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, Canada, Croatia, Panama, and Spain. The festival arena is another form of showcasing talent in the burlesque world. I have had the pleasure of gracing many national stages including Salty Desert Burlesque Festival 2024, Kansas City Burlesque Festival 2024 and 2019, Weirdlesque Fest 2024, New Mexico Burlesque Festival 2023, Hollywood Burlesque Festival 2023, Burlesque Bingo at Viva Las Vegas 2022, Mile High Burlesque Festival 2023 and 2022, Colorado Burlesque Festival 2023, 2022, and 2021, Grown Ass Ladies Weekender 2022, Hot Rod Rock and Rumble Racy Revue 2024, 2023 and 2022, Midwest Burlesque Festival 2019, ABurlyQ! 2019, and Golden Legends Champion Challenge 2021, 2019, and 2018. I am the Utah BurlyPicks Master of Tassels 2019. I have expanded to international stages which include Saskatoon Burlesque Festival 2019, the Croatian Burlesque Festival 2023 winning Best Dance Performance, Panama Burlesque Festival 2024 and Kootenay Burlesque Festival 2024, and Ibiza Burlesque Festival 2024.

In addition to performing I model, compete in, and host pinup contests. I am Miss Rock and Rumble 2021 and Miss All American Pinup 2023. I was thrilled to make Pin up finals AZ Rockabilly Bash 2022 and Iron Invasion 2022, and up next Miss Gunslinger Pageant in November 2024. I am a published model in a variety of genres with covers on Retro Lovely and Hell Fire Magazine. I regularly walk in runway shows including Denver Fashion Week and RedBall. September 2023 I was on the runway at New York Fashion Week. I am also excited to say that I have parlayed my stage experience into a bit of acting and was a featured performer in the movie DeathClub! I have recently signed with Conquest Management in LA and am working to build my portfolio.

Because I am and will forever be an educator I still teach. I have been a fitness instructor and dance instructor for 25 years and continue to teach classes every week. I am licensed in Zumba and La Blast and teach other styles of dance fitness as well. My current focus in teaching Burlesque and Heels classes. Find me at Trails Recreation Center on Monday nights at 7 pm for Broadway Meets Burlesque and Colorado Dancesport North at 8 pm for Ballroom Meets Burlesque and 9 pm for Heels. Private lessons and special event workshops are always available.

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Momma Rose took me to get my first photoshoot. I had lost my sparkle, and she wanted to help me to find it again. When I walked into the studio, the photographer was a co-worker at my college! The goal was to shoot something fun and a little sexy for a future someone special. I never thought I was photogenic. My photos often still surprise me. It is very empowering to see yourself how others see you.

I am now very good friends with the photographer and we shoot together often.

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