Disabilitease Academy

The DisabiliTease Academy was established in 2021 to address the needs of disabled performers from around the world. The COVID-19 pandemic took away opportunities for individuals to not only learn how to be performers, but also for disabled performers to hone their craft within the burlesque, drag, cirque, cabaret, and other movement and performing arts communities. The Academy addresses these gaps through quality online programming meant to not only inform but also bring performers of all backgrounds together. 

The DisabiliTease Academy exists as a space for disabled performers to find community from across the globe. Our programming benefits those who might not be able to attend traditional movement and performance arts courses due to physical, financial, or transportation constraints.

People with disabilities tend to be cut off or secluded from their communities and do not often see themselves represented on stage or in classrooms. Interacting with others from around the globe gives disabled performers a sense of belonging and the feeling that they are allowed in the same spaces typically occupied by able-bodied performers.

All are welcome at the DisabiliTease Academy.
Everyone will have the opportunity to express themselves and receive the education, validation, and recognition they deserve.

We look forward to seeing you in our classroom!

About The Owners

Minda Mae
Minda Mae(She/her)
Minda Mae puts the “babe” in Disabilibabe. Hailing from Minneapolis, this boundless beauty is the first wheelchair-using burlesque performer in Minnesota. A fierce advocate for persons with disabilities, she works tirelessly to spread awareness and champions for change at every opportunity. She is the producer of the DisabiliTease Festival and the founder of the DisabiliTease Academy, both exclusively for burlesque, circus, and drag performers with disabilities. Don’t ‘dis’ her ‘ability’ to capture your heart, because that’s how this wheeling woman of wonder rolls.
Lakota Shekhar
Lakota Shekhar(She/her)
Lakota Shekhar is the Owner and CEO of Cleveland, Ohio’s 2021 Best burlesque troupe, Blackwater Cabaret. Lakota is also the co-producer and co-owner of the DisabiliTease Festival and DisabiliTease Academy.

She has been a two-time feature in Amazing burlesque, and a three-time Ohio Pinup OH! Girl. She is the reigning 2021 GLCC Golden Hustler with teammates Sasha A. Bombfox and Madam Ofeelya Redd. She performed in the 2021 Burlesque Hall of Fame in Love letters to Legends, paying tribute to her burly mom, Gabriella Maze.

This babe is Ohio’s only wheelchair performer, putting the Tease in DisabiliTease. Lakota Shekhar is Burlesque’s Best Kept Secret!

About The Team

Fire Hazzzard
Fire Hazzzard(She/her)
Minnesota’s first Nonverbalesque performer, Fire Hazzzard rolled into the burlesque scene in July of 2019. She thoroughly enjoys long strolls to the bank and cats. In her everyday life, Fire binge-watches serial killer comedies, checks social media every 5 seconds, and falls asleep in the middle of doing literally anything. Fueled by caffeine and anxiety, this no-spoon, chronically fabulous, queen of sass will dazzle you with her mediocre lip-syncing and microscopic dance moves. She can’t move or talk, but make no mistake; she will still do ALL the things… as long as she’s awake!

In addition to being a disabled af comedy burlesque performer, Fire is a freelance graphic designer who sells her work on various print-on-demand websites and does commissions. She is also a Copy Editor and Social Media Manager for the DisabiliTease Festival, the DisabiliTease Academy, and an image description writer for Glitter Groundwork.

Oreo Munroe
Oreo Munroe(She/her)
This lady’s superhuman mutation made her into a decadent treat you can’t help but drool for. This double-stuffed vixen is rich with wit, sass, and some of the class. Rolling in all the way from Chesapeake, VA, it’s Oreo Munroe!
Ruby Revenge
Ruby Revenge(She/her)
Ruby Revenge is a performer and educator from Minneapolis. Ruby spends time working as an advocate for LGBTQIA+ youth as a way to support their identities and growth in the greater community. When not considering the children, Ruby enjoys teasing and tantalizing the masses with her own special brand burlesque that blends her love of kink, nerdoms, and everything sparkly. Ruby is the Empress of Retribution who demands satisfaction. She will consensually take what she wants and give you what you need…good and hard.

Metro Regional Arts CouncilThis activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.