Dee Lightfull shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Dee, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What do you think is misunderstood about your business?
I think people misunderstand how much work goes into producing a burlesque show. It’s not just what you see at the show. I spend hours and hours…and hours working on our productions. I don’t want Burlesque Buffet to be a burlesque show, I want it to be a burlesque experience! Each and every day there is something I am supposed to get done for a show. If I take a day off, the work doesn’t disappear, it gets shifted to the next day. From casting to marketing (so much marketing!) to taking care of our cast, venues, and audiences, it’s a lot of work, but I want everyone involved to feel special. To know that it matters to us that they were there and a part of it. Burlesque producing done well is like an iceberg, you see that top, beautiful piece…but there’s a massive amount under the surface that you never see.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am Dee Lightfull, a bold, bodacious burlesque performer from Freeville, New York, known for serving up full-figured fantasy with a wink, a wiggle, and a whole lot of wit. Equal parts sultry and smartass, I’ve spent the last five years slaying stages across 12 states and 2 countries with my signature in-your-face style.
An interesting fact about me is that I didn’t start burlesque until I was 50 years old. I’m 56 now and have performed in 84 shows! In 2025, I performed in my first festival, the Vermont Burlesque Festival. I also shared my burly brainpower at BurlyCon 2025 and as a virtual instructor in 2024.
As founder of Burlesque Buffet, I am an award winning producer. In May, I produced Reveal-ution!, a landmark show headlined by burlesque icon Bella Sin, amplifying diverse voices and reminding the audience that joy is a form of resistance. I’m most proud that I’ve created an inclusive, high-impact platform for emerging and established performers to serve up their most dee-licious selves. I am currently focused on curating our 2026 season. You can check it out (and sponsor us!) at https://www.burlesquebuffet.com/2026
As my tagline says, this is where delight meets dynamite!
Find out more about me at https://www.deelightfullburlesque.com/
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
This may be an unconventional answer, but it’s my relationship with books that most shaped how I see myself. My childhood was…dark. I learned to love reading at a very early age and the escape I found in books was my joy. In 4th grade, I read every biography in the elementary school library (honestly, this should have been a red flag to the adults around me…that I wanted to be anyone but me…but here we are). Books weren’t just an escape, they were a path to knowledge and self-development, as well. If I found an author I liked, I would read everything they ever wrote. From self-help to poetry to non-fiction to historical novels to popular fiction to graphic novels. I loved it all. Later in life, I found scifi and fantasy books and in the last few years, I have become an unapologetic romantasy (smut) fiend. When I want to try something new, like burlesque, I read everything I can about it! I can track my life through books as touchstones, marking the good times, bad times, absolutely horrible times, and times of transformation. My TBR pile will never be finished…I am a book dragon.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
The fear that I’m not good enough. I think this must be the lesson I was sent here to learn this lifetime. I truly think I this fear will always be there, kind of like my claustrophobia. I just no longer care. I hear it. Sometimes it’s really loud. It’s a part of me, like my hair or my eye color, but it can no longer define me or hold me back. This fear has caused me to allow bad relationships, to not go after opportunities, to hide. I just can’t allow that anymore. Life really is short. So, I imagine that fear as my inner child having a tantrum, and I give her a hug and put her in time out. I recently took a class at BurlyCon that resulted in an affirmation for myself. After a bit of processing, I thought my affirmation would be “I am proud to be me.” But, after another chunk of processing, it evolved into “Let’s fucking go!” This really works for me. So, while I am proud to be me, LET’S FUCKING GOOOOO!
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
Absolutely yes. I like to say that one of the great things about me is that “what you see is what you get,” and one of the bad things about me is that “what you see is what you get.” Integrity is one of my core values, so it’s really important to me that I am authentically myself wherever I am….on the stage, in the boardroom, or on the couch.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. Are you tap dancing to work? Have you been that level of excited at any point in your career? If so, please tell us about those days.
I am shimmying to work! When I first started producing burlesque shows, I had so much to learn! As I’ve really allowed myself to sink into the role, I realize producing is a calling for me. It’s not just another job or something I have to do (this is not me saying that burly admin brings me joy, it’s still a chore!). But, I love thinking of ways to make our shows more fun, more inclusive, more accessible…just “more.” My heart is filled up when I hear performers telling me that their backstage experience at our shows gives them life or when an audience member tells me how much something in our show meant to them. I want to create joy.
I also use my platform to put good out into the world by sharing community resources or contributing our raffle dollars to non-profits and indigenous organizations or just giving people a reason to get together and forget what’s going on in the world for a couple of hours.
Producing is the most exhausting and fulfilling work, and I am so grateful to be doing it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.deelightfullburlesque.com/ and https://www.burlesquebuffet.com/
- Instagram: @DeeLightfullBurlesque and @BurlesqueBuffet
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