“Burlesque breaks molds; it lets the artist take the reins of their body and their message to present it to the general
public as they see fit.”

— Sally Marvel

Sally is a sideshow and burlesque performer who is also a member of an elite group of dangerous dames, being one of 50 known female sword swallowers worldwide. Inspired by circus freak show acts, Sally employs sword swallowing, glass walking, fire eating, whip cracking, human pincushion, and bed of nails in her strange, alluring, and death-defying performances. 

Sally wants her audience to have visceral and whimsical experiences that stick with them well beyond her on-stage performance. 

Conversation with Sally Marvel

Website: www.sallymarvel.com

Instagram: @sallymarvel

After I moved to Chicago, I was couch surfing at a friend's place. This friend had connections to the local burlesque community. Thinking they were helping me out, they lied to their burlesque friends and told them that I was also a burlesque performer. I just rolled with it because I didn't want to put my friend in an awkward position and also, I desperately needed to expand my social circle and have a creative outlet. I didn't know any one in Chicago.

It took me a while to find something in burlesque that I was very passionate about. (As I mentioned above, me becoming a performer was a bit of happenstance and social necessity). But to get to the point, I really love weirdo art, and I loved having the opportunity to witness and explore it. The longer I stuck with burlesque, the more people I met who did things I found exciting. Some of those people were kind enough to teach me their trades. I suppose I could have quit, but being able to take wild things from inside my head and breathe life into them on stage is absolutely thrilling, especially when you can create a riveting experience for your audience.

Through burlesque, I became connected to other entertainment disciplines which I was able to make my own. These skills have allowed me to become a full time performer and to travel the world. Burlesque has also helped me meet and work with other creatives. My life is super colorful.