Bringing Burlesque to the Main Stage
Burlesque dance school ‘Sapphira’s ShowGirls’ is celebrating its 10 year anniversary and in light of its huge success over the years, founder Priscilla Silcock, more widely known as ‘Sapphira’ in the world of Burlesque and is also a singer-songwriter, has been sharing her inspirational story which first led her to discover her love for entertainment.
Over the past decade, she has helped inspire and empower countless women across the globe through the work of Sapphira’s Showgirls, her book ‘Burlesque or Bust’ (Trigger Publishing) and through creating the annual Ibiza Burlesque Festival.
Having been brought up in a very restrictive religious upbringing and although loving her family and respecting the Christian Brethren Community she was part of, Priscilla struggled to hide a side of herself that she wished could shine and was eventually excommunicated by the Church in her late teens.
As a young woman, Priscilla never felt like she truly fitted in and by her early 20s, a series of life events led her to experience a severe mental breakdown which required hospitalization. Despite such dark times, this ended up being a pinnacle moment in her life and led to her totally transforming her life, her career and her future.
After making a full recovery, Priscilla made a momentous life decision to move from her hometown of Australia to the UK to pursue a career in singing and dancing. It was in London that Priscilla was first introduced to Burlesque, a dance genre which would capture her personality and enable her to dance and dress exactly how her heart desired.
Priscilla’s love for Burlesque grew, thriving as her alter ego Sapphira, so much so that she started her own dance school ‘Sapphira’s Showgirls’ where people are not only taught to dance but embrace and empower themselves within music, costumes and identities. Sapphira’s Showgirls now has a presence in London, Melbourne and Ibiza, with many followers and supporters across the globe.
“Sapphira’s Showgirls has built a safe and secure environment for people to share their insecurities and feel truly liberated. Whether they have experienced body confidence issues, mental health problems or simply felt restricted creatively, so many of our girls have experienced complete transformations since taking up Burlesque. It is such a privilege to be able to share this artform with others, as it personally helped me to battle my own demons and make a full recovery from my own mental health illness,” explains Sapphira.
“Our ultimate goal is for people to just be happy in their own skin, fully accepting of themselves, and beaming with self-confidence.”
Sapphira’s Showgirls is also known for their continuous support to several charities and for its regular fundraising activities including #BurlesqueAPeel. Sapphira also offers sound healing sessions as a certified Soul Voice® Practitioner.
Reflecting on over a decade in the business, Sapphira says “Sapphira’s Showgirls is relatable to everyone in today’s world. It helps people to love the body they are in and encourages others to share their battles/stories within the growing Burlesque community. Our ultimate goal is for people to just be happy in their own skin, fully accepting of themselves, and beaming with self-confidence. Even just helping one person to achieve this makes all of the hard work worth it.”
In addition to her success in Burlesque, Sapphira is also a singer-songwriter. She recently joined the tributes and fundraisers across the country to late frontman of the UK band The Prodigy, Keith Flint, by releasing her single Dark Angel and donating all proceeds from MP3 sales in 2019 to leading independent charity Help Musicians UK who offer a mental health support line for the whole music industry.
The Prodigy have always been a strong influence on Sapphira’s creative direction, and she was, in fact, supported by The Prodigy’s singer Maxim, who donated his artwork to one of Sapphira’s fundraisers to help raise £1,500 for charity.
“I was utterly devastated to learn of Keith’s passing,’ Sapphira says. “His persona and songs made him seem invincible and he motivated me to be fearless in expressing my fiercer side through music which had an immense cathartic effect in my life. To realize a man I admired so much was struggling to the point of taking his own life has shocked me completely. It shows that even with the heights of success in the entertainment industry no-one is immune to being affected by depression and facing a mental health crisis. It has made me more resolved to keep speaking out to reach others before it’s too late.’
Dark Angel was produced by Tonestepa, who is also Sapphira’s husband, and was released to coincide with World Bipolar Day. It has already gained the support of leading drum and bass DJ Kenny Ken, who planned to incorporate the track into his set for a Keith Flint Tribute.
Sapphira, who is an unsigned artist, is using Universal music’s platform, Spinn-up to self-publish her song. All sales from the MP3 will go to the Music Minds Matter helpline. To buy, stream or listen to Dark Angel visit: https://sapphiramusic.bandcamp.com/track/dark-angel.
Jenna Owen is a Contributing Editor at The National Digest based in the United Kingdom. You can reach her at inquiries@thenationaldigest.com.