Get More LVWITHLOVE Content at LVwithLOVE.com
Become a partner or contact us
Anja Keister is bringing burlesque back to Northampton, and she is doing it with intention.
Keister, an award-winning burlesque performer and producer who grew up in Northampton, will return home this Valentine’s Weekend with a live burlesque and variety show at the historic Roxy Theatre. The performance comes after more than a decade spent working in New York City and performing internationally across Europe, including shows in Germany and Prague.
Keister’s path to burlesque began through art and art therapy. After studying fine arts and later earning a graduate degree in art therapy, she moved to New York City, where she was looking for a way to continue making art outside of traditional gallery spaces. Burlesque became that outlet, combining theater, movement, design, storytelling, and audience interaction into a single live experience.
For Keister, burlesque is not about shock value or spectacle alone. She describes it as a way of controlling time and attention in a culture that rarely slows down.
“One of the really fun things about burlesque is that it resets the brain,” she explained on the podcast. “It’s about tease, anticipation, and building excitement slowly.”
That approach stands in contrast to most modern entertainment, where content is designed to move quickly and keep audiences scrolling. Burlesque, by design, asks people to watch closely. Small gestures matter. A glove coming off or a jacket lingering becomes part of the story. The payoff is not just visual, but emotional.
Keister also spoke about the deeper roots of burlesque, tracing it back to its satirical and political beginnings in the 19th century before it evolved into pinup culture and later re-emerged in the 1990s as neo-burlesque. Today’s burlesque, she said, allows for far more range and complexity.
“Burlesque can be sexy, but it can also be funny, emotional, intense, and biting,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be one thing.”
That philosophy is central to D20 Burlesque, the production Keister founded. Known for blending burlesque with pop culture, nerd culture, and theatrical storytelling, D20 Burlesque has been featured at festivals, conventions, and venues around the country. The upcoming Northampton show is intentionally broader, designed as a vaudeville-style variety night rather than a tightly themed production. The lineup includes burlesque alongside dance, aerial performance, and other live acts.
Bringing the show to the Roxy carries personal meaning. Keister grew up minutes from the theater and spent much of her childhood there. After years of changing in backstage corners and bathroom stalls at small venues in New York City, returning to a historic hometown stage feels full circle.
Ticket sales reflect the interest. VIP and reserved seating have already sold out, with general admission tickets moving quickly ahead of Valentine’s Weekend.
More information about Anja Keister, D20 Burlesque, upcoming performances, and tickets can be found at https://linktr.ee/anjakeister.
Thank you to our Partners!
WDIY 88.1 FM
Wind Creek Event Center
Michael Bernadyn of RE/MAX Real Estate
Molly’s Irish Grille & Sports Pub
Banko Beverage Company
Advertisement
Advertisement
Email your news release to info@lehighvalleywithlovemedia.com