About
Força: noun/’foɾsa/
strength, force
Drawing her name from her Portuguese heritage, Força the Lady-King is a woman on fire. Dubbed Toronto’s “force of nature”, her acts are as changing and unpredictable as the elements. Força’s signature high energy choreography, enigmatic facial expressions, dynamic audience interaction, comedic timing, and powerful stage presence bring both classic decadence and neo-burlesque fantasies to life to create an experience that is evocative in every sense.
Força has graced some of the largest burlesque stages worldwide. She has been invited to compete at the most prestigous burlesque festival worldwide, the Burlesque Hall of Fame, on two occasions— in 2024 for the coveted title of M Exotic World and in 2019 for the “Best Debut” category. A trained actor, director, and designer, she is an award-winning performer who is sure to leave your heart racing. Both brains and beauty, Força was just awareded PhD from the University of Toronto, where she writes about burlesque! Her research has been featured in the Canadian Theatre Review and at conferences across North America.
Força is currently based in the settler city “Toronto”, traditionally refered to as Tkaronto (“Where The Trees Meet The Water”; “The Gathering Place”). Tkaronto situated on the traditional and stolen lands of the Haudenosaunee, the Anishinaabe, and the Wendat, and the treaty territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit. Força acknwoledges these Nations and any other Nations who care for the land (acknowledged and unacknowledged, recorded and unrecorded) as the past, present and future caretakers of this land.
Notable Appearances
2024 — Burlesque Hall of Fame — M EXOTIC WORLD Competitor —Las Vegas
2024 — Teaser Festival — New Orleans
2023 — Burlesque de L’alcove — Montreal — HEADLINER2023 — Sin City Burlesque Festival — Live Band Competitor: Queen Category — Las Vegas
2023 — New York Burlesque Festival — NYC
2022 — Imperial Burlesque Canada Competition — WINNER in regionals, 2nd runner up in Nationals2022 — Panama Burlesque Festival — Competitor
2022—Bagel Burlesque Festival — Montreal
2021 — Co-Producer: “Love Letters to the Legends” Tribute Showcase — Virtual Burlesque Hall of Fame
2021 — Producer and Moderator: Spectacular Striptease Legends Panel — University of Toronto2019 — Burlesque Hall of Fame —"Best Debut" category — Las Vegas
2019 — Carnivale Sensuale "SATANIC PANIC" — Denver
2019 — Berlin Burlesque Week — Berlin
2019 — Tassel d'Or — Montreal
2018 — Ottawa International Burlesque Festival — Ottawa
2018 — New York Burlesque Festival — NYC
2018 — New Orleans Burlesque Festival —NYC
2017-18 — Toronto Burlesque Festival — Toronto
2018 — Vancouver Burlesque Festival — Vancouver
2017 — Edmonton Burlesque Festival - Competition WINNER —Edmonton
2017 — Montreal Burlesque Festival — Montreal
2017 — HOLIDAY Burlesque at the Opera House — Toronto
2017-19 — Capital Burlesque Expo — Ottawa
2016 — 'Ghoulesque' Horror Burlesque Tour
Scholarship
Força holds a PhD from the University of Toronto with a background in theatre and performance studies, women and gender studies, sexuality studies, and english literature. Her current research focuses on feminist knowledge production in contemporary burlesque performance. Força has been invited to present her internationally, in Canada, the United States, and Ireland. She has been a guest lecturer in campuses across the Greater Toronto Area. Força is committed to making her research available to the general public through regularly providing updates on her work via her newsletter, and by offering public lectures and classes. Her lecture series “Reclaiming Exoticism” was presented to a sold-out virtual audience! She has also delivered sold-out lectures in Montreal, Halifax and Toronto. Força brings a grounded understanding of both theory and practice to panels, workshops, talks, and other public appearances!
With a practical background in acting, theatre creation and design and a rigorous understanding of burlesque through her studies, Força is available for one-on-one act consultation and teaching burlesque at private events.