About Cruel Valentine

Known as “Chicago’s Own Community Chest”, Cruel Valentine is an award-winning, international burlesque entertainer, adult film performer, Dominatrix, actor, dancer, writer, and artist, Valentine began performing the art of burlesque in 2007. Since then, they have spent the past several years performing their way across the nation and abroad, racking up multiple awards and honors. Valentine is an independent performer, producer, and teacher of burlesque, as well as an adult performer with The Lust Garden, featured on Pink Label. CruelValentine.com is your go-to for all things Valentine, including a line of professional-grade pasties, vintage pin-up couture, and other titillating burlesque accessories. In addition to touring and teaching privately, Valentine has worked as a board member with several Chicago performance art organizations, as well as offering business consulting services to alternative, creative, and adult companies. Their teaching credits include various educational and speaking engagements both domestically and abroad, including workshops at the collegiate level at several of Chicago’s major universities, covering a wide range of topics including dance instruction, higher education, business, sexual health, sex worker rights, and more. With extensive experience in theatre, music, and dance, Cruel Valentine is a triple threat and then some, fusing multiple styles in their performances. A dedicated storyteller, they are never afraid to go there, or to make a mess with their art.

For booking, press, or other inquiries, please contact info@CruelValentine.com or fill out this handy contact form!

Learn from Cruel Valentine

Private Lessons and Creative Business Consulting Services

Cruel Valentine offers private and group virtual burlesque lessons! The curriculum is tailored exactly to fit students’ needs, abilities and goals. Whether you’re looking for a fun and basic burlesque themed workout, a novice seeking a boot camp to prepare you for your burlesque debut, or a seasoned performer seeking strength and flexibility training or choreography consultation, Valentine can create a custom class to suit you! Rates begin at $60/hour for individuals. Learn more and book here.

Additionally, Cruel Valentine offers their creative business expertise and career development experience in the form of one-on-one consultations with artists and small business owners looking to cement and grow their brand’s reach, success, and sustainability. In addition to assisting with everything from getting your business name registered, to sorting out self-employment and sales tax, Valentine also lends their recruitment and HR knowledge to those seeking work as well as those hiring for jobs, by full cycle recruitment assistance for small and niche businesses, and offering resume overhauls and mock interview services to those in the job market. Learn more and book here.

Cruel Valentine Resume Highlights

Education:
Master of Arts Management, Expected May 2021
Columbia College Chicago
Bachelor of Arts, Musical Theatre, 2018
Columbia College Chicago

Academic Appointments:
Graduate Teaching Assistant, 2019 to Present
Columbia College Chicago
Feminist in Residence Fellowship, First Runner Up, 2020
Women’s Center, Northwestern University

Headlining and Featured Burlesque and Cabaret Appearances, 2007 to Present:
Madrid, Spain
Toronto, ON
Atlanta, GA
Los Angeles, CA
Ann Arbor, MI
Detroit, MI
Cleveland, OH
Milwaukee, WI
Minneapolis, MN
Delafield, WI
San Francisco, CA
Washington, DC
Ypsilanti, MI
Frederick, MD
Indianapolis, IN
Bloomington, IN
Des Moines, IA
Nashville, TN
Iowa City, IA
St. Louis, MO
Syracuse, NY
Columbus, OH
Saint Paul, MN
Austin, TX
Denver, CO
Pittsburgh, PA
Philadelphia, PA
Sonora, CA
Long Beach, CA

Awards & Acknowledgments
2015 Winner of the Burlesque Bitch People’s Choice Award
2014 Burlypicks Chicago Regionals Master of Tassels
2014 Burlesque Bitch Audience Choice Top 7
2014 Burlypicks International Finalist
2014 Unbustled at Unbridled Finalist
2014 Unbustled at Unbridled 2nd Place Audience Choice, 2nd Place Overall
2013 Burlypicks International Finalist
2013 Burlypicks Finals Best Improv
2012 Texas Burlesque Festival Audience Choice Award
2012 Gorilla Tango $500 Burlesque Thing Finalist

Performance Highlights
Thotless, Open Television, Season 1, Recurring, Self (Principal Role) 2019 to Present
Easy, Netflix, Season 2, Episode 7, Performance Artist #2 (Principal Role) 2017
Fire Ball Masquerade, Madison, Wisconsin 2013 to 2018
Fierce Queer Burlesque Festival, various U.S. cities 2013 to 2016
Show-Me Burlesque Festival, St. Louis, Missouri 2016
Windy City Burlesque Festival, Chicago, Illinois 2012 to 2015
Michigan Burlesque Festival, Detroit, Michigan Headliner 2013, 2014
ElectroBlues Cabaret, Madrid, Spain 2013
The Dirty Show, International Erotic Art Exhibition, Detroit, Michigan 2009 to 2011, 2013
Texas Burlesque Festival, Austin, Texas 2011 to 2013
Mondo Homo Queer Arts Festival, Atlanta, Georgia 2010

Professional Memberships and Activities
SAG-AFTRA Eligibility Est. 2017
Burlesque & Performance Community of Chicago
Industry Group Administrator, 2013 to Present

Educational Activities
The Leather Archives & Museum, Chicago, IL
Contributor, Guest Speaker on Sex Work & COVID-19, 2020
2020 Pandemic Sex Work Archival Interview Collection
Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
Center for Awareness Response & Education
Sexual Health & Assault Peer Educators
Guest Speaker on Sexuality, Sex Work, and Sexual Health, 2020
Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
Consultant for “Sexual Pleasure 201” Presentation, 2020
Sexual Health & Assault Peer Educators
SEA Conference, Columbia College Chicago, Illinois
Panelist on Graduate School for Self-Employed Artists, 2020
Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
Teaching Artist, Choreography Consultant, B. Burlesque, 2017 to 2019
Queer, Ill & Okay, Chicago, Illinois
Teaching Artist, 2016 to 2017
Women of the Now, Chicago, Illinois
Panelist on Sex and Sexuality, Poerotica, 2017
Victory Gardens, Chicago, Illinois
Panelist on Plaçage and Sex Work, The Body Politic, 2016
DePaul University, Chicago, Illinois
Performance Art Workshop Educator, Queer, Ill & Okay, 2015
Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
Performance Art Workshop Educator, Queer, Ill & Okay, 2014
Fierce Queer Burlesque Festival, Madison, Wisconsin
Panelist on Minorities in Burlesque, 2014
Harrington College of Design, Chicago, Illinois
Performance Art Workshop Educator, 2013

Presentations
     Valentine, C. (2019). A Timeline of Fumbles: Presidential Response to the HIV/AIDS Crisis. A lecture presented at Columbia College Chicago as a part of Professor Alton Miller’s 50 Years of Civil Rights in Chicago course. December, 2019.
     LaRoux, S. and Valentine, C. (2017). Merchandise & Marketing: Mastering Your Side Hustle. A workshop on entrepreneurship, marketing, and income diversification for independent artists, presented at Free Range Office in Chicago, IL as well as virtually. August, 2019.
     Valentine, C. (2017). Patronage for the Modern Creative. A workshop on crowdfunding and patronage strategies for artists and creative business owners, presented at Free Range Office in Chicago, IL, as well as virtually. August, 2019.

Editorial and Production Board Appointments
The Virtual Strip Club, Chicago, Illinois
Founding Committee Member, 2020 to Present
Jeezy’s Juke Joint: A Black Burly-Q Revue, Chicago, Illinois
Executive Production Board Member, 2011 to Present
Queer, Ill & Okay, Chicago, Illinois
Programming Committee and Curatorial Panel Member, 2016 to 2018
Zivity, LLC, San Francisco, California
Editorial Board Member & Social Media Team Advisor, 2014 to 2018
No-Tell Cabaret, Chicago, Illinois
Co-Producer, 2014 to 2016
Festival of Flesh Variety & Burlesque, Chicago, Illinois
Assistant Producer, 2014 to 2016
Queens of Cups Productions, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Co-Producer, 2013 to 2014
Girlie-Q Productions, Chicago, Illinois
Production Board Member, 2008 to 2010