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Meet the Performers

Meet the Performers

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Brittany Ann Tranbaugh (pronounced TRAN-baw) is an award-winning singer/songwriter based in Philadelphia, PA. Originally from the Lehigh Valley area in PA, she kicked off her music career as a teenager playing at Godfrey Daniels, one of the country’s only remaining bona fide folk listening rooms. She has since performed all over the US and Canada in theaters, living rooms, basements, bars, coffee shops, backyards, and on festival stages including Firefly and Philly Folk Fest. Accolades include a 2021 Grand Prize in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest for her song "Kiss You" and finalist spots in the Gems in the Rough, Kerrville New Folk, and LEAF NewSong contests. In April 2022, she debuted an EP entitled “Quarter Life Crisis Haircut,” her first official release in over a decade. In this new batch of memorable and thoughtfully crafted songs, she tackles a wide range of topics including her sixth grade queer awakening, an awkward run-in with an old acquaintance, and the impossibility of true folk music authenticity in this day and age. At times witty and sarcastic, at other times heartbreaking and raw, the EP undoubtedly showcases Tranbaugh’s finest work to date.

We are the Side Chicks, a female fronted, duo consisting of Vocals, Guitar, and Saxophone (sometimes a 5-piece band), Soul/Jazz/Funk group from Philadelphia. We love catchy melodies, snazzy improv, and long hikes in the mountains.

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Rising from the Hell Fire of Queens New York. Jae Bae is your local east coast kink, queer, and performer. Clapping cheeks and keepin it picante, this Latine Pole Fairy incandescence will have you burning up in your seat

Majnoon stumbled out of a border town dumpster and into your heart - be prepared to be turned on and terrified as this feral ferocity always delivers the drama.  Based out of Providence, RI majnoon is one of the producers of Goblin Hole - a weirdo drag + art party happening every other month!

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Caresse Deville dove headfirst into the burlesque world when she began producing a burlesque and flow arts variety show, Flirt & Flow Show in NYC. It was here that she made her performance debut. She has since moved to Philadelphia where she has taken the scene by storm! She is best known for her power-packed performances that often incorporate her love of ecdysiast excitement with her first love: hoop dancing. She currently resides as the Holy Erector of Philadelphia’s only bdsm metal burlesque troupe: Slut Church. She has the devilish touch that’s just too much.

Denise Darling is an educator, parent, and poet originally from North Philadelphia. Their erotic spoken word poetry is rooted in the intersections between gratitude, longing, and release. Classically trained in literature and theatre, Denise lends her dexterous tongue to sensual sonnets. When they are not writing, this nonbinary queer spends time camping and hiking.

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Whimsy weaver Lindsey Noel enchants and amazes every room they enter. Live and Virtual from the stages of Penn & Teller: Fool Us, Chicago Magic Lounge, Monday Night Magic, & The Hollywood Magic Castle - to name a few - Lindsey exudes big glamorous energy in a pint sized package.

As a bisexual person she strives to create bivisibility by existing loudly. Judging by the amount of straight men angered by Lindsey Noel simply existing on the internet, she's doing a great job so far!

Quyen (win) Tran is coming to you out of Boston. She is a regular fixture in the queer scene whether it be as a public speaker, transtape model & representative, or as her drag king alter ego, Jayden Jamison. 

 

Jayden is excited to step on stage for the retreat and more excited about a possible  rendezvous with Clifford!

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Sherman is like... a weird little guy. They live in murder basements, piles of costumes, and in your wettest lucid dreams. They will make you laugh, then cry, then you'll maybe throw up in your mouth a little, and then round it off with a little more laughing or crying. If you like hoarney absurd smoldering goblin art - Shermans got you. They are full of fluids and ready to share as many of them as possible to select and lucky members of the queer community.

I am your Saturday night entertainment, I am Dj Shadylady! I’m so excited to play music for all of you beautiful people! I can’t wait to see your gorgeous faces smiling back at me!

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The Workshops

The Workshops

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"Sapphic Stargazing"
led by Jess Harper Meyers

Could we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars? Could you really use a wish right now? Well, in the dark of night at Lezapalooza, you won’t need to pretend! Join Jess (they/them or she/her), LGBTQIA+ Program Director for Tribe 12 Philly and avid stargazer, as they take you on a tour of the Cosmos. Learn to identify stars and constellations, whether for your own personal edification or just to impress your next date (we The Gays love the stars). Explore your astrological birth chart as we explore the corresponding astronomical sights. Admire the beauty of the Universe, and appreciate how it is reflected in your own beauty. The workshop will conclude with optional group intention-setting. Don’t forget to bring something warm (in case it gets chilly), glasses (if you need them), and a picnic blanket or camp chair (if you’d rather not sit on the ground)!

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"Queering the Narrative"
led by Jackie Domenus

When it comes to genres, we know queers love poetry (~*feelings*~). And how many of us got our sapphic fill from fanfic and other fiction alike? But what about creative nonfiction–the personal essay, the memoir? Often times, people feel that in order to write about themselves, their story has to have a clear beginning, middle, and ending, all wrapped up with a bow. But for most of us queer folks, our stories aren’t so linear, so traditional.

In this workshop, we will explore the ways in which LGBTQ+ folks can experiment with creative nonfiction in non-traditional forms. These sorts of essays are referred to as “borrowed form” or “hermit crab” essays, because they adapt to an already existing form: a travel itinerary, a dating profile, a eulogy. Maybe you want to write about your relationship with your body, but it makes more sense as a grocery list or a recipe. Sure you could tell the story of your “coming out”, but what if you tried writing it as a “how to” guide? Led by a queer writer who has studied and published creative nonfiction extensively, workshop participants will look at some short examples of non traditional essays/memoir by queer folks, then with a whole list of form ideas, we’ll practice writing our own stories in hopes of gaining a deeper understanding of ourselves.

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"Meditation for Beginners"
led by Marla DiMercurio

A mindfulness meditation.

Do you have a daily (or somewhat daily) meditation practice, and want to keep that up while at Lezapalzooza? Mindfulness newbie and want more information? Have no idea what mindfulness is all about and want to give it a try? Annoyed with everyone telling you to meditate? Want to walk away feeling peaceful and relaxed? Want to end the constant chatter in your gay brain? This workshop is for you! This is all about being present with yourself, taking time to slow down, access inner truths, connect with nature, be in your body, be still, be quiet, BREATHE. Mindfulness is one of those words that has gotten used so much, it doesn’t mean anything anymore. We will make it meaningful by practicing it. You will be guided in various forms of meditation: sitting, standing, lying down, and walking. You will be lead in guided, and unguided meditations. We will awaken all the senses. You will have time to process and discuss what it was like for you, and what came up.

Please bring a yoga/workout mat to sit on, as well as a towel or blanket to use as a meditation cushion for your comfort. I suggest wearing comfy loose clothes you can really breathe in- nothing tight. I will bring a few yoga blocks and zafus (meditation cushions) for folks who do not have them or forgot. You also want to bring water as it might be hot.

About the workshop leader: Licensed clinical social worker and therapist, trained in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (Jefferson 2018), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (2017), Prolonged Exposure Therapy (2019), Psychoanalytical Psychotherapy (2020).

I have a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Religious Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond, VA). The religious studies portion included classes in Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, and Native American spirituality. I went to temple weekly and meditated with the Buddhists in Richmond VA. They graciously took me in, and taught me to sit, drink tea, and stop be a human doing, and be a human being. I also learned the ancient art of Tai Chi.

I have a masters in Social Work from Rutgers University, (New Brunswick, NJ). There I took the clinical track, learning a wide array of therapeutic practices. There I interned at various organizations, always with a focus on group and, individual therapy, and community healing.

Much of my career has been dedicated to working with those who struggle with addiction. I taught mindfulness in group settings for 3 years. My most recent social work job provided talk therapy to individual clients virtually. Now working in the research department at CHOP, I still have a passion for the healing mindfulness can provide, especially in a group setting.

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"Lez Dance!"
led by Liz Wolff

"Zesty Zumba Class for the Rhythmically Inclined (Or not…we’re not choosy)." Are you here for the moves? Here for the jams? I’ll make you groove and work on those gams! Come partake in some Zumba! (Bootleg, of course, cause your girl isn’t certified). I have a background in ballroom (collegiate level from many, many moons ago) and in the last five years I got involved with the joys of group exercise! If you love dancing as much as I do, this class is for you. Any level of experience is welcome; just come with the goal of moving around and laughing a bit. Please wear exercise clothes and some comfortable shoes. Please bring plenty of water, sunscreen, and a hat. This class will offer intensive aerobic exercise with options to modify. Try not to get hung up on the moves; the goal is to move around a bit and let your hair down. Think Romper Room for adults but with a dancing focus. Class will involve 45 minutes of dancing with another 10 for cool down and stretching. Let the dancing begin!

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"Draw Me Like One of Your French Queers"
led by Nicole Ackerman

A Camp Drawing Class that you won’t want to miss! Ever want to live out your teenage queer dreams of being Leo in titanic and draw Rose like one of your French girls? Ever want to embody a venusian goddess for a hoard of lesbians adoringly & meticulously drawing your every curve in the forest sunlight *le sigh*? Ever want to have the art school experience with-out the soul crushing student debt? Let your wildest dreams come true with a guided figure drawing class from your workshop leader Nicole Ackerman, an art director with a Masters of Fine Arts and has taken many a drawing class in her day and wants to share the joys of both sides of the exchange of being a model and artist with you dear camper. With the ultimate goal of having fun, expressing yourself, getting a little attention if you’re a hammy muse, bonding over showing each other your drawing, and having a keepsake to take home as camp memories. We’ll warm up with a few quick fun 2 minute poses, two 5 minute poses, and end with two 20 min poses (where you can really get into it and experience some flow state as an artist, or as a model recline luxuriously like the art you are.) We’ll make sure you’re comfy as a model and whatever pose or level of clothing your feel like wearing is part of your expression, get silly, get sexy, get campy, just give us something fun to draw. It’s a good opportunity to be present, creative, and share a few laughs with everyone!

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"First Guitar Class"
led by Kelly Martin

Have you ever heard a song and wished you could play it on the guitar? Join us for your first guitar lesson! This workshop will provide you with the basic information you need to play the guitar. We will start with how a guitar works and the parts of the guitar but will primarily focus on four main chords that make up most pop songs. To close the workshop, we’ll jam out to a few songs. You bring the willing spirit and I’ll bring the guitars!

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"Poetry with Koli"
led by Koli Russo

My name is Koli Marie. I’m a local self published poet, and I’m running a poetry workshop. In this workshop you can look forward to learning some basics of poetry (imagery, form, figurative
language) and writing some of your own! You’ll get your own composition book to write in and a pen so you can write in the inspiring backdrop of Lezapalooza! I am so honored to be running
this workshop because poetry is my passion and I love to share my knowledge of it with people! This is a beginner type workshop, but all levels of poets are welcome! We’ll go over the basics
(ex. Does poetry have to rhyme? How can you find a poem in a leaf?) some of my favorite forms of figurative language (tmesis, anyone? Thank you E.E.Cummings), and then we’ll take a little
time to write our own poems and then, of course, have a little share session. Sharing isn’t necessary, and is always optional!

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"Screen Printing with Dad"
led by Lauren Flood

Screen printing is the technique of creating a picture or pattern by forcing ink onto a surface through a screen of fine material. I learned how to screen print in college and have been utilizing this artistic procedure to create various projects from clothing to credit cards as my profession for the past 8 years. In this workshop, you will have several designs to choose from, while still expressing your own artistic flare, to create your own piece of art to bring home as a souvenir from your time at Lezapalooza 2022. We will break out into groups and interact with fellow campers to make your masterpiece truly one of a kind. I’d love to share my world with you and teach you something new. You will be able to select from to following images: https://tinyurl.com/22LezScreens

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"Sustainable Ag Conversation"
led by Brianna Parsons

This workshop will be a community conversation on agriculture, the environment, and climate change, led by Brianna Parsons, a veterinarian, educator, and non-profit director who’s worked in agriculture both in the United States and The Gambia, West Africa, for over 8 years. I (Brianna) am a Lecturer in Sustainable Agriculture at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. I co-founded and act as Director of Gambia Goat Dairy – an agricultural development initiative focused on agricultural research and community outreach to improve maternal and child nutrition, reduce poverty, steward the environment, and build community wellbeing. Gambia Goat Dairy was founded in 2016 through a two-month feasibility study with significant community buy-in to ensure impact and sustainability. At Penn Vet, I also teach a course on One Health and Global Food Security which asks the question of how do we equitably feed the world in the face of population growth, climate change, and massive (& growing) global inequality.

I will lead this workshop by sharing some of my major takeaways from my experiences working in agriculture in the US and The Gambia, sharing research, data, and lived experiences. Expected topics include: the role of animal-source foods in human nutrition across the globe, the impact of animal agriculture on the environment, the impact of capitalism on our global food systems, and speculations and ideas for how to create a more equitable food system - though I'm excited to see where participants take this conversation! As such, I will invite participants to share their experiences and ideas and ask questions of myself and each other. Knowing how caring our Lezapalooza community is, I’m hoping this workshop will create a space for all of our bleeding hearts to think about these big issues and walk away more hopeful about our future. Picture sitting around in a circle at a beautiful location at our camp, with other caring souls, talking animals, agriculture, environment, and culture. This won’t be the most ‘fun’ workshop, but it will be a chance for introspection, reflection, and connecting with other Poozians in a more intimate way to think about our world and the way we feed one another.

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