Meet Talloolah Love: Part owner of Metropolitan Studios, Dance instructor, Burlesque performer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Talloolah Love and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Talloolah, what’s one piece of conventional advice that you disagree with?
Oh… so many thoughts about this. I was raised on the concept that art isn’t a career. You do for yours. What’s mine is mine and if you get a college degree your life will be perfect and financially sound and easier and and and and and…. One thing 2020 most especially has taught me is that all of that is nonsense. The human race needs one another to survive. A degree is just a piece of paper that amounts to nothing in the end. What you really need to know how to do is farm and bake bread. Art is the only thing that sustains us when the system stops and allows you to explore and create. Capitalism makes us a cog in a machine and takes away our autonomy to explore and have freedom of expression. Capitalism only makes you think you’re free because you have a tv and a car. Capitalism reduces us to tasks, numbers, and what-can-you-do-for-us-isms that instils a crushing self destroying existence. So yeah. I disagree with a lot of conventional wisdom these days. It just doesn’t add up anymore.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art is multifaceted I guess you could say? I am a teacher that does. I guess that’s a convention I rail against as well. I have been a burlesque performer since February of 2002, and my art has changed a lot over the years. Challenges change as the years trod on, I guess. I am not considered commercially beautiful, and that’s been a challenge. Being a woman who manages her own career has been a challenge. Being a woman who also has a day job, but considers her art her career has been a challenge, and now that I am forty, the newer challenges are: being seen as a valid viable artist in a world growing more and more commercial as the years march on, and dealing with the fact that we can’t be in live venues. So now we have to learn new technology like video editing and virtual platforms. If I had to give anyone any advice it would be, Just keep plugging away, be kind, show up on time, and do things for others without the expectation of getting anything in return.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Breakfast/ brunches throughout the week would feature: Midway in EAV, Le Petite Marchet in Kirkwood, Flying Biscuit and Good Karma in Avondale Estates. I adore parks so I would take them to a few free parks and trails through the city on days when money was tight, and for the splurge, we’d visit The Botannical Gardens, Calloway, and the aquarium. Lunches would be Raging Burrito in Decatur, Holy Taco in EAV, My Parents Basement in Avondale, and if it ever opens again, Delia’s chicken Sausage Stand in EAV. Evening events would feature burlesque shows throughout the city usually. Highlighting the Redlight Cafe, Smith’s Olde Bar, or City Winery (I miss the speakeasy next to City Winery, we used to enjoy the heck out of their cocktails and DJ’s) Depending on the time of year, we’d check out the Park Tavern shows, maybe a jog over to The Red Door for evening drinks. Late dinners are always at Elliott Street Deli and Pub, Delia’s, R. Thomas’ or Waffle House

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Shout out to Roula Roulette for being an incredible business partner in Metropolitan Studios, and to Ursula Undress for believing in me and asking me to be a part of it. Shout out to the troupe members of The Candybox Revue, Atlanta’s premier award winning burlesque troupe, and my artistic brothers, sisters and comrades. Lastly, a shout out to Burlycon in Seattle. This is a convention for Burlesque that happens every year. It is my pilgrimage and though we don’t get to go this year, I tell all of my students how vital it is to make their way out there for networking, self care, and perspective should they take their art seriously and wish to take it to the next level.

Website: www.metrostudioseav.com
Instagram: Metropolitan_Studios
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/metropolitan-studios
Twitter: https://twitter.com/metrostudiosatl
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MetropolitanStudios
Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCKIB1kY9nRfJjMUj3_RNhkA

Image Credits
StunGun Photography Ed Lee Danielle Boise