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The name "Calamity Chang" is inspired by the notorious frontierswoman Calamity Jane, an outlaw who was known to be a daredevil and an alcoholic. Calamity Chang may not be all those things (but she did grow up in Texas), she does exemplify the same rebellious freedom through the art form of burlesque.

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Calamity Chang launched her burlesque career in New York City and spent two decades performing and producing across the scene, creating multiple long-running weekly and monthly shows. In the early 2010s, she founded burlesque at Nurse Bettie, the Lower East Side’s iconic pinup bar, helping shape one of the neighborhood’s signature nightlife experiences. She is also the co-founder and producer of the Asian Burlesque Festival, now in its 14th year, celebrating artistry, representation, and spectacle on an international stage expanding in 2022 to a sister show in Montreal.

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Named by The Huffington Post as one of the “20 Burlesque Stars To Know” and by 21st Century Burlesque as one of the Top 100 Burlesque Performers in the World, Calamity’s credits include DIFFA NYC, Inked Magazine’s Pinup Issue Release Party (2015), and private events for celebrities including Brooke Shields, Corey Miller (LA Ink), and the cast of The Addams Family. She guest-starred with Moby’s metal band DiamondSnake on “Woman, Yea,” appeared on Oddities (Science Channel) and My Big Redneck Vacation (CMT), and more infamously Calamity can be spotted in Steve McQueen’s NC-17 film Shame (2011) starring Michael Fassbender as "Late Night Lover #1".

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Now based in the Poconos, she brings NYC glamour to the region through performances and productions including her crowd-favorite monthly show Send Noodz at Sango Kura Brewery and her productions at the Mauch Chunk Opera House, proving that burlesque and glamour belong everywhere.

 

This "Asian Sexsation" has made a mark in the burlesque world with her signature food-inspired ("foodlesque") acts focusing on Asian culinary icons in popular culture such as Sriracha hot sauce, sushi roll, and cup o' noodles. By fusing her love for food and her Chinese heritage in playful and sexy striptease performances, Calamity brings visibility to performers of color worldwide with a dash of whimsy and a peppering of good humor.

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Calamity has a wide range of performance styles suitable for all kinds of events. She is just as comfortable being a glamorous showgirl teasing with feather fans and ostrich boas in classic showgirl-style acts as she is performing neo-burlesque acts clad in shiny latex and other fetish-inspired looks.