A LOT About Me!

Well hello there! I’m Soul Fire Phoenix creatrix Laura Libby, also known as award-winning burlesque performer Ophelia Flame. I’ve been a dancer, teacher, coach, healer and merrymaker for the last 30 years. My experience as a group fitness instructor, massage therapist and burlesque performer gives me a unique sense of intuition and understanding of the body. I find bodies truly fascinating at every stage of life! These many experiences support my deep desire to move people to love themselves and discover their truest potential. Using music, movement and magic, I work to empower people to live life with more pleasure and joy.

As a life-long practitioner of Hatha Yoga in the Himalayan tradition, I’m fortunate to have benefited from three generations of yogic study and received my 200-hour teacher training certification through Corepower Yoga Minneapolis in 2007. I teach a wide range of classes including Vinyasa, Yoga Sculpt, Indoor Cycle, Barre, and Burlesque Techniques. Most recently, I received my White & Green Belt certificates in the Nia Technique, a sensory-based movement practice that draws from martial arts, dance arts and healing arts. As an intricate part of my own transformational healing, I’m now passionate about sharing Nia with the World.

As Ophelia Flame, I’ve been called the pioneer of the Twin Cities neo-­burlesque scene, performing across the U.S., Canada, and Europe for the last two decades. I began teaching burlesque, producing shows and special events in 2004. I hold the 1999 Miss Exotic World - 2nd Runner-Up and 2012 Reigning Queen of Burlesque - 1st Runner-Up titles from The Burlesque Hall of Fame in Las Vegas. In 2017, I was the honored recipient of “The Sassy Lassy Award” from the Burlesque Hall of Fame for “...recognition of her outstanding contribution to the art of Burlesque, her dedication to education and support of the Museum that has spanned over two decades.” I’m a Golden Pastie Award recipient from the New York Burlesque Festival, featured in The Burlesque Handbook by Jo Weldon, Marie Claire, Penthouse Magazine, and numerous other publications. I’m humbled to have been repeatedly voted one of the Top Burlesque Performers in the World by 21st Century Burlesque Magazine. Phew!

As an instructor and 7-year member (retired) of Burlycon Seattle’s Board of Directors, I’ve offered a well-rounded curriculum of performance-based classes ranging from introductory to advanced and specialty workshops such as my wildly popular “Teasercise” and acclaimed class that focuses on stage fright titled, "Calm The %$# Down!" My specialties are strutting with intention, walking in heels and classic feather fan dances. 

In 2005, I co-created The Twin Cities Burlesque Academy, Minnesota's first school of its kind with my bosom buddy, Gina Louise. Our belief was there’s a bit of show-pony in all of us! The Academy's mission was to teach burlesque technique, performance, and history while encouraging self-expression, body confidence that welcomed students of all levels and backgrounds. The Academy also offered performance opportunities, bachelorette parties and special events. In 2020, after nearly 15 delightful years I decided to close the Academy doors to make space for new endeavors.

My love and fascination with the body really deepened when I started my Massage Therapy studies. I received my 600-hour certification in 1997 from Center Point School of Massage Therapy (then called Northern Lights). My specialties include deep tissue, Trigger Point Therapy, and Swedish Massage. I’m a level-two Reiki practitioner and am currently studying Craniosacral Therapy.

Peri-menopause kicked my ass from ages 43-53, where I spent nearly a decade dismissed and misdiagnosed by uninformed medical professionals. It wasn’t until a wrist fracture in 2022 that I found providers to support my Menopausal Journey. You can hear more about my personal story HERE  It was this challenging time that inspired me to want to learn more to help others so they didn’t have to experience menopause the way I did: depleted, depressed, exhausted and totally lost.

This year I completed training to become a Menopausal Advocate and Support Coach with the express purpose of being part of the solution to some huge problems in women’s health. This training was about 30+ hours of study that covered understanding hormones, Menopausal Hormone Therapy (HRT), supplemental support, nutrition, bone/joint/cognitive health, sexual well-being, physical exercise in aging and the emotional and spiritual aspects of the transition. I also participated in the program created and led by rebounded author Sharon Blackie called Hagtude which focused on the spiritual and emotional aspects of Menopause Transition complimented by Major Arcana. I’ve also read countless books, medical journals and studied archetypes in ancient elder goddesses and the cultural folklore of aging women.

Much of the work I do now as a Menopause Midwife and Advocate is finding and referring clients to well-trained, informed, licensed medical professionals and other healing practitioners so they can receive the support and treatment they need. I use my 30 years of training as a dancer, body worker and passionate educator to help educate, redefine and demystify aging with one-to-one coaching, workshops and community-building retreats. I LOVE helping empower women to be seen and heard while finding confidence and pleasure in living at any age. I also help clients decipher medical jargon, offer solutions for personal care and support clients in processing the emotional and spiritual aspects of menopause.

As Laura Libby, I’ve recently become a country dweller, managing 4 wooded acres near a quaint little town on the St Croix River in Minnesota with my incredibly handsome and talented husband David. We have one, brilliant and delightful daughter studying International Business at the U of M. We enjoy spending our quality time traveling in a small RV, debating who’s more strange and searching for any kind of Vegan dessert. I love baths, dance, travel, all music, being in nature, roller skating, mushroom forging, Finnish Saunas, cocktails at inappropriate hours and am currently learning to play my first musical instrument, the Handpan.

Life is strange and delightful, isn’t it?