{"id":1841243,"date":"2026-03-23T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-23T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1841243"},"modified":"2026-03-23T08:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T05:00:00","slug":"these-portraits-capture-the-charismatic-performers-of-paris-nightlife","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1841243","title":{"rendered":"These portraits capture the charismatic performers of Paris nightlife"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/0-330-2115-1410\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442127.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"main-article standard \">\n<div class=\"article-main-content article-wrapper has-media-but-its-an-image\" data-status=\"loaded\" data-primary-article=\"true\" data-url=\"\/art-photography\/article\/69951\/1\/chanel-victor-paris-dancers-portraits-venus-noire-burlesque-photographs\" data-article-id=\"69951\">\n<header class=\"article-header has-portrait-image no-media\">\n<div class=\"wrapper dg-max-width\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<figure class=\"main-img has-figcaption\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.7\" data-template=\"Standard Article\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Chanel Victor\" class=\"img\" height=\"3000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1280\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442127.jpg\" width=\"2115\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"inner\"><span class=\"credit\">Photography Chanel Victor<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"meta\">\n<div class=\"inner\"><time datetime=\"2026-03-23T08:00:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"23 March 2026\"><span class=\"month\">March<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"23\">23,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"titles\">\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<div class=\"sections\"><a class=\"category vertical - art-photography\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\">Art &amp; Photography<\/a><br \/>\n\/<br \/>\n<a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/lightbox\">Lightbox<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"standard-tag-container\"><a class=\"standard-category\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\">Art &amp; Photography<\/a> \/<br \/>\n<a class=\"standard-series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/lightbox\">Lightbox<\/a><\/div>\n<h1 class=\"title\"><span>These portraits capture the charismatic performers of <span class=\"nowrap\">Paris nightlife<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<div class=\"standfirst\">\n<h2>Chanel Victor\u2019s ongoing series of candid photographs documents a close-knit community of dancers, burlesque troupes and cabaret performers <span class=\"nowrap\">in Paris<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-03-23T08:00:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"23 March 2026\"><span class=\"month\">March<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"23\">23,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-03-23T08:00:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"23 March 2026\"><span class=\"month\">March<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"23\">23,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/p>\n<div class=\"providers\">\n<div class=\"contributors\"><span class=\"contributor\" data-contributor-role=\"Text\"><span class=\"contributor-role\">Text<\/span><a class=\"contributor-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/user\/sarahmoroz\">Sarah Moroz<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article-body-container\">\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"dazed-gallery has-13-images \">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<header>\n<div class=\"info\"><span class=\"heading\">Chanel Victor<\/span><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"gallery\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumbs\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36868\/0\/chanel-victor\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Chanel Victor\" class=\"img\" height=\"837\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/32-333-1256-837\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442115.png\" width=\"1256\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36868\/1\/chanel-victor\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Chanel Victor\" class=\"img\" height=\"861\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-801-1292-861\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442120.png\" width=\"1292\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36868\/2\/chanel-victor\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Chanel Victor\" class=\"img\" height=\"845\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-168-1268-845\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442116.png\" width=\"1268\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36868\/3\/chanel-victor\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Chanel Victor\" class=\"img\" height=\"848\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-119-1272-848\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442117.png\" width=\"1272\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36868\/4\/chanel-victor\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Chanel Victor\" class=\"img\" height=\"864\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-162-1296-864\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442118.png\" width=\"1296\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36868\/5\/chanel-victor\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Chanel Victor\" class=\"img\" height=\"862\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-143-1294-862\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442121.png\" width=\"1294\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-footer\">Gallery \/ 13 images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>As anyone who watches RuPaul knows, \u201cCharisma, Uniqueness, Nerve, Talent\u201d are essential qualities in a worthy performer. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/chanelvictor_\/\"><span>Chanel Victor<\/span><\/a><span>, who shoots diverse performers in an ongoing series, captures similar fabulousness. <\/span><span>The emerging Paris-based photographer began her creative journey on the other side of the lens. Victor pursued acting in French TV and film for eight years, \u201cbut, you know, the industry here is so white, so gate-keeping,\u201d she laments. \u201cAll I wanted to do was to express myself. They kept giving me these roles of, <em>OK<\/em><\/span><em><span>\u2026 act like the Black girl.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span>The reductive nature of the entertainment industry led to an artistic crisis; Victor turned to painting. Hockney was a source of inspiration, especially when she realised he was also a photographer, and followed his lead. \u201cI love his Polaroids; I did the same,\u201d she says. \u201cI bought a Polaroid, and I started shooting my friends.\u201d Polaroids turned into film photography, then digital. Today, her visionaries include <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/nan-goldin\">Nan Goldin<\/a> (\u201cI bought my ticket for the first day,\u201d she enthuses of Goldin\u2019s current show at the Grand Palais in Paris) and Helmut Newton. \u201cSome people would find that \u2026mmmm,\u201d she says of Newton, but \u201chis shots are aesthetically impressive, technically impressive.\u201d Moreover: \u201cBe bold \u2013 I take that from him as well.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>When she started, Victor began with nudes, \u201cbecause <\/span><em><span>I<\/span><\/em><span> was feeling vulnerable,\u201d she admits. She shifted when she understood vulnerability didn\u2019t have to have a one-to-one relationship with being naked. \u201cIt\u2019s also something in the eyes \u2013 somebody opening the door to you. It\u2019s massive trust.\u201d That trust has to be earned, but she found performers to be especially magnetic because they excel at showcasing their sense of self.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"bc28fbe7-b123-4193-9f4e-b41300ea3f50\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1270\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442116.png\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.7\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Chanel Victor\" class=\"img\" height=\"1818\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442116.png\" width=\"1270\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Photography Chanel Victor<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>One of them, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/mashakils_\/\"><span>Masha Kils<\/span><\/a><span>, was involved in cabaret; their shoot became a defining one for Victor. As soon as Kils posted an image by Victor online, \u201call these performers came my way\u201d, she says of what she deems a collective, supportive and ultimately close-knit scene, unfurling in Paris and its outskirts at places like La Gait\u00e9 Lyrique, Communal, and Cirque \u00c9l\u00e9ctrique. \u201cIt could be very underground,\u201d Victor says of the venues, but also, \u201cit could be in a restaurant \u2013 they start dancing on the tables.\u201d She cites <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/venus___noire\/\"><span>Venus Noire<\/span><\/a><span>, a Black queer troupe, as especially captivating for \u201creclaiming their Blackness\u201d in a way she praises as \u201chighly political\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Despite the inherent dazzle of a show, Victor often photographs performers at \u201coff\u201d hours, or within their homes, to examine \u201chow their space is presented, how they carry themselves\u2026 [how] they carry their craft\u201d. It\u2019s an alternative to mid-show splashiness \u2013 even if, for these performers, \u201chome is <\/span><em><span>also<\/span><\/em><span> backstage and onstage.\u201d She\u2019s photographed the first female MC of Crazy Horse, lying on a gold bedspread with an issue of Playboy, and a finalist of Drag Race France sporting an enormous curly wig and a red-and-magenta sheer robe (above).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Balancing glamour and labour, Victor figures out the sweet spot between intimacy and performing persona. Without dimming the allure of performance, Victor\u2019s perspective is one of demystification, creating a mellow kind of accessibility. One trans burlesque performer, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/monaladoll\/\"><span>Mona LaDoll<\/span><\/a><span>, made this especially clear for Victor: \u201cglam was not just about the costumes \u2013 it\u2019s about the attitude.\u201d When Victor arrived, Mona was smoking in her kitchen while chatting on the phone, wearing a tank top with her own name. In anticipation of the shoot, Mona went into her bedroom, started doing her makeup, \u201cand then was like<\/span><em><span> I don\u2019t care. I\u2019m fab.\u201d <\/span><\/em><span>And she is<\/span><span>: wearing rollers and red lipstick, track pants and tattoos, her insouciance is radiant.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"519b4412-8d11-4033-92e7-b41300ea4a7a\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1298\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442118.png\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.7\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Chanel Victor\" class=\"img\" height=\"1846\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442118.png\" width=\"1298\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Photography Chanel Victor<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Talking to her subject before shooting is a critical step for Victor. \u201cI\u2019m also the stylist,\u201d Victor says.<\/span><span>She likens it to \u201ctwo friends just playing dress up after open conversations\u201d. She features precise postures and a relationship to colour that painting helped cultivate. \u201cI like sharp photos, sharp eyes, this massive aura.\u201d She wants the result to feel good for both parties, the photographer and the subject. \u201cIt&#8217;s for both of us,\u201d she reasoned. \u201cIt\u2019s [their] face.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Although based in Paris, Chanel also spent time in New York City amidst a scene that felt markedly different, photographing models, showgirls, and dancers on the Myrtle Avenue Local subway, in front of the Statue of Liberty, in their downtown Manhattan apartments, or at model Aweng Chuol\u2019s birthday party with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/alex-consani\">Alex Consani<\/a> in attendance. \u201cThe pace in New York was super intense, so the sense of connecting was completely different,\u201d she says. In Paris, by comparison, the models granted her more time to exchange. \u201cHere, you come more casually, and you have access gradually.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>As for places she dreams of shooting? She wants to capture the underground dance hall scene and carnival in the Caribbean \u2013 she\u2019s from Dominica and grew up in Martinique. She is keen to do something about her own roots, to showcase her family: \u201csomething less performative\u201d, in this case, inspired by \u201cold family photos from the 70s\u201d. And there\u2019s also Thailand, where she wants to shoot sex workers \u201cwho also find joy in performance\u201d. She visited the country a couple of years ago, \u201cbut the camera was on me,\u201d she laughs of her pre-photographer era. \u201cI was doing selfies.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>Follow Chanel Victor <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/chanelvictor_\/\">here<\/a> for updates and future projects.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. 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identity<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swiper-slide list-element\">\n<div class=\"scard-latest__section\">\n<div class=\"card-latest__wrapper\"><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/article\/69936\/1\/linn-phyllis-seeger-information-superhighway-shipton-gallery-true-idle\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Linn Phyllis Seeger, true idle (2026)\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-0-1775-1181\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441943.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">This artist explores where the information superhighway is really taking us<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" 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alt=\"012-3-rondinone\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-0-2586-1720\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441593.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">This brightly coloured art anthology is ending the age of beige<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swiper-slide list-element\">\n<div class=\"scard-latest__section\">\n<div class=\"card-latest__wrapper\"><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/article\/69913\/1\/dana-lixenberg-american-images-mep-paris-exhibiiton-tupac-trump-lil-kim\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Dana Lixenberg, American Images, MEP, exhibition, Paris\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-2-2354-1565\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441674.jpeg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">These portraits interrogate the power of celebrity in America<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/article\/69901\/1\/what-to-look-out-for-at-art-basel-hong-kong-2026-highlights-angelle-siyang-le\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Anne Imhof, Poppy Runner III (2025)\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/402-234-2405-1600\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441525.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">What to look out for at Art Basel Hong Kong 2026<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/article\/69877\/1\/nan-goldin-sisters-saints-and-sibyls-photo-book-thames-hudson-barbara\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Nan Goldin, Sisters, Saints and Sibyls\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-218-1968-1309\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441283.jpeg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\"> Sisters, Saints and Sibyls: Nan Goldin\u2019s ode to \u2018rebellious sisters\u2019<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline\" data-newsletter hidden>\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"dazed-gallery has-13-images \">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<header>\n<div class=\"info\"><span class=\"heading\">Chanel Victor<\/span><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"gallery\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumbs\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36868\/0\/chanel-victor\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Chanel Victor\" class=\"img\" height=\"837\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/32-333-1256-837\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442115.png\" width=\"1256\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36868\/1\/chanel-victor\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Chanel Victor\" class=\"img\" height=\"861\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-801-1292-861\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442120.png\" width=\"1292\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36868\/2\/chanel-victor\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Chanel Victor\" class=\"img\" height=\"845\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-168-1268-845\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442116.png\" width=\"1268\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36868\/3\/chanel-victor\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Chanel Victor\" class=\"img\" height=\"848\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-119-1272-848\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442117.png\" width=\"1272\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36868\/4\/chanel-victor\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Chanel Victor\" class=\"img\" height=\"864\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-162-1296-864\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442118.png\" width=\"1296\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36868\/5\/chanel-victor\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Chanel Victor\" class=\"img\" height=\"862\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-143-1294-862\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442121.png\" width=\"1294\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-footer\">Gallery \/ 13 images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>As anyone who watches RuPaul knows, \u201cCharisma, Uniqueness, Nerve, Talent\u201d are essential qualities in a worthy performer. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/chanelvictor_\/\"><span>Chanel Victor<\/span><\/a><span>, who shoots diverse performers in an ongoing series, captures similar fabulousness. <\/span><span>The emerging Paris-based photographer began her creative journey on the other side of the lens. Victor pursued acting in French TV and film for eight years, \u201cbut, you know, the industry here is so white, so gate-keeping,\u201d she laments. \u201cAll I wanted to do was to express myself. They kept giving me these roles of, <em>OK<\/em><\/span><em><span>\u2026 act like the Black girl.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span>The reductive nature of the entertainment industry led to an artistic crisis; Victor turned to painting. Hockney was a source of inspiration, especially when she realised he was also a photographer, and followed his lead. \u201cI love his Polaroids; I did the same,\u201d she says. \u201cI bought a Polaroid, and I started shooting my friends.\u201d Polaroids turned into film photography, then digital. Today, her visionaries include <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/nan-goldin\">Nan Goldin<\/a> (\u201cI bought my ticket for the first day,\u201d she enthuses of Goldin\u2019s current show at the Grand Palais in Paris) and Helmut Newton. \u201cSome people would find that \u2026mmmm,\u201d she says of Newton, but \u201chis shots are aesthetically impressive, technically impressive.\u201d Moreover: \u201cBe bold \u2013 I take that from him as well.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>When she started, Victor began with nudes, \u201cbecause <\/span><em><span>I<\/span><\/em><span> was feeling vulnerable,\u201d she admits. She shifted when she understood vulnerability didn\u2019t have to have a one-to-one relationship with being naked. \u201cIt\u2019s also something in the eyes \u2013 somebody opening the door to you. It\u2019s massive trust.\u201d That trust has to be earned, but she found performers to be especially magnetic because they excel at showcasing their sense of self.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"bc28fbe7-b123-4193-9f4e-b41300ea3f50\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1270\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442116.png\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.7\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Chanel Victor\" class=\"img\" height=\"1818\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442116.png\" width=\"1270\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Photography Chanel Victor<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>One of them, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/mashakils_\/\"><span>Masha Kils<\/span><\/a><span>, was involved in cabaret; their shoot became a defining one for Victor. As soon as Kils posted an image by Victor online, \u201call these performers came my way\u201d, she says of what she deems a collective, supportive and ultimately close-knit scene, unfurling in Paris and its outskirts at places like La Gait\u00e9 Lyrique, Communal, and Cirque \u00c9l\u00e9ctrique. \u201cIt could be very underground,\u201d Victor says of the venues, but also, \u201cit could be in a restaurant \u2013 they start dancing on the tables.\u201d She cites <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/venus___noire\/\"><span>Venus Noire<\/span><\/a><span>, a Black queer troupe, as especially captivating for \u201creclaiming their Blackness\u201d in a way she praises as \u201chighly political\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Despite the inherent dazzle of a show, Victor often photographs performers at \u201coff\u201d hours, or within their homes, to examine \u201chow their space is presented, how they carry themselves\u2026 [how] they carry their craft\u201d. It\u2019s an alternative to mid-show splashiness \u2013 even if, for these performers, \u201chome is <\/span><em><span>also<\/span><\/em><span> backstage and onstage.\u201d She\u2019s photographed the first female MC of Crazy Horse, lying on a gold bedspread with an issue of Playboy, and a finalist of Drag Race France sporting an enormous curly wig and a red-and-magenta sheer robe (above).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Balancing glamour and labour, Victor figures out the sweet spot between intimacy and performing persona. Without dimming the allure of performance, Victor\u2019s perspective is one of demystification, creating a mellow kind of accessibility. One trans burlesque performer, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/monaladoll\/\"><span>Mona LaDoll<\/span><\/a><span>, made this especially clear for Victor: \u201cglam was not just about the costumes \u2013 it\u2019s about the attitude.\u201d When Victor arrived, Mona was smoking in her kitchen while chatting on the phone, wearing a tank top with her own name. In anticipation of the shoot, Mona went into her bedroom, started doing her makeup, \u201cand then was like<\/span><em><span> I don\u2019t care. I\u2019m fab.\u201d <\/span><\/em><span>And she is<\/span><span>: wearing rollers and red lipstick, track pants and tattoos, her insouciance is radiant.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"519b4412-8d11-4033-92e7-b41300ea4a7a\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1298\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442118.png\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.7\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Chanel Victor\" class=\"img\" height=\"1846\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442118.png\" width=\"1298\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Photography Chanel Victor<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Talking to her subject before shooting is a critical step for Victor. \u201cI\u2019m also the stylist,\u201d Victor says.<\/span><span>She likens it to \u201ctwo friends just playing dress up after open conversations\u201d. She features precise postures and a relationship to colour that painting helped cultivate. \u201cI like sharp photos, sharp eyes, this massive aura.\u201d She wants the result to feel good for both parties, the photographer and the subject. \u201cIt&#8217;s for both of us,\u201d she reasoned. \u201cIt\u2019s [their] face.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Although based in Paris, Chanel also spent time in New York City amidst a scene that felt markedly different, photographing models, showgirls, and dancers on the Myrtle Avenue Local subway, in front of the Statue of Liberty, in their downtown Manhattan apartments, or at model Aweng Chuol\u2019s birthday party with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/alex-consani\">Alex Consani<\/a> in attendance. \u201cThe pace in New York was super intense, so the sense of connecting was completely different,\u201d she says. In Paris, by comparison, the models granted her more time to exchange. \u201cHere, you come more casually, and you have access gradually.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>As for places she dreams of shooting? She wants to capture the underground dance hall scene and carnival in the Caribbean \u2013 she\u2019s from Dominica and grew up in Martinique. She is keen to do something about her own roots, to showcase her family: \u201csomething less performative\u201d, in this case, inspired by \u201cold family photos from the 70s\u201d. And there\u2019s also Thailand, where she wants to shoot sex workers \u201cwho also find joy in performance\u201d. She visited the country a couple of years ago, \u201cbut the camera was on me,\u201d she laughs of her pre-photographer era. \u201cI was doing selfies.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>Follow Chanel Victor <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/chanelvictor_\/\">here<\/a> for updates and future projects.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/article\/69951\/1\/chanel-victor-paris-dancers-portraits-venus-noire-burlesque-photographs&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/0-330-2115-1410\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442127.jpg&#8221;] Photography Chanel Victor March\u00a0 23,\u00a0 2026 Art &amp; Photography \/ Lightbox Art &amp; Photography \/ Lightbox These portraits capture the charismatic performers of Paris nightlife Chanel Victor\u2019s ongoing series of candid photographs documents a close-knit community of dancers, burlesque troupes and cabaret performers in Paris March\u00a0 23,\u00a0 2026 March\u00a0 23,\u00a0 2026 TextSarah [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,76],"class_list":["post-1841243","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-dazeddigital-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1841243","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1841243"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1841243\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1841243"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1841243"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1841243"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}