From spinning flames under the stars to captivating crowds with her daring burlesque performances, Ariel Peake reshapes alternative art. Raised amid the vibrant traditions of Hawaii and drawn to the haunting beauty of gothic subcultures, her evolution is a dazzling fusion of danger, grace, and individuality. In this exclusive interview, Ariel delves into her creative inspirations, love for Southern goth scenes, and the empowering artistry behind her breathtaking performances.
Well thank you! I grew up in Hawaii and since I can remember I was fully infatuated with watching the fire spinners on the beach or at The Polynesian Cultural Center. I just thought well that’s gorgeous and looks like fun so I should do it too! I’ve been told I have dangerous aura so the high-stake part didn’t really even cross my mind, that’s just what I’m drawn to. As far as safety, I have insurance and always have a fire safety accompany me to ensure safety mainly for the environment and venue I’m in. When I practice tho at home I tend to do it a little haphazardly but the risk is the fun part for me and without high risk there is no high gain.
It’s actually been a few years now since I’ve worked as professional aerialist. It used to be my main passion and work with performing but when I moved to Nashville during covid, I suddenly found a new love for burlesque and threw myself full force into that. I always still practice and play with my aerials in my personal life and actually plan to return to my aerial performance life in 2025 while merging it with my new love for burlesque. I have yet to marry the two together tho, now you know what to see out of me in the future.
The bigger the better but also the more daunting haha! I definitely get stage fright beforehand bad! But the moment I hit the stage, it all changes and I’m swept so into the moment and my body just takes over completely. It’s what lets me know that performing was one of the things I was put on this Earth to do. It’s my favorite joy on earth whether it be behind a camera, for a small crowd or massive festival. I will say tho a good crowd is beyond gratifying and appreciated! If you enjoy a show please let the people you are watching know! Clap, scream, laugh, awe, whistle, and tip!!!
I remember watching Matrix and Matrix Reloaded as a kid and anytime there was a rave/party scene it reminded me of the dances/parties at the Polynesian Cultural Center but like a cyber goth version of it and I thought, yes that’s my vibe! Many other factors outside of dance contributed as well, I’ve just always been drawn to the darker, more cursed sides of any art form or culture. I grew up with parents who were both professional artists that had a darker/spooky side to their work so I’m sure it’s something that lives in me inherently.
I think any art form empowers individuality no matter what it is and you allow your true form to come out. What more is art than your expression and experience coming out into the world as an aesthetic?
Oh god. Haha I love being a part of Playboy and what it all means and entails…..however, I am not great at branding myself as artist, if I were I guarantee I would be highly successful right now. That’s definitely a weak spot for me. I just wanna make art I love and share it. That and be hot.
It’s always fun to be a part of a show or performance that has a theme cause that’s when the creativity really gets a good challenge. If the sky is the limit then it’s always different, sometimes I’m inspired by the costume and shape the details around the costume. Sometimes it’s the song rather and I base the performance and costume around the song. It’s always an ebb and flow.
Well I will start off by saying the underground movements, especially the goth and punk scenes of the South have my heart. They keep it real, they keep it grimey, they keep it dangerous. The west coast is so watered down for real underground scenes now and everything fun has been cancelled or manipulated. What made me fall in love with goth culture or when I was more in punk culture is long and gone from the west coast. I had no idea I would discover it once again in the south but it’s there and thriving. I felt like I could perform in my true form there once I began. Notably an event called She’s Lost Control in Nashville is where I rediscovered my real love for performance once again after feeling held back and stagnant for years. I am back on the west coast now but will always still travel to the south or east coast to perform!
Ya know I gotta get better at all that 😉 but I do pretty good at posting clips of my process to my stories on instagram. Sometimes I do reels of performances on TikTok and YouTube but could afford to be better at it. Instagram is probably the best way to watch my behind the scenes, costume process and live clips of my performances on my stories. If anyone out there would like to talk to me about being a professional social media manager for stuff like that, I’m always on the hunt! Please email or DM me!
