Chris Stewart

Chris Stewart is a Burlesque producer and entertainer who performs as Zora Phoenix, a gender illusionist, and as Sean Nannigans, a Boylesque performer. He has been part of the Burlesque and performing arts communities in Portland and beyond for 22 years.

Chris was born and raised near Louisville, Kentucky. He spent about 3 ½ years in Southern California before moving to Portland in 2007. He credits living in Southern California with opening his eyes to other cultures and other art, and moving to Portland helped him become the person he is today. In his formative years, he was a professional square dancer and clogger, and he taught Country Western line dance. The first time he sang on stage was at age 8. In high school, he was in the marching band and in the color guard. In Southern California, he discovered the art form of Drag performance.

Chris worked for 20 years in corporate marketing, network administration and as a digital media analyst. Today he is an entrepreneurial creative artist, working full time as the events coordinator and promotions manager of a popular Portland bar. He is also the Executive Director of the Rose City School of Burlesque, where he teaches 70% of the classes.