Kate Gurd aka Dottie DeLite will return to the stage for Stars of Wollongong. Photo: Diamond Deville Photography.
An Illawarra burlesque dancer is brushing off her feather fans and preparing a big return to the stage to show her strength and confidence after a battle with breast cancer kept her in the wings and prevented her from doing something she loved.
Kate Gurd first went to burlesque classes on a whim with a friend who was going through a divorce and wanted to try something new.
But what started as just a bit of fun, quickly turned into a passion which would see her soon start performing in showcases with a newfound confidence.
“I used to dance a long, long time ago but I hadn’t done it for a long time,” Kate said. “I always loved it and loved the music and dancing around just makes you feel good.
“It’s very good for body positivity and it didn’t matter what shape or size you are.
“It makes you feel beautiful and it didn’t matter how you moved either – everyone was at different stages.”
A shoulder injury stopped her from dancing for months, but a more devastating diagnosis was not far behind.
“We were dealing with my shoulder and I told my doctor at the time that I had a lump – normally you get mammograms after 50 and I was 47 at the time,” Kate said.
“I went to get an ultrasound and they said it was fibrous tissue so then I left it because I thought there was nothing wrong.
The treatment had ongoing impacts on Kate’s body, even after the cancer was gone. Photo: Kate Gurd.
“The next year I was seeing another doctor and I said I can feel this lump and it seems to have gotten bigger and she said she couldn’t feel it but would send me off for a mammogram and an ultrasound anyway.
“I got the phone call on the way home to go to the doctors the next day and that’s when they told me it was breast cancer.”
She underwent chemotherapy, radiation and immunotherapy to treat the aggressive HER2-positive breast cancer and endocrine therapy to try and keep it away.
And Kate found a way to help others in their journey by starting the Pink Diamonds Breast Cancer Support Group after her existing support group folded.
“It was a way of giving back. You can talk about it and you can have tears and you can have anger and you can have all those feelings and you don’t feel guilty for having them because the other people understand,” she said.
“Sometimes it’s hard because you don’t want to upset your family knowing you’re upset, so having someone who understands is very good.”
In April 2025, she received the news that she was cancer-free, but it took a toll on her body.
“I had ongoing side effects from the long treatment like neuropathy in my feet and my hands, a few heart issues, so you get through the cancer itself and you’re cancer-free but you’re always reminded of it because there’s other things it’s affected in your body,” Kate said.
Kate created a support group to ensure people going through diagnoses and treatment could feel connected. Photo: Kate Gurd.
Kate had been attending rehabilitation classes to increase her strength, and had the goal of returning to classes.
It was then suggested she give the Cancer Council fundraiser Stars of Wollongong a go, and after ticks of approval from her medical team she embarked on the new chapter to prepare for the stage with her burlesque teacher Mae de la Rue.
“My body’s not moving the same so it’s a new normal but it makes you feel great and when you’ve finished you feel like you’ve accomplished something,” Kate said.
“It’s nerve-racking but exciting at the same time, being able to do it again feels wonderful and showing my friends and family that it doesn’t matter and just because you’ve got a cancer diagnosis it doesn’t stop you from doing things.”
Under the stage name Dottie DeLite, which is a nod to her late grandmother Dorothy, Kate will perform at WIN Entertainment Centre on 19 June at Stars of Wollongong.
But there will be plenty of chances to catch a glimpse of her beforehand, with a showcase at the Music Lounge on 9 May, and a trivia night on 23 May, and money raised supporting the Cancer Council, which have helped Kate personally through her own journey.
“Cancer Council is a part of everybody in some way,” she said.
“Everybody has family or friends who are touched by cancer, so I think it’s a nice way to give back and enjoy it while I’m doing it.”
To donate to Kate or to find out more visit her Stars of Wollongong fundraising page.
