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A Tease of Burlesque history

 

Burlesque? You’ve heard the term, but do you know what it is? You might have seen a show, or have some notion as to what you think it is. Maybe you’re familiar with some of the names- Josephine Baker, Dita Von Teese, or Jean Idelle. But what are its origins? Who were major icons along the way? And where is it today? Well, here is a revealing insight (pun intended) into burlesque.

 

I’ve always personally wanted to get into burlesque. Literally all of my adult life I have loved it, and I wanted to break into the empowering and intoxicating world. I’ve been to France and seen shows, I am familiar with the art of Toulouse Lautrec and his portrayal of the Paris nightlife and cabaret dancers, I have followed popular stars on Instagram, and attended every show I have been able to see. Recently I finally got the chance- an open audition and I MADE IT. So it’s time to come up with a stage name, a persona, and to really do that it’s important to understand the lineage before me and how I want to carry on the art form. So here we go!

 

The word burlesque originates in Italy, and meant mockery. A librettist- someone who writes operas, yeah I just learned that word also- used this term to describe his work. This wasin the 1500’s. Burlesque has a long history of personality and caricature, so we can see how this is easily transferrable. You stage persona becomes a larger than reality expression of your purpose- what does the artist want to convey or relate to the audience, and how to make that connection. Early burlesque took other well known/classical works and parodied them. These shows featured often crude comedy and scantily clad persons, and were performed in “working class” theatres. It was a fun romp of parodies, laughs, dancing, and sexuality. It became popular on stages in England and France through the 17^th and 18^th centuries. This was brought to America in the 1840’s, and became popular by the 1860’s. The striptease element slowly began to overshadow comedy, and the first burlesque striptease in America is credited to Lydia Thompson. Burlesque then became subject to intense local legislation and began to lose popularity by the 1940’s. But don’t worry, it’s not the end of the story. Hold that thought, we must give credit to those before us.

 

Popular dancers of the height of burlesque:

Lydia Thompson- b1838-1908. Grew up in London onstage doing comedy, theatre, and dance and eventually became one of the biggest names in burlesque of the time. Credited with the first striptease in America (pay attention.)

 

Jean Idelle- b1932. credited as the first black burlesque star in America and was active in the 50’s and 60’s, famous for her fan dances.

 

Josephine Baker- 1906-1975. The first black woman to star in a major motion picture. Known for her own personal style of dance, and became a vaudeville sensation before movies. Check out her banana skirt!

 

Millie Deleon- b1873-1922. Noted as “The first real queen of burlesque” and her signature move was removing her garters and throwing into the audience. I love this quote “notorious for manipulating the media through the artful use of the scandal.”  Get it.

 

Henry Dixey-b1859-1943. – The first famous male burlesque star. Known for his white tights and leg muscles that “drove women crazy.”

 

These are some of the major players in what became the “modern” form of burlesque- revived in the early 2000's and a departure from simple mockery of classical culture, to the bold, empowering, sometimes funny sometimes sensual, always entertaining and beautifully accepting art form that we know today. The current “Queen of Burlesque” is my personal favorite- Dita Von Teese- A classically trained ballet dancer, well known for her traveling shows and her famous “martini dance.”

 

So what is burlesque today? It’s whatever we want it to be! Neo-Burlesque, as it has been termed, gives it’s nod to it’s origins through performance and striptease and is able to be expressed through many many forms including: modern dance, classic dance, the classic striptease, mayhem, comedy, drama, and anything we can think of to make you question themes, connect to our performances, make you smile, maybe entice you maybe repulse you, maybe turn you on (probably turn you on), and overall give you an evening of smiles, laughs, skin, and probably some sequins and it will definitely linger in your mind and imagination. The burlesque community continues to grow and be a beautifully accepting community of all bodies and expressions, and available to anyone to enjoy or express.

 

I greatly encourage you to check out your local cabarets, troupes, and burlesque in your area or catch some of the major players in the current industry!