.:Burlesque:.
Summary:
Burlesque is a form of variety theatre. In the early 19th century, it began as a mockery—or jest—type of performance. From there it grew into a risqué performance style. In 20th century America, it became a wild combination of musical theatre and strip tease known for its mix of satire, performance art, adult entertainment, and broad comedic acts. It has continued to evolve ever since. Today, it is regaining popularity as a performance genre where both women and men appreciate it. Burlesque is not stripping nor do the performers “have to” get naked. In fact, a true burlesque performer may get close to, but is not completely naked. Burlesque is about liberating both the performer and the audience from the fear of social taboo. It’s all about releasing the intrigue and humor of “the tease”.
Seeing A Performance:
Seeing a burlesque performance is very similar to seeing most American performances today. People would have tickets, they would go into a theater, they would sit in the audience seats in front of the stage, and the burlesque dancers would come out on stage and perform. Depending on the burlesque troupe’s performance style preference, a person may or may not be subject to nudity. However, what is guaranteed—at least, if it’s a descent burlesque show—is music (maybe even singing), dancing or other music accommodating movement (today, maybe acrobatics?), and comedy through (of course) the tease.
Visuals:
This picture shows three burlesque dancers from about the 19th century in (modest for today, but) skimpy (for the time) outfits. Each woman is either holding or using or wearing feathers, scarf-like wraps which would be used for teasing the audience. Their bright and flashy attention getting costumes would have fit right into the performance.
This is a poster for the New York School of Burlesque. You can see a lady—most likely the head mistress featured in the video below—in heels (the typical shoe for burlesquers) holding two red fans (a typical tease prop among burlesque performers).
(This video was edited to maintain the G/PG rating of this blog.)
Original video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FULfBON60I
This video is a CBS morning story about the New York School of Burlesque. It shows short clips of the ladies being trained for burlesque and it discusses the effects learning this form of dance has on the ladies. It goes on to discuss the original meaning of the word “burlesque” and how that has affected its growth and gaining popularity. Finally, it gives a glimpse into today’s burlesque’s star’s life and what she feels about her art form.
Interesting Facts:
-Burlesque dancers don’t go by their real names. Each comes up with an individual and personal stage name. (E.g. Dita Von Teese).
-Burlesque is not limited to female dancers. Males also have their own form of burlesque.
-While when it started, attending burlesque shows were popular among the men. Today, burlesque is just as if not more popular with women than it is with men.
Sources:
Ciccarone, Tara Jill. Burlesque 101. 04 Dec. 2008
Murgatroid Mittens, Kittie. FAQ You – A Guide for Modern Burlesquers. 04 Oct. 2009
“Burlesque.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 2010. 16 October 2010 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burlesque>
Etta,
ReplyDeleteGreat blog. I love your findings in regards to the NYC School of Burlesque. Great stuff!