Burlesque Frequently Asked Questions Part 4
Does burlesque involve nudity?

Not necessarily. If you go to a modern neo-burlesque night, you will probably see a variety of acts, most of which will involve an element of tease, and some of which will have the performer stripping down to her underwear and maybe even to pasties (nipple covers, maybe with tassels attached). But you will just as likely see a number of acts that do not involve nudity at all. For example, Sugar Blue Burlesque‘s particular brand of burlesque is based in authentic vintage dance and costume, and does not always involve any nudity, winding burlesque back to its earlier days before nudity was commonplace. The ladies of Sugar Blue Burlesque aim to be tease-artistes extraordinaire, dazzling with their dance steps and smiles, with plenty of tease but no sleaze.

In many ways, burlesque is a lost art. We’ve been desensitised by explicit sex and nudity in the media, on film, television and the Internet, we’ve been desexitised! Want to see full nudity? You can get it at any local strip club, every second website, or, just flip on the television after midnight and watch the ads. Want to see scantily clad girls bumping and grinding? Just watch MTV. For me, burlesque isn’t about nudity, it’s about the tease! It’s about allure, about mystery and glamour, everything we’re missing in today’s society. Though it may have been scandalously saucy in the early 20th century, against the backdrop of the 21st century, burlesque is an innocent and playful approach to women’s sexuality. Today, it is most definitely more tantalizing to conceal than to reveal!

Photo: Sally Rand, courtesy of KPM Associates.