Burlesque is a theatrical entertainment genre that combines comedy, parody, music, and dance — historically including striptease as a central element. Originating in 19th-century Europe as literary and musical parody, burlesque evolved in American vaudeville and variety theaters into a form of working-class entertainment featuring bawdy humor, chorus lines, and increasingly risqué performances.
By the 1920s-1950s, American burlesque had become synonymous with striptease — performers like Gypsy Rose Lee and Sally Rand became famous for routines that pushed legal boundaries while maintaining a veneer of theatrical art. The genre declined with the rise of television and more explicit adult entertainment, but experienced a neo-burlesque revival** starting in the 1990s, emphasizing performance art, body positivity, and feminist reclamation.
Why It Matters
Burlesque occupies a unique cultural position: it was simultaneously denounced as immoral and celebrated as working-class art. The neo-burlesque movement has reframed it as empowering performance, where performers (of all genders and body types) control their own presentation rather than being objectified. This tension — between exploitation and empowerment, between titillation and art — makes burlesque a continuous subject of cultural debate.
The genre also influenced mainstream entertainment: cabaret, drag performance, and even pop music staging (think Madonna’s Blonde Ambition tour) owe debts to burlesque tradition.
Examples
- Gypsy Rose Lee: The most famous burlesque performer of the 1930s-40s.
- The Pussycat Dolls: Started as a neo-burlesque troupe in 1990s Los Angeles.
- Dita Von Teese: The best-known modern burlesque performer.
Related Terms
- Striptease, vaudeville, cabaret
- Neo-burlesque, performance art
- Gypsy Rose Lee, Dita Von Teese