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The Bounce and Beauty of
Burlesque...
by Big Mamma D
Long ago, in a galaxy far far away...(Oh Wait! That's the wrong
story.)
Burlesque came about in a time just before the turn of the century
(the 19th century). Women were seeking independence from being male
possesions. The lower and upper social classes were divided so
greatly that there was barely any middle class to speak of (sound
familiar?). People were either rich and priviledged or poor and
seeking freedom through satire, entertainment and anything other
than a drab boring daily life.
Enter Stage Right, the Burlesque show! At first it was the earliest
vaudville style acts which included song and dance and satire, humor
and wit and maybe a few dancing girls. Shows leaned more towards
live entertainment and sweeping away the audience for a couple of
hours of sketch comedy and wonderous acts. Burlesque was originally
a form of art that mocked by imitation, referring to everything from
comic sketches to dance routines and usually lampooning the social
attitudes of the upper classes. It was often ridiculous in that it
imitated several styles, and combined imitations of authors and
artists with absurd descriptions. In this, the term was often used
interchangeably with "pastiche," "parody," Possibly due to
historical social tensions between the upper classes and lower
classes of society, much of the humor and entertainment focused on
lowbrow and ribald subjects. The popularity of these shows, and
their audiences, grew.
The girls of burlesque originally started fully clothed...and stayed
that way. The bounce came from a lack of the heavy undergarments of
the time. What girl can really dance in a corset, bustle, bloomers,
stockings, chemise, slip, underskirt, and full dress over it all
with hat and high heels?? Necessity lead to the Burlesque girl.
Scandelous behavior such as showing their ankles brought the men
into the theatre. But of course most just read it for the
articles...err..came to the show for the satire and comedy. Yeah,
that's it.
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Artist's Web Site
See a YouTube clip from Big Mammas House Of Burlesque
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