Burlesque
From origins in nineteenth century music hall entertainment and vaudeville, in the early twentieth century burlesque emerged as a populist blend of satire, performance art and adult entertainment; featuring strip tease mixed with a broad range of comedy.
In Burlesque, performers, usually female, often create elaborate sets with lush, colourful costumes, mood-appropriate music and dramatic lighting, and may even include novelty acts, such as fire-breathing or demonstrations of unusual flexibility, to enhance the impact of their performance.
Put simply, burlesque means "imitation"—to satirize or parody. And the recent revival in Burlesque has seen a raft of exotic new performers who skilfully mash up the traditional aspects of the genre, blending it with modern references and spicing things up a little to create wonderfully exotic, intelligent entertainment - sometimes shocking, but always with a very saucy edge...
