Opinion

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Opinion pieces and debate on a range of burlesque and performance topics, including cultural and political issues.

Not Calm but Carrying On: British Burlesque in Lockdown

‘2020 was going to be a big year for me,’ Eliza DeLite says. ‘This time last year I had two international tours booked in, and when I wasn’t on tour I was performing three to five nights a week in London.’ The 32-year-old burlesque artist was two weeks into a five-week tour across Germany with…

Black Burlesque Directory makes all-white lineups and tokenism “inexcusable” says creator

Since 2010, Chicago-based, award-winning burlesque powerhouse Po’Chop has headlined shows across the US, starred in music videos and dance films, and performed at the Brooklyn Museum with Brown Girls Burlesque. She is also a board and cast member of Jeezy’s Juke Joint, an annual production created by Jeez Loueez in 2011 which showcases black burlesque…

Burlesque: The State of Things

When I was asked by the editor of this illustrious publication to write a piece about the state of burlesque, I hesitated. My twelve years in the industry have witnessed huge changes and they are not all ones I feel positive about. I wondered if I was alone in feeling some things had gone awry,…

Josephine Baker Still Gives Life to Burlesque and Pinup Women of Colour

What things her gaze conceals, yet gives acknowledgement to. What horrors, yet what joys. “Josephine Baker” I whisper to myself before shows, willfully propelling myself forward, no matter the obstacles. Others say Josephine is why they began their careers. What exactly did Josephine Baker give us, give this world, for which we pay homage to her…

Kitten ‘N’ Lou’s End of Year Address

Kitten LaRue and Lou Henry Hoover, adored collectively as Kitten ‘N’ Lou, were voted No. 1 in the Burlesque TOP 50 2015. With the 2016 poll results soon to be published, the terrific twosome penned an Ode to 2016 for your reading pleasure.     Holy guacamole. What. A. Year. Let us set the scene:…

Blackface in Burlesque. Again.

Sadie Sinner and Coco Deville report on a disturbing burlesque act involving blackface which came to light on social media today. Not the first. We hope it’s the last. Ed. Sadie Sinner At approximately 2pm today, a burlesquer dropped a little box, similar to Pandora’s, in a Facebook group. “Am I weird to think ‘blacking up’…

A Note on Professional Conduct in Burlesque and Cabaret (or, why attacks on critics are an embarrassment to our art form)

I realise we’ve already had quite a tempestuous weekend in the burlesque universe, but I arrived home today to yet another attack on a burlesque and cabaret critic because the performer and their friends didn’t like what they said. One word in particular, as it turns out. A professionally written expression of one person’s informed…

What Katie Did Questions Need For International Women’s Day. Keeps Digging.

The founder of retro lingerie brand What Katie Did decided to celebrate International Women’s Day by blowing off both of her feet with a shotgun on social media. “#inspiringwomen – yes!” she began. “But do we really need #InternationalWomensDay? At What Katie Did we’re to (sic) busy #WomenJustGettingOnWithItDay” The tweet received a flurry of reactions,…

Burlesque Performer: You Are Not A Sex Worker

Introducing a guest post from Mary Cyn. Feel free to share your view on this topic in the comments section below. Years ago, my former boss went to a burlesque show. He ended up talking to the host of the show later that night. The host was an activist type, who sometimes gets a bit…

Burlesquers: Give Them a Reason to Keep Coming Back

By now, most of us have seen a certain article that recently resurfaced–one titled “The Shittiest Burlesque I’ve Ever Seen”. I want to believe that the former article gets shared, not to purposely box out new performers, but as a way to vent mutual frustrations. Though harsh, uncompassionate, and totally not condoned in its approach…

Jeez Loueez “Upset, Conflicted and Angry” After New Orleans Burlesque Festival

Take ten minutes out of your evening to watch this brave video from Jeez Loueez, outlining some of her concerns after participating in the New Orleans Burlesque Festival. The following is an introduction to the clip, written by Jeez for 21st Century Burlesque Magazine readers. Please share your views and thoughts in the comments section below……

Burlesque Activism: Bunny Buxom Discusses Rabbit Hole Productions

I am a member of the New York City burlesque community. I started performing nearly four years ago, jumping into the ‘behind the scenes’ aspects of shows shortly following my debut and graduation from the New York School of Burlesque. After years of working as an associate producer with Jonny Porkpie and participating in the NYSB Driver’s Seat…

On ‘The Burlesque Community’

The burlesque scene is not a universally inclusive, comforting safe haven where you can spend your days high-fiving other ‘empowered’ women and singing Kumbaya around a warm, cosy campfire toasting rhinestone covered marshmallows.

Special Feature: Supporting Recovery in the Burlesque Community

The burlesque community is driven and exuberant. We push ourselves to bring our fabulous visions to life. We entertain audiences well into the wee hours of the morning at bars, theatres and performance spaces around the world. We work hard and we’re known to party hard. Sometimes too hard. And sometimes, too often. And sometimes,…

Burlesque Icon Dirty Martini Responds to Lucky Pierre’s Size Discrimination Incident

21st Century Burlesque Magazine reached out to iconic burlesque superstar Dirty Martini for her reaction to Lucky Pierre’s decision to drop burlesque performer Ruby Rage because of her size, and their public statement explaining this decision. Here is what she had to say. My name is Dirty Martini. Perhaps you’ve heard of me. If you…

Lucky Pierre’s Drops Burlesque Performer Due to Her Size. Burlesque Community Erupts.

Before I was fully awake this morning in London my inbox was filling up with reports from New Orleans about Lucky Pierre’s, which hosts The Blue Book Cabaret, produced by Burlesque TOP 50 ranking performer Bella Blue, who has invited such guest stars as Jo Weldon and Michelle L’amour to the venue.  Ruby Rage, a…

Shan De Leers: A Hairy Adventure in Self Love

And now, a badass public service announcement from Shan De Leers… It was so much more difficult to write this than I thought it would be. It is such a trivial thing I am writing about… or rather it should be. It shouldn’t be a thing that I felt compelled to write about, but I…

Sydni Deveraux: On body modification, elective surgery and the joys of changing your body in the age of the Internet.

A little post about body modification, elective surgery and the joys of changing your body in the age of the Internet. This was spurred by comments I see on Instagram on people’s accounts, Facebook, society’s response to Bruce Jenner, body builders, the burlesque community, debates over black women’s hair, etc… So I’m kind of a…

The Top 20 Burlesque Articles of 2014 on 21st Century Burlesque Magazine

As we kick off a New Year – and wait for the Burlesque TOP 50 results – here is a chance to catch up on some essential burlesque reading. Here are your 20 most popular burlesque articles on 21st Century Burlesque Magazine in 2014 (all articles open in a new window)… 1. Burlesque Dancer Banned…

Jo Weldon: The Value of Burlesque

Following Dangrrr Doll’s piece earlier this week on The Cost of Burlesque, Jo Weldon presents The Value of Burlesque… Learning that you must GIVE value as well as HAVE value will help you to understand how to price your work in a way no amount of number crunching ever can. The past few weeks there…

Dangrrr Doll: The Cost of Burlesque

The Cost of Burlesque, by Dangrrr Doll. Good morning, world! In the past several days on my Facebook, which unsurprisingly has a very specific mix of naked people and nerdy people, I’ve been seeing many cosplayers post ‘cost breakdowns’ of the costumes they make. This is a reaction to silly trolls on the internet saying…

Burlesque Performers: Get Paid. Stop Working for Free!

It all started when I received yet another message from a newer performer wanting to get out there in the scene, wanting to do festivals, wanting to headline. Then I wait for it: again they are performing for free because they want the stage time and they want to make friends and influence people. They…

Bella Blue’s Top 10 Guide to Best Burlesque Behaviour

I have been doing burlesque for almost eight years now. That, by no means, makes me some sort of expert. I feel like I am always learning something with every corner I turn. However, it has allowed for a lot of experience in the last eight years. I have travelled all over the United States…

The Top 10 Lies They Tell You About Burlesque

I am sure that somebody has touched on this subject before, but I thought I would suggest my own rendition anyway! As a neo-burlesque dancer, I am often presented with assumptions about what burlesque is, as well as how it all works. To outline the realities of our artform, here are some common misconceptions about…

Facebook Real Name Policy: A Front Line Battle Report

Burlesque performer Dottie Lux attended a meeting with Facebook last week to discuss the Facebook Real Name Policy affecting performers, the GLBTQ community, and other individuals across the world. The issue and the outcome of that meeting have received global press attention, and Dottie has produced an in-depth report for 21st Century Burlesque Magazine describing…

10 Ways to Produce a Burlesque Show Safe from Misogyny

10 Ways to Produce a Burlesque Show Safe from Misogyny, by Dottie Lux. Share your view in the comments section below… Warning: this list speaks to burlesque performers as women. I acknowledge there are male burlesque performers and performers who reside outside the binary gender spectrum; for the sake of being concise I am speaking…

Flawless Body/Flawless Self

Editor’s Note: Kate Valentine, also known as celebrated burlesque host Miss Astrid, is the creator of The Va Va Voom Room (1997), a contemporary pioneer, and one of the best emcees in the business.  It is a privilege to share a new article from Kate with you, and I welcome your thoughts in the comments…

Nasty Canasta: Time To Put Your Glitter Where Your Mouth Is

If there’s one thing a 10th anniversary inspires, it’s decadent* introspection. Having only recently celebrated my own Aluminum Anniversary in the ecdysiastical arts, I’ve been just full of Terribly Important And Insightful Musings That Are Definitely Worthy To Be Shared And You Know You Want To Hear Them, Too. But then I realized no one…

Burlesque as a Feminist Act

Words and opinions by Punani Difranco. I recently came across a video — posted on a good friend’s wall — of a comedian doing a piece of ‘feminist burlesque’*. She didn’t take off much clothing, but what she did take off revealed signs with feminist messages written on them — things like “Stop looking at…

Backlash Blues

This past Friday, a sideshow performer named Rush Aaron Hicks made the decision to perform in blackface at New York’s most well-renowned neo-burlesque palace, the Slipper Room. I did not see the act in question, but witnessed Hicks’ inane defense of his choices and participated in an online discussion that contained James Habacker’s initial private…

Burlesque and Feminism: Give it a Rest!

Last night, social networks were frothing with a range of responses to comedian Nadia Kamil’s ‘Feminist Burlesque’ routine, which she builds up to by taking cheap shots at respected burlesque performer Honey Wilde and her celebrated Margaret Thatcher act. While there have been a number of eloquent responses to the video, including this from Jason…

Burlesque Dancer Banned from Burlesque to Keep Custody of Her Children

Disclaimer: This article was not requested or commissioned by the burlesque performer concerned and care has been taken to highlight this issue in a way that does not go against her wishes or jeopardise her legal battle. I was disturbed to read an announcement from Bourgeois Betty concerning her friend and fellow performer Ida Claire,…

A Phenomenological Analysis of the State of Burlesque, by Dr. Lucky.

Required burlesque reading, courtesy of Dr. Lucky. Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below. “I didn’t know you still perform,” a young performer said to me at BurlyCon in 2011.  I felt a twang of sadness, that feeling of regret that comes from finally beginning to experience the consequences of…

Paco Fish: On Innovation and Community.

“Who are you? What is your distinct contribution? That is so valuable; whether it gets you anything, trophies, doesn’t matter… The greater your contribution to the community, the greater your expression of individuality.” Rodney Mullen, professional skateboarder. Every time I think about innovation in the burlesque community, I think of Trixie Little, of her use…

Nasty Canasta: End of Year Burlesque Self-Assessment

Nasty Canasta invites you to undertake an End of Year Burlesque Self-Assessment… 2013 Year-End Performance Review: Self-Evaluation (With thanks to the several naff business-form-online sites that provided inspiration and/or wording.) This Self Evaluation form is an opportunity for you to provide input into your Performance Review Process.*  The form assists you in focusing on specific…

Lola Frost: Musings on 2013 – The Successes, Struggles and Sass.

Lola Frost shares her thoughts on another year in burlesque as 2014 approaches… Last December I posted about my intentions for entering 2013 and my mantra being “I am a wild success” plastered to my vision board to be seen every morning and night. Being of the mindset of not making resolutions but of setting…

Dangrrr Doll: 10 Thoughts on Burlesque Festivals

New York burlesque performer Dangrrr Doll shares her thoughts on burlesque festivals and how to make them enjoyable and worthwhile for performers… Over the course of the past year or two, I’ve been pretty critical of myself and my art and have been doing everything I can to improve (painful rewatchings of filmed rehearsals, gluing…

Imogen Kelly: Putting up a Fight

In an exclusive, special piece, Imogen Kelly (Reigning Queen of Burlesque/Miss Exotic World 2012) discusses her battle with breast cancer, the ongoing struggle for progress in treatment, and looking to the future.  Thank you Imogen for this candid, moving article. HM. (Top image ©Richard Just) October. Finally October is over. I can breathe out now…

Stripper Talk with Sydni Deveraux: Un-Booking Bad Burlesque Behaviour

Sydni Deveraux gives advice on bad burlesque behaviour to someone dealing with an unprofessional performer… Hello world! It’s Stripper Talk time again! This is a place where I field questions and answer them to the best of my ability, hopefully giving anyone who’s interested in burlesque some insight. This week’s question comes from another anonymous…

Race and Burlesque: The curious case of the performer of colour.

Race and Burlesque: The curious case of the performer of colour, by Chocolat The Extraordinaire. It was around 2003 that I started going to Lady Luck Club, an underground nightclub playing vintage rhythm’n’ blues in a dark basement in central London. It was the first time I’d ever seen burlesque dancers on stage and I…

Stripper Talk with Sydni Deveraux: Unwelcome Criticism

Sydni Deveraux advises an anonymous writer on unwelcome criticism… Hello world! It’s Stripper Talk time again! This is a place where I field questions and answer them to the best of my ability, hopefully giving anyone who’s interested in burlesque some insight. This week’s question comes from Anonymous: Hello Sydni! Huge fan of your blog…

NEW YEAR MESSAGE: “I know not of these limitations you speak of.” By Lola Frost.

Enjoy this New Year message from the heart and mind of Lola Frost… My greatest fear is holding back. The holding back of any expression possibly lost due to fear and the lack of courage to overcome it. The thought of not fulfilling my heart’s passions and letting them drown unrealised in the deepest part…

Lola Frost: Sexy! Proceed with Caution!

by Lola Frost. There is a danger to the word sexy. It’s like a preloaded gun that someone handed to you to use but you didn’t ask for it in the first place. But here you are, finger on the trigger, pointing at a target and hoping you hit the bullseye. Sexy is subjective. Sexy…

Stripper Talk with Sydni Deveraux: Bullies in Burlesque

Sydni Deveraux tackles ‘Bullies in Burlesque’… ** Note from the editor: The decision to publish full or extracts from email correspondence is made on a case by case basis. All names and identifiable details have been removed from the following extracts. Comments will be screened to make sure that no one is attempting to name…

Stripper Talk with Sydni Deveraux: Family Friendly Burlesque?

Welcome to the new edition of Stripper Talk! Sydni and Holli-Mae have decided to join forces to bring you Sydni’s popular question and answer series to 21st Century’s audience! To ask Sydni a question about anything pertaining to being a fancy lady (or mancake) in our shining world of burlesque, please email GlitterWonderland@gmail.com. This edition…

Lola Frost: Strip or be Stripped

When I was eight years old, I told my mother I wanted to be a stripper. She looked at me with her young and caring eyes, wise past her years, and simply said, ‘Honey, whatever you want to be do it well, and I will support you.’ She meant every word and holds them true…

Stripper Talk with Sydni Deveraux: Accessing ‘Sexiness’ [NEW SERIES]

Hello world! It’s Stripper Talk time! This is a series where I field questions and answer them to the best of my ability, hopefully giving anyone who’s interested in burlesque some insight. This week’s question comes from ‘BB’ who wishes to remain anonymous.  Hello Sydni, My problem I am coming to you with is this:…

There’s No Such Thing as a Free Gig…

A thought-provoking piece from UK performer Miss Glory Pearl. Please feel free to comment on this article in the comments section below… The Burlesque Community; it’s an odd phrase. There’s no denying that we’re a reasonably small industry and that once you reach a certain level everyone pretty much knows everyone else, but a community?…

THE BUSINESS OF BURLESQUE: defining ‘amateur’ and ‘professional’ in our art form.

by Penny Starr Jr. This post is coming, in part, from two articles written recently about burlesque. The first is the ‘State of the (Burlesque) Union Address’ from last year’s BurlyCon, as given by Miss Astrid, producer of the long-running Va Va Voom Room (LA, NY, SF), Velvet Hammer alum, and emcee for, among other…

Burlesque Performer Vs. Stripper

You know the joke, right?  Q:  What’s the difference between a burlesque dancer and a stripper?  A: A stripper makes money. Of all the things in the world, why do Burlesque?  Sometimes, I’ll get an idea of some historic or cultural icon I’d like to see on stage.  Other times a song really makes me…

Kate Valentine: State of the Union Address

A Note from the Editor This is a compilation of two speeches given at BurlyCon 2011 by Kate Valentine – creator of The Va Va Voom Room (1997), a contemporary pioneer, and one of the best emcees in the business. As Miss Astrid, Kate has been honoured to host part of the BHOF weekend since 2006. A…

BVB: Stepping Out of the Full-Time Performance Pressure Cooker

When I first sat down to write this piece, I planned to write an article about the challenges and issues regularly faced by an established performer. As I began to pull my thought-strands apart I found that a lot of the difficulties I regularly face are so nuanced that they each deserve an article in…

BVB: Doing Your Research (Part Two)

There’s so much information out there that it’s impossible to ever reach a point where you’ve read, seen and heard everything there is to know about burlesque. By keeping engaged with your art, you keep your ideas moving, you keep your inspiration fresh and you keep your passion alive. By sharing your research you also help to inspire others to do the same, to keep learning, growing and becoming a better performer.

BVB: Burlesque and Tattoos

Burlesque and Tattoos There’s no denying that I’m heavily tattooed. By the time I chose to have my fourth tattoo I’d simultaneously resolved that my passion for tattoos was something I wanted to take pride in. Rather than opting for ‘safe’ tattoos that can be easily hidden away under clothes, I had a monster of…

BVB: Striptease – Where is the Focus?

Tease, tease, tease, STRIP… And then? Over the last few months my burlesque focus has shifted toward movement and on-stage imagery. I’ve become preoccupied with thinking about how I link my movements together on stage; how I can present near-static moments with elegance and power; how to add grace to elements that teeter dangerously on the edge of ‘stripper repertoire’. In seeking to develop these aspects of my own performance, I’ve been paying close attention to the performances of others, analysising their successes and weaknesses.

Sydni Deveraux: Get Thee to a Mentor!

“Find that person who will tell you what your strengths and weaknesses are. Who will give you feedback. Who will tell you that there’s spinach in your teeth and that your g-string is ill fitting. That you might not want to bend over that way … it’s hard. And you don’t always want to know. And yes – you might cry.”

BVB: Themes in Burlesque

“I was thinking of doing a [insert your own burlesque cliché] act…” Over the past year I’ve noticed an increase in the number of emails I receive from performers who are anxious that their idea for a new act is so similar to an act in my repertoire that I, or other seasoned circuit goers,…

BVB: Sequins and Rhinestones

I’ve been creating burlesque costumes by customising off-the-rack pieces for approximately four years. The hot-fix rhinestone applicator was one of the first tools of the trade I discovered via the burlesque community. I must say, my relationship with this dangerous wand has been turbulent. Since discovering hot-fix rhinestones, I’ve also experimented with regular rhinestones (fixed…

BVB: How to Make a Fan Dance Your Own…

Many performers find that during their burlesque career, they are specifically asked to perform a fan dance. With the proliferation of fan dances on the circuit, it’s common to feel a pressure to make such an act your own by adding your own mark to it. But as often happens, one runs the risk of…

BVB: So You Want to be A Headline Performer…?

I recently received the following question from a performer based in the Midlands, UK: “How do you make the jump from middle of the bill to top of the bill, it seems like an impossible glass ceiling?! I know myself and a few performers in the same position have pondered this a lot, be great…

BVB: How NOT to Apply for a Burlesque Job…

The combination of the popularity of burlesque, the financial crisis and the growing popularity of variety events means that the competition for burlesque jobs is tougher than ever. Emailing event promoters to ask for work is a popular way to get yourself known as a performer, but it’s also a tricky task to get just…

BVB: Doing your Research…

Introducing our Burlesque Correspondent, Beatrix von Bourbon, with the first in a series of guides and articles… Although that niggling voice in the back of your mind tells you that you really ought to research in order to develop your new act or general performance style, it can often be hard to know what to…