Special Feature
Burlesque: performance art or stripping?
It's risqué, decadent and entertaining. Burlesque delights in an image of glamour, mischief and sauciness, and attracts a sophisticated following. It may come as quite a surprise, then, that in one London borough it has been categorised along with strip clubs and lap-dancing acts.
After three years of running the popular Be burlesque night, the Proud gallery in north London has been told by Camden council it needs to apply for an adult entertainment licence.
"It's unbelievable," says Alex Proud, the club's owner. "Burlesque is not about naked women. It's about the art of removing clothes. It's nearer to theatre or dance than erotica."
Since the story was picked up by the local press a week ago, it has been sparking debates over whether burlesque dancing is art or a sex act.
An acrobatic burlesque artist. Photograph: PR Feminists have been quick to highlight burlesque's suggestive nature, claiming it is another damaging portrayal of women as sex objects.
Fans are vociferously defending their 'guilty' pleasure. "It's an acceptable way to enjoy naughtiness", says Robert Harding, a 37-year-old recruitment consultant and burlesque fan. "I could admit to my girlfriend that a burlesque dancer turns me on, but I could never get away with saying the same thing about a lap dancer."
Burlesque existed for centuries as a theatrical form based on comedy and satire. It only adopted its signature erotic tone over the last century.
It was revived in the UK during the 90s, and has seen an explosion in popularity in the noughties, with the launch of events like the London Burlesque Festival in 2007 and the birth of Club Noir in Glasgow, which can host up to 2,000 people.
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