#MuseumAtHome: Burlesque Legend and BHoF Founder Jennie Lee (VIDEO and COLORING PAGES)
Jennie Lee, “Miss 44 and Plenty More!” was plenty more than a popular burlesque dancer of the 1950s and ’60s. In 1955, she founded the Exotic Dancers League to fight for the rights of her fellow exotic dancers, an effort htat eventually won her a place on the Executive Council
#MuseumAtHome: Burlesque Legend Lili St. Cyr (VIDEO)
Lili St Cyr was one of the 20th century’s most celebrated burlesque stars. Beautiful, elegant, and eternally unattainable, Lili’s “Ice Queen” persona shocked audiences in her bases in Los Angeles and Montreal, as well as on the stage of the El Rancho on the newly-founded Las Vegas Strip. Learn more
#MuseumAtHome: Burlesque Legend La Savona (VIDEO)
La Savona was a mid-20th century burlesque performer from Prague who became famous in the U.S. for her belly-dance inspired acts. She was awarded our Living Legend Award in 2012, the highest honor BHoF has to offer performers of burlesque’s classic era. Learn more about her life and performance style in
Noel Toy
Ed. note: This blogpost originally appeared on Soft Film as as “Noel Toy: Our Lady of Feathers.” It is a reprint of an article that first appeared in the cheesecake tabloid CO-EDS (May 1942). The photos are accompanied by their original captions. U. OF C.’s NOEL TOY NOBODY’S PLAYTHING CHINA GIRL CAN DISH
Performance Archetypes: The Half-and-Half
While I’ve yet to find conclusive proof of its origin, the Half-and-Half—in which a solo performer utilizes clever, vertically divided costuming and skillful choreography to create the illusion of a duet—has long been a staple of classic burlesque performance. Most commonly associated with dichotomous male/female numbers (like Zorita’s racy “Bride & Groom,” top),
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