1. True burlesque performers look like Dita Von Teese.
No. Heather Sweet is gorgeous and has styled her stage persona Dita Von Teese to look like a 1940s pin-up. Take a moment to watch videos of ladies from the Golden Age of Burlesque and you’ll see that the ladies were coming in all shapes and sizes. African American, Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, despite popular belief, burlesque has always been a melting pot of women with different waist sizes. Yeah, it wasn’t uncommon to see a size 12 dress backstage.
2. Real burlesque is danced to big band swing music.
While classic burlesque is mostly danced to music from the past, the girls of the 1940s didn’t dance to the music of 1910. They strutted to the jazzy beats played by the house band, the current music of the day. Today, burlesque is danced to songs from various genres including: pop, rock, country, hip hop, and R&B.
3. Burlesque isn’t really dancing. Just great costumes and shiny accessories.
Today there are a number of performers dressing up as burlesque ladies, while hiding behind elaborate props and costumes. Can you imagine going to see an actor on Broadway only to find out that he doesn’t know his lines? That actor could only go so far in charm. In the ’40s, burlesque producers had in-house choreographers who would take girls off the chorus line and train them to move like a star. These ladies were not born with the gift of dancing and spent many hours learning how to punch, grind, strut and waddle to please the crowd.
4. Burlesque is easy. Anyone who can walk in heels can.
Getting started in Burlesque may be easy, but staying in the game is hard. Think of burlesque as a love letter. If you got one letter a day saying “I love you,” that would get pretty boring after a few days. Now, if you received a poem one day, flowers the next, and a candlelit dinner the next, chances are you feel like someone really loves you (or at least wants your attention). Figuring out how to say I love you through burlesque isn’t easy, but neither is walking around in high heels. With practice, both become easier over time.
5. All burlesque performers get naked.
No. While some producers and audiences may only think of pasties when they think of burlesque, there are plenty of burlesque acts that don’t involve stripping. Many states still have old cabaret laws that restrict the amount of meat a woman can display in public. To stay in accordance with the law, performers would dance in flesh-colored bras and colored pants. Some even wore flesh-colored body stockings. Many burlesque performers today still use these tricks during their burlesque acts.