Striptease

This article is about the type of dance. For the race horse "Exotic Dancer", seeExotic Dancer (horse).For other uses, seeStriptease (disambiguation).

American burlesquedancer Lola Bel Aire performing a traditional striptease, 2008

Josephine Bakerin her "girdleof bananas "outfit, first seen in theFolies BergèreshowLa Folie du Jourin 1926–27

Astripteaseis aneroticor exoticdancein which the performer gradually undresses, either partly orcompletely,in aseductiveandsexually suggestivemanner.The person who performs a striptease is commonly known as a "stripper"or an" exotic "or"burlesque"dancer.

The origins of striptease as a performance art are disputed and various dates and occasions have been given fromancient Babyloniato 20th century America. The term "striptease" was first recorded in 1932. In Western countries, the venues where stripteases are performed on a regular basis are now usually calledstrip clubs,though they may be performed in venues such aspubs(especially in the United Kingdom), theaters andmusic halls.At times, a stripper may be hired to perform at abachelororbachelorette party.In addition to providingadult entertainment,stripping can be a form ofsexual playbetween partners. This can be done as an impromptu event or – perhaps for a special occasion – with elaborate planning involvingfantasy wear,music, special lighting, practiced dance moves, or unrehearsed dance moves.

Striptease involves a slow, sensuous undressing. The stripper may prolong the undressing with delaying tactics such as the wearing of additionalclothesor putting clothes or hands in front of just undressed body parts such as thebreastsorgenitalia.The emphasis is on the act of undressing along with sexually suggestive movement, rather than the state of being undressed. In the past, the performance often finished as soon as the undressing was finished, though recently strippers may continue dancing in the nude.The costume the stripper wears before disrobing can form part of the act. In some cases, audience interaction can form part of the act, with the audience urging the stripper to remove more clothing, or the stripper approaching the audience to interact with them.

Striptease and public nudity have been subject to legal and cultural prohibitions and other aesthetic considerations andtaboos.Restrictions on venues may be through venue licensing requirements and constraints and a wide variety of national and local laws. These laws vary considerably around the world, and even between different parts of the same country.H. L. Menckenis credited with coining the wordecdysiast– from "ecdysis",meaning" to molt "– in response to a request from striptease artistGeorgia Sothern,for a "more dignified" way to refer to her profession.Gypsy Rose Lee,one of the most famous striptease artists of all time, approved of the term.

History

A 1720 depiction of a striptease

The origins of striptease as a performance art are disputed and various dates and occasions have been given fromancient Babyloniato 20th century America. The term "striptease" was first recorded in 1932.

There is a stripping aspect in the ancient Sumerian myth of the descent of the goddessInannainto the Underworld (or Kur). At each of the seven gates, she removed an article of clothing or a piece of jewelry. As long as she remained in hell, the earth was barren. When she returned,fecundityabounded. Some believe this myth was embodied in thedance of the seven veilsofSalome,who danced forKing Herod,as mentioned in theNew Testamentin Matthew 14:6 and Mark 6:21-22. However, although the Bible records Salome's dance, the first mention of her removing seven veils occurs inOscar Wilde's playSalome,in 1893.

In ancient Greece, the lawgiverSolonestablished several classes of prostitutes in the late 6th century BC. Among these classes of prostitutes were theauletrides:female dancers, acrobats, and musicians, noted for dancing naked in an alluring fashion in front of audiences of men.Inancient Rome,dance featuring stripping was part of the entertainments(ludi)at theFloralia,an April festival in honor of thegoddess Flora.EmpressTheodora,wife of 6th-century Byzantine emperorJustinianis reported by several ancient sources to have started in life as a courtesan and actress who performed in acts inspired from mythological themes and in which she disrobed "as far as the laws of the day allowed". She was famous for her striptease performance ofLeda and the Swan.From these accounts, it appears that the practice was hardly exceptional nor new. It was, however, actively opposed by theChristian Church,which succeeded in obtaining statutes banning it in the following century. The degree to which these statutes were subsequently enforced is, of course, opened to question. What is certain is that no practice of the sort is reported in texts of the European Middle Ages.

An early version of striptease became popular in England at the time of theRestoration.A striptease was incorporated into theRestoration comedyThe Rover,written byAphra Behnin 1677. The stripper is a man; an English country gentleman who sensually undresses and goes to bed in a love scene. (However, the scene is played for laughs; the prostitute he thinks is going to bed with him robs him, and he ends up having to crawl out of the sewer.) The concept of striptease was also widely known, as can be seen in the reference to it inThomas Otway's comedyThe Soldier's Fortune(1681), where a character says: "Be sure they be lewd, drunken,strippingwhores ".

Striptease became standard fare in thebrothelsof 18th centuryLondon,where the women, called "posture girls", would strip naked on tables for popular entertainment.

La Fontaine plate, 1896

Striptease was also combined with music, as in the 1720 German translation of the FrenchLa Guerre D'Espagne(Cologne: Pierre Marteau, 1707), where agalantparty of high aristocrats and opera singers entertain themselves with hunting, play and music in a three-day turn at a small château:

The dancers, to please their lovers the more, dropped their clothes and danced totally naked the nicestentréesandballets;one of the princes directed the delightful music, and only the lovers were allowed to watch the performances.

AnArabiccustom, first noted by French colonialists and described by the French novelistGustave Flaubertmay have influenced the French striptease. The dances of theGhawazeein North Africa andEgyptconsisted of the eroticdance of the beeperformed by a woman known asKuchuk Hanem.In this dance, the performer disrobes as she searches for an imaginary bee trapped within her garments. It is likely that the women performing these dances did not do so in an indigenous context, but rather, in response to the demand for this type of entertainment.Middle Easternbelly dance,also known as oriental dancing, was popularized in the United States after its introduction on theMidwayat the1893 World's FairinChicagoby a dancer known asLittle Egypt.

Some claim the origin of the modern striptease lies inOscar Wilde's playSalome (play),in 1893. In theDance of the Seven Veils,the female protagonist dances forKing Herodand slowly removes her veils until she lies naked.After Wilde's play andRichard Strauss'soperatic version of the same,first performed in 1905, the erotic "dance of the seven veils" became a standard routine for dancers in opera, vaudeville, film andburlesque.A famous early practitioner wasMaud Allan,who in 1907 gave a private performance for KingEdward VII.

French tradition

Mata Hari.The most celebrated segment of her stage act was the progressive shedding of her clothing until she wore just a jeweledbraand some ornaments over her arms and head.

In the 1880s and 1890s,Parisianshows such as theMoulin RougeandFolies Bergèrewere featuring attractive scantily clad women dancing andtableaux vivants.In this environment, an act in the 1890s featured a woman who slowly removed her clothes in a vain search for afleacrawling on her body.The People's Almanaccredits the act as the origin of modern striptease.

In 1905, the notorious Dutch dancerMata Hari,later shot as a spy by the French authorities during World War I, was an overnight success from the debut of her act at theMusée Guimet.The most celebrated segment of her act was her progressive shedding of clothing until she wore just a jeweledbraand some ornaments over her arms and head but exposing her pubic region.Another landmark performance was the appearance at the Moulin Rouge in 1907 of an actress called Germaine Aymos, who entered dressed only in three very small shells. In the 1920s and 1930s,Josephine Bakerdanced topless in thedanse sauvageat the Folies, and other such performances were provided at theTabarin.These shows were notable for their sophisticated choreography and often featuring the women in glitzy sequins and feathers. In his 1957 bookMythologies,semioticianRoland Barthesinterpreted this Parisian striptease as a "mystifying spectacle", a "reassuring ritual" where "evil is advertised the better to impede and exorcise it".By the 1960s "fully nude" shows were provided at such places asLe Crazy Horse Saloon.

A video of a woman gradually undressing herself.

American tradition

Charmionin her disrobing act, 1901

In the United States, striptease started intraveling carnivalsandburlesquetheatres, and featured famous strippers such asGypsy Rose LeeandSally Rand.Thevaudevilletrapeze artistCharmionperformed a "disrobing" act onstage as early as 1896, which was captured in the 1901EdisonfilmTrapeze Disrobing Act.Another milestone for modern American striptease is the possibly legendary show atMinsky's Burlesquein April 1925 that inspired the novel and filmThe Night They Raided Minsky's.Another performer,Hinda Wassau,claimed to have inadvertently invented the striptease in 1928 when her costume was shaken loose during ashimmydance. Burlesque theatres in New York were prohibited from staging striptease performances in a legal ruling of 1937, leading to the decline of these "grindhouses"(named after the bump 'n grind entertainment on offer).However many striptease stars were able to work in other cities and, eventually, nightclubs.

The 1960s saw a revival of striptease in the form of toplessgo-go dancing.This eventually merged with the older tradition of burlesque dancing.Carol Dodaof theCondor Night Clubin theNorth Beachsection of San Francisco is given the credit of being the firsttoplessgo-go dancer.The club opened in 1964 and Doda's première topless dance occurred on the evening of June 19 of that year.The large lit sign in front of the club featured a picture of her with red lights on herbreasts.The club went "bottomless" on September 3, 1969 and began the trend of explicit "full nudity"in American striptease dancing.which was picked up by other establishments such asApartment A Go Go.San Francisco is also the location of the notoriousMitchell Brothers O'Farrell Theatre.Originally anX-ratedmovie theater this striptease club pioneeredlap dancingin 1980, and was a major force in popularizing it instrip clubson a nationwide and eventually worldwide basis.

British tradition

TheWindmill Theatrein 2009

In Britain in the 1930s, whenLaura Hendersonbegan presenting nude shows at theWindmill Theatre,London, censorship regulations prohibited naked girls from moving while appearing on-stage. To get around the prohibition, the models appeared in stationarytableaux vivants.The Windmill girls also toured other London and provincial theatres, sometimes using ingenious devices such as rotating ropes to move their bodies round, though strictly speaking, staying within the letter of the law by not moving of their own volition. Another example of the way the shows stayed within the law was thefan dance,in which a naked dancer's body was concealed by her fans and those of her attendants, until the end of her act in when she posed nude for a brief interval whilst standing still.

In 1942,Phyllis Dixeyformed her own company of girls and rented theWhitehall Theatrein London to put on a review called The Whitehall Follies.

By the 1950s, touring striptease acts were used to attract audiences to the dying music halls. Arthur Fox started his touring shows in 1948 and Paul Raymond started his in 1951. Paul Raymond later leased the Doric Ballroom inSohoand opened his private members club, the Raymond Revuebar, in 1958. This was one of the first of the private striptease members clubs in Britain.

A stripper before taking off all her clothing (left) and afterwards dancing fully naked except for shoes (right)

In the 1960s, changes in the law brought about a boom of strip clubs in Soho with "fully nude" dancing and audience participation.Pubs were also used as a venue, most particularly in theEast Endwith a concentration of such venues in the district ofShoreditch.This pub striptease seems in the main to have evolved from topless go-go dancing.Though often a target of local authority harassment, some of these pubs survive to the present day. An interesting custom in these pubs is that the strippers walk round and collect money from the customers in a beer jug before each individual performance. This custom appears to have originated in the late 1970s when topless go-go dancers first started collecting money from the audience as the fee for going "fully nude".Private dances of a more raunchy nature are sometimes available in a separate area of the pub.

Japan

Striptease became popular in Japan after the end ofWorld War II.When entrepreneur Shigeo Ozaki sawGypsy Rose Leeperform, he started his own striptease revue in Tokyo'sShinjukuneighborhood. During the 1950s, Japanese "strip shows" became more sexually explicit and less dance-oriented, until they were eventually simply livesex shows.

Today

Modern striptease acts typically follow the sequence established inBurlesque:commencing in a dress, baring the upper body first, and continuing to a final reveal of the pelvic region. The traditional performance ended at this point, but modern acts usually continue with a nude dance section. This last element forms the major part of the act in small strip clubs and bars, but performances in larger venues (such as those done byfeature dancers) usually place as much weight on the dance in the earlier sections. Striptease dance routines are usually improvised, except for male strippers who generally choreograph their performances and focus as much on the earlier sections as the later.

Recentlypole dancinghas come to dominate the world of striptease. In the late 20th century, pole dancing was practised in exotic dance clubs in Canada. These clubs grew up to become a thriving sector of the economy. Canadian style pole dancing,table dancingandlap dancing,organized by multi-national corporations such asSpearmint Rhino,was exported from North America to (among other countries) the United Kingdom, the nations of central Europe, Russia and Australia. In London, England a raft of such so-called "lap dancing clubs" grew up in the 1990s, featuring pole dancing on stage and private table dancing, though, despite media misrepresentation,lap-dancingin the sense of bodily contact was forbidden by law.

"Feature shows" are used to generate interest from potential customers who otherwise would not visit the establishment but know the performer from other outlets. A headlining star of a striptease show is referred to as afeature dancer,and is often a performer with credits such as contest titles or appearances in adult films or magazines. The decades-old practice continued through the late 2000s (decade) to the present day with high-profile adult film performers such asJenna Hazeand Teagan Presley scheduling feature shows through the US.

In December 2006, aNorwegiancourt ruled that striptease is an art form and made strip clubs exempt fromvalue added tax.

New Burlesque

Main article:Neo-Burlesque

In the latter 1990s, a number of solo performers and dance groups emerged to createNeo-burlesque,a revival of the classicAmerican burlesquestriptease of the early half of the 20th century. New Burlesque focuses on dancing, costumes and entertainment (which may include comedy and singing) and generally eschews full nudity or toplessness. Some burlesquers of the past have become instructors and mentors to New Burlesque performers such asThe Velvet Hammer BurlesqueandThe World Famous Pontani Sisters.The pop groupPussycat Dollsbegan as a New Burlesque troupe.

Male strippers

Main article:Male stripper

TheChippendales,a group of male strippers

Until the 1970s, strippers in Western cultures were almost invariably female, performing to male audiences. Since then, male strippers have also become common. Before the 1970s, dancers of both sexes appeared largely in underground clubs or as part of a theatre experience, but the practice eventually became common enough on its own. Well-known troupes of male strippers includeDreamboysin the UK andChippendalesin the US. Male strippers have become a popular option to have at abachelorette party.

Private dancing

Main article:Lap dance

A variation on striptease is private dancing, which often involveslap dancingor contact dancing. Here the performers, in addition to stripping for tips, also offer "private dances" which involve more attention for individual audience members. Variations include private dances liketable dancingwhere the performer dances on or by customer's table rather than the customer being seated in a couch.

Striptease and the law

Main article:Legal status of striptease

From ancient times to the present day, striptease was considered a form ofpublic nudityand subject to legal and cultural prohibitions onmoralanddecencygrounds. Such restrictions have been embodied in venue licensing regulations, and national and local laws, including liquor licensing restrictions.

Aneo-burlesquestripper at theMiss Exotic World Pageantin 2006, wearingpastiesas required in some U.S. jurisdictions

United States

Numerous U.S. jurisdictions have enacted laws regulating the striptease. One of the more notorious local ordinances is San Diego Municipal Code 33.3610,specific and strict in response to allegations of corruption among local officialswhich included contacts in the nude entertainment industry. Among its provisions is the "six-foot rule", copied by other municipalities, that requires that dancers maintain a six-foot (1.8 m) distance while performing.

Other rules forbid "full nudity". In some parts of the U.S., laws forbid the exposure of female (though not male) nipples, which must be covered bypasties.In early 2010, the city of Detroit banned fully exposed breasts in its strip clubs, following the example of Houston, where a similar ordinance was implemented in 2008.The city council has since softened the rules, eliminating the requirement for pastiesbut keeping other restrictions. Both cities were reputed to have rampant occurrences of illicit activity linked to striptease establishments.For some jurisdictions, even certain postures can be considered "indecent" (such as spreading the legs).

United Kingdom

In Britain in the 1930s, when theWindmill Theatre,London, began to present nude shows, British law prohibited performers moving whilst in a state of nudity.To get around that rule, models appeared naked in stationarytableaux vivants.To keep within the law, sometimes devices were used which rotated the models without them moving themselves.Fan danceswere another device used to keep performances within the law. These allowed a naked dancer's body to be concealed by her fans or those of her attendants, until the end of an act, when she posed naked for a brief interval whilst standing stock still, and the lights went out or the curtain dropped to allow her to leave the stage. Changes in the law in the 1960s brought about a boom of strip clubs in Soho, with "fully nude" dancing and audience participation.Following the introduction of thePolicing and Crime Act 2009,a local authority licence is required for venues in England and Wales (and later Scotland) where live nude entertainment takes place more than 11 times a year.

Iceland

Thelegal status of striptease in Icelandwas changed in 2010, whenIcelandoutlawed striptease.Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir,Iceland's prime minister said: "The Nordic countries are leading the way on women's equality, recognizing women as equal citizens rather than commodities for sale."The politician behind the bill,Kolbrún Halldórsdóttir,said: "It is not acceptable that women or people in general are a product to be sold."

In popular culture

Film

Rita Hayworthbegins her striptease inGilda

1940s–1950s

Mary Martinreprised her famous fur coat striptease of "My Heart Belongs to Daddy"in the 1940 movieLove Thy Neighborand the 1946Cole PorterbiopicNight and Day.

Lady of Burlesque(known in the UK asStriptease Lady) (1943) based on the novelThe G-String Murders(1941), by famous striptease artist Gypsy Rose Lee, starsBarbara Stanwyckas a stripper who gets involved in the investigation of murders at a burlesque house. A play by Gypsy Rose Lee entitledThe Naked Genius(1943) was the inspiration forDoll Face(1945), a musical about a burlesque star (Vivian Blaine) who wants to become a legitimate actress.

Gilda(1946), showcases one of the most famous stripteases in cinematic history, performed byRita Hayworthto "Put the Blame on Mame",though in the event she removes just her gloves, before the act is terminated by a jealous admirer.Murder at the Windmill(1949) (US title:Mystery at the Burlesque), directed byVal Guestis set at the Windmill Theatre, London and featuresDiana Decker,Jon PertweeandJimmy Edwards.Salome(1953) once again features Rita Hayworth doing a striptease act; this time as the famous biblical stripper Salome, performing the Dance of the Seven Veils. According to Hayworth's biographers this erotic dance routine was "the most demanding of her entire career", necessitating "endless takes and retakes".Expresso Bongo(1959) is a British film which features striptease at a club in Soho, London.

Natalie WoodasGypsy Rose Leein thefilm versionof the stage musicalGypsy

1960s–1970s

In 1960, the filmBeat GirlcastChristopher Leeas a sleazy Soho strip club owner who gets stabbed to death by a stripper.Gypsy(1962), featuresNatalie Woodas the famous burlesque queenGypsy Rose Leein her memorable rendition of "Let Me Entertain You".It was re-made for TV in 1993 StarringBette MidlerasMama RoseandCynthia Gibbas Gypsy Rose Lee.The Stripper(1963) featured Gypsy Rose Lee, herself, giving a trademark performance in the title role. A documentary film,Dawn in Piccadilly,was produced in 1962 at the Windmill Theatre. In 1964,We Never Closed(British Movietone) depicted the last night of the Windmill Theatre. In 1965, the feature filmViva Maria!starredBrigitte BardotandJeanne Moreauas two girls who perform a striptease act and get involved in revolutionary politics in South America.

Also produced in 1965 wasCarousella,a documentary about Soho striptease artistes, directed byJohn Irvin.Another documentary film, which looked at the unglamorous side of striptease, is the 1966 film called, "Strip", filmed at the Phoenix Club in Soho. Secrets of a Windmill Girl(1966) featuredPauline Collinsand April Wilding and was directed byArnold L. Miller.The film has some fan dancing scenes danced by an ex-Windmill Theatre artiste.The Night They Raided Minsky's(1968) gives a possibly legendary account of the birth of striptease at Minsky's Burlesque theatre in New York. In 1968, the sci-fi filmBarbarelladepictedJane Fondastripping inzero-gravityconditions whilst wearing her spacesuit.Marlowe(1969) starsRita Morenoplaying a stripper, in the finale of the movie simultaneously delivering dialogue with the title character and performing a vigorous dance on stage.The BeatlesmovieMagical Mystery Tourhas a scene where all the men on the tour bus go to a gentleman's club and watch a woman strip on stage.

Ichijo's Wet Lust(1972), Japanese directorTatsumi Kumashiro's award-winningRoman pornofilm featured the country's most famous stripper, Sayuri Ichijō, starring as herself.A British film production of 1976 is the filmGet 'Em Off,produced byHarold Baim.Alain Bernardin the owner of the Crazy Horse in Paris directed the film, "Crazy Horse de Paris" [1977].Paul Raymond's Erotica(1981) stars Brigitte Lahaie and Diana Cochran and was directed by Brian Smedley-Aston. The Dance routines were filmed at the Raymond Revuebar Theatre.

InRoger Vadim's 1968 filmBarbarella,Jane Fondaas the title character performs a striptease in zero-gravity as she removes her spacesuit. Fonda continually changes outfits in the film, most of which are skin-tight and designed for their erotic appeal.

1980s–1990s

In addition to lesser-known videos such asA Night at the Revuebar(1983), the 1980s also featured mainstream films involving stripping. These includedFlashdance(1983), which told the story of blue-collar worker Alexandra (Alex) Owens (Jennifer Beals), who works as an exotic dancer in aPittsburgh, Pennsylvaniabar at night and at a steel mill as a welder during the day. Stripping also was part of "genre" films, such as horror thrillerFear City(1984), byAbel Ferrara,about a mass-murderer who terrorizes dancers working at a seedy strip club inTimes Square,New York City.The erotic drama9½ Weeks(1986) depictedKim Basingerstripping to the tune of "You Can Leave Your Hat On" byJoe Cocker.Stripped to Kill(1987) was anexploitation filmfromRoger Cormanabout a lady cop who poses as a stripper to catch a murderer; which was followed by a sequel of the same name.Ladykillers(1988), was a 'whodunnit' murder mystery involving the murders of male strippers by an unknown female assailant.Blaze(1989) featuresLolita Davidovitchas notorious stripperBlaze Starr.Starr herself appears in the film in a cameo role.

Massive Attack: Eleven Promos. "Be Thankful For What You've Got"(1992), directed by Baillie Walsh, includes one dance routine by Ritzy Sparkle at the Raymond Revuebar Theatre.Exotica(1994), directed byAtom Egoyan,is set in a Canadian lap-dance club, and portrays a man's (Bruce Greenwood) obsession with aschoolgirlstripper named Christina (Mia Kirshner).Showgirls(1995) was directed byPaul Verhoevenand starredElizabeth BerkleyandGina Gershon.Striptease(1996), was an adaptation of the novel starringDemi Moore.Barb Wire(1996), starredPamela Anderson(ofBaywatchfame), who performs a wet striptease.The Full Monty(1997) is a story of British ex-steel workers who form a Chippendales-style dance revue and decide to strip naked to make an extra buck. It featured songs including an updated version ofDavid Rose's big hitThe StripperandTom Jones's version of "You Can Leave Your Hat On".The Players Club(1998) starredLisaRayeas a girl who becomes a stripper to earn enough money to enter college and study journalism.

2000s–present

Dancing at the Blue Iguana(2000) is a feature film starringDaryl Hannah.The female cast of the film researched the film by dancing at strip clubs and created their parts and their storylines to be as realistic as possible.The Raymond Revuebar the Art of Striptease(2002) is a documentary, directed by Simon Weitzman.Los Debutantes(2003) is aChileanfilm set in a strip-club inSantiago.In theCradle 2 the Gravea 2003 action film a woman named Daria, played byGabrielle Unionperforms a striptease to distract a man named Odion, played byMichael Jacefrom the infiltration of a night club owned by a crime lord named Jump Chambers, played byChi McBride.Portraits of a Naked Lady Dancer(2004) is a documentary, directed by Deborah Rowe. InCloser(2004),Natalie Portmanplays Alice, a young stripper just arrived in London from America.Crazy Horse Le Show(2004) features dance routines from the Crazy Horse, Paris.Mrs Henderson Presents(2005) portrays the erotic dance routines and nude tableau-vivants which featured at theWindmill Theatrebefore and during World War II. The filmFactotum(2005) (by Norwegian directorBent Hamer) concludes withMatt Dillon(in the role ofHenry Chinaski- analter egoofCharles Bukowski,who wrote the novel on which the film is based) having an artisticepiphanywhilst watching a stripper in a strip club.I Know Who Killed Me(2007) starsLindsay Lohanas Dakota Moss, an alluring stripper involved in the machinations of a serial killer, and features a long striptease sequence at a strip club.Planet Terror(2007) starsRose McGowanas Cherry Darling, a beautifulgo-go dancerwho aspires to quit her job. In 2009 a DVD called, "Crazy Horse Paris" featuringDita Von Teesewas released.Magic Mike(2012) features a male stripper Mike Lane (Channing Tatum) guiding a younger male stripper in his first steps into stripping in clubs.

Television

• BBC Panorama (1964) episode produced for the last night of the Windmill Theatre in 1964. Richard Dimbleby interviews Sheila van Damm.
• Get Smart(1967) CONTROL scientist Dr. Steele also works as a stripper, with her lab located at the striptease theatre.
• "If it Moves it's Rude-The Story of the Windmill Theatre" (1969). A BBC television documentary on the Windmill Theatre.
• For the Record: Paul Raymond(1969), the British stripclub ownerPaul Raymondtold his own story, onLWT.
• Peek a Boo(1978), alternative nameThe One and Only Phyllis Dixey,starsLesley-Anne Down,Christopher Murney,Michael Elphick,Elaine PaigeandPatricia Hodge.Drama documentary onPhyllis Dixey.
• 'Allo 'Allo!Helga frequently does a striptease in front ofGeneral Von Klinkerhoffen.
• Neighbours(1985) The character ofDaphneis originally a stripper at Des's bucks party, and eventually goes on to marry him.
• Married... with Children(1987–1997) often featuredAl Bundy,Jefferson D'Arcy,and the NO MA'AM crew spending a night at the Nudie Bar.
• Soho Stories(1996)BBC2.A series of 12 documentary programmes screened from October 28, 1996 to November 20, 1996. Some programmes featured the Raymond Revuebar Theatre.
• Humor es...los comediantes(1999)Televisa.In her first appearance on this series,Aida Pierceportrayed her elderly alter ego, Virginola, who drinks a bottle ofyouth serum,and then performs a striptease, taking off her sweater, skirt, scarf, and even her wig, revealing a black sheerbodysuitand pants...and Pierce herself. Pierce began cohosting the series the next year.
• The Sopranos(1999–2007). Business was often conducted at theBada Bingstrip club.
• Normal, Ohio (2000)
• Stripsearch(2001–), an ongoingAustralianreality televisionshow which centers around the training of male strippers.
• Sex in the 70s-The King of Soho(2005), ITN. A television documentary on Paul Raymond.A longer version of the documentary was produced in 2008 after the death of Paul Raymond under the title, "Soho Sex King-The Paul Raymond Story".
• inSos mi vida(2006), there were two striptease scenes which performed byNatalia OreiroandFacundo Arana.
• Degrassi: The Next Generation(2007), In the two part season 6 finale titledDon't You Want Me,Alex Nunezresorts to stripping after her mother and herself do not have enough money to pay the rent on their apartment.
• Various episodes of theLaw & Orderseries have the cast conducting interviews in strip clubs.
• True Stories: Best Undressed(2010) A documentary about the Miss Nude Australia Contest which is for dancers. Partly filmed from the Crazy Horse Revue, Adelaide, Australia. Screened 22-6-2010 on Channel 4.
• Confessions of a Male Stripper(2013),The Dreamboyswere featured in an hour-long documentary special onChannel 4exploring the life of male strippers.

Theatre

• Mary Martinbecame a star with herfur coatstriptease performances of "My Heart Belongs to Daddy"inCole Porter's Broadway musicalLeave It to Me!
• The Full Monty(2000) is an Americanized stage adaptation of the 1997 Britishfilm of the same name,in which a group of unemployed male steelworkers put together a strip act at a local club.
• Jekyll and Hyde(1997). The character of Lucy Harris (originally portrayed byLinda Eder) works as aprostituteand stripper in a small London club called The Red Rat, where she meets a multi-dimension man named Doctor Henry Jekyll, who turns into his evil persona Mr. Edward Hyde. Lucy performs the song ‘Bring on the Men’ during a show at the Red Rat (which was later replaced with ‘Good ‘n’ Evil’ in the Broadway production, some claiming ‘Bring on the Men’ was too ‘risqué’.).
• Ladies Nightis a New Zealand stage comedy about unemployed male workers who put on a strip show at a club as a way to raise some money. A version was also written for the United Kingdom. There are many parallels withThe Full Monty,althoughLadies Nightpredates that film.
• Barely Phyllisis a play aboutPhyllis Dixeywhich was first staged at the Pomegranate Theatre,Chesterfieldin 2009.

See also

• Bubble dance
• Burlesque
• Cabaret
• Exhibitionism
• Erotic dance
• Fan dance
• Funeral strippers
• Go-Go dancing
• Gown-and-glove striptease
• Lap dance
• List of strip clubs
• List of strippers
• Pole dance
• Strip club
• Table dance

Further reading

• Toni Bentley, 2002.Sisters of Salome.
• Bernson, Jessica (2016).The Naked Result: How Exotic Dance Became Big Business.Oxford University Press.ISBN978-0199846207.
• Arthur Fox, 1962.Striptease with the Lid Off.Empso Ltd., Manchester.
• Arthur Fox, 1962. "Striptease Business". Empso Ltd., Manchester.
• Murray Goldstein, 2005.Naked Jungle - Soho Stripped Bare.Silverback Press.
• Lucinda Jarrett, 1997.Stripping in Time: a history of erotic dancing.Pandora (HarperCollins), London.
• Holly Knox, 1988.Sally Rand, From Films to Fans.Maverick Publications, Bend, U.S.A.ISBN0-89288-172-0.
• Michelle Lamour, 2006.The Most Naked Woman.Utopian Novelty Company, Chicago, Ill.
• Philip Purser and Jenny Wilkes, 1978.The One and Only Phyllis Dixey.Futura Publications, London.ISBN0-7088-1436-0.
• Roye,The Phyllis Dixey Album(The Spotlight on Beauty Series No. 3.) The Camera Studies Club, Elstree.
• Roye, 1942.Phyllis in Censorland.The Camera Studies Club, London.
• Andy Saunders, 2004.Jane: a Pin Up at War.Leo Cooper,Barnsley.ISBN1-84415-027-5.(Jane (Chrystabel Leighton-Porter) was a well known cartoon and photographic model. Jane was also a tableau model and appeared in theatres in Britain.)
• Rachel Shteir, 2004.Striptease: The Untold History of the Girlie Show.Oxford University Press.
• A. W. Stencell, 1999.Girl Show: Into the Canvas World of Bump and Grind.ECW Press, Toronto, Canada.ISBN1-55022-371-2.
• Tempest Storm & Bill Boyd, 1987.Tempest Storm; The Lady is a Vamp.Peacetree, U.S.A.
• Sheila van Damm, 1957.No Excuses.Putnam, London
• Sheila van Damm, 1967.We Never Closed.Robert Hale, London.ISBN0-7091-0247-X.
• Vivian van Damm, 1952.Tonight and Every Night.Stanley Paul, London.
• Antonio Vianovi, 2002.Lili St Cyr: Her Intimate Secrets: Profili Album.Glamour Associated, Italy.
• Dita Von Teese, 2006.Burlesque and the Art of Striptease.Regan Books, New York, NY.ISBN0-06-059167-6
• Paul Willetts, 2010 (August).Members Only: the Life and Times of Paul Raymond.Serpent's Tail Ltd., London.ISBN9781846687150.
• Richard Wortley, 1969.Skin Deep in Soho.Jarrolds Publishers, London.ISBN0-09-087830-2
• Richard Wortley, 1976.The Pictorial History of Striptease.Octopus Books, London. (Later edition by the Treasury Press, London.ISBN0-907407-12-9.)

External links

• Media related toStripteaseat Wikimedia Commons