Sally Rand

Sally Rand was an American burlesque dancer and actress best known for her fan dance, which she performed at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair.

1933 World's Fair: The Century of Progress International Exposition, held in Chicago from 1933 to 1934. Rand became a sensation there with her fan dance.
Cecil B. DeMille: An American film director and producer known for lavish historical spectacles and biblical epics. Rand appeared in DeMille's 1927 film The King of Kings.
Choreography: The design and arrangement of movements in a dance or staged performance. Rand's fans worked through carefully timed movement, not simply as costume pieces.
Obscenity: Material or conduct judged legally or socially offensive to prevailing standards of sexual decency. Authorities and audiences debated whether Rand's suggestive act crossed public decency limits.
Fan dance: A dance using fans as props, sometimes arranged to suggest concealment or reveal. Rand's best-known performance used oversized ostrich-feather fans to create an illusion of nudity.
Florenz Ziegfeld: An American theatrical producer who created the Ziegfeld Follies revue series. Rand worked in the Follies, a major showcase for American revue performers.
Stage prop: An object used by performers during a theatrical production. The fans were props that shaped what the audience could see.
Publicity stunt: A planned action designed chiefly to attract public attention and media coverage. Rand's arrest during the 1933 fair generated headlines and amplified her fame.
Bubble dance: A stage dance in which a performer manipulates a large transparent sphere as a prop. Rand developed this later spectacle as another signature act.
Sophie Tucker: An American singer and comedian celebrated for her vaudeville and music-hall performances. Tucker's career offers a contemporary example of female stage celebrity in vaudeville and revue.

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