Striptease
Striptease is a staged performance in which a performer removes clothing gradually, often in time with music and choreography.
Burlesque: A theatrical entertainment tradition combining comedy, dance, music, and stylized erotic display. Striptease often uses burlesque’s theatrical pacing, costume, and playful reveal.
Moulin Rouge: A Paris cabaret founded in 1889, known for dance and elaborate stage spectacle. Its early revue culture helped establish Paris as a center of modern cabaret performance.
Sally Rand: An American dancer famous for her fan dance and appearances at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair. Her fan dance made concealment and suggestion central to a widely recognized stage act.
Burlesque club: A venue presenting burlesque, often through live dance, comedy, and variety acts. Clubs provide a theatrical setting where striptease is framed as entertainment.
Sexual objectification: The treatment of a person primarily as an object for another’s sexual use or attention. Critics use this concept to assess how striptease presents performers and bodies.
Choreography: The design and arrangement of movements in a dance or staged performance. Planned gestures and timing shape the act beyond the removal of clothing.
Folies Bergère: A Paris music hall founded in 1869, famous for lavish revues and visual spectacle. Its revues helped shape the theatrical conventions associated with French striptease.
Lili St. Cyr: A Canadian-American burlesque performer known for elaborate striptease routines and stage costumes. Her carefully constructed routines exemplify striptease as a designed theatrical event.
Gentlemen's club: A commercial venue offering adult entertainment, commonly including dance performances. In this setting, striptease is shaped by customer service and venue rules.
Sex work: The exchange of sexual services or performances for compensation. Paid striptease is often discussed within wider debates about sexual labor.