An historical overview of the development of Burlesque.
This essay is an attempt to provide a brief overview of the main names and events in the history of this misunderstood craft, as it changed from Ancient Athens to modern day… I will be updating it as I uncover more information. There are so many heroes, stars and writers of the burlesque genre I shall have to list them all in another document (as this is already rather lengthy), but significant people are named here.
Where to start? What is Burlesque?
The term ‘Burlesque’ literally means “to imitate, parody or send up”. This meaning hasn’t changed - it’s also a verb, an adjective and a noun 
In essence, burlesque is best described as ‘provocative performance art’. As an entertainment form it has existed as poetry, verse, theatrical comedy - and more recently as ‘adult’ entertainment and also as an ‘underground’ scene for amateur enthusiasts too. It has been subject to much cultural reinterpretation across centuries and continents and has reached various zeniths of zeal across thousands of years featuring a galaxy of stars in it’s unceasing expansion. It’s even evolving a new system of cross-cultural styles today. The history of burlesque itself, reads like a series of biographies of unlikely heroes and heroines, littered with triumphs over adversity, pioneering pursuits, derring-do(n’t) - and tragic tales.
Burlesque today has developed in to a wide genre with many styles (or forms) within it - just as Dance is a wide genre with many comparative and conflicting styles on offer, catering for different tastes and disciplines from classical to contemporary… so to is burlesque. Many of the burlesque forms are distinctly different from one another - and woe betide the booker who doesn’t realise.
Some acts involve song, some dance, some speech, some strip off, some don’t, some involve fire, props, giant props, circus tricks, multi media, illusions and some involve a combination - or more. Some are solo, others duo, trio or troupe. Some are a few minutes in length others are a 90 minute production complete with flying space tigers in grass skirts (well, there might be…). From ancient lewd poems about incontinent Greek gods and mighty Spartan armies to faux-aristocratic ditties about Eton in 1930s, from elaborate debt riddled theatre productions and the catchy tunes of Gilbert & Sullivan to ‘leg shows’ in men only bars - burlesque has had many faces (and not all of them pretty, G&S aside). However… read more….
Kittie co-writes and presents for the 2nd episode of ‘My Alter Ego’ on BBC Radio 4.