Spectacles of Agency and Desire: Dance Histories and the Burlesque Stage

Anonymous Voice vs Public Image

In the McCaghy Collection, there are transcripts of interviews conducted by James K Skipper Jr and Charles McCaghy in 1968. The respondents were touring strippers performing at the Roxy in Cleveland and the names of the respondents are blacked out due to confidentiality. These interviews ask the exotic dancers personal questions from their physical appearance to opinions about the industry. Because it is standard practice for sociologists to protect the identities of their research subjects, these interviews give a lot of insight into a “general” burlesque dancer at the time rather than a specific one. These dancers do not have a specific voice relating to their individual persona and can disclose information about the industry that would not affect their reputations or careers. 

Because the interviews are anonymous there is also the question of whether or not they are telling the truth, how their anonymous voice might differ from their public voice, and how their voice comes out through these personal interview. For example, when asked about prostitution, one dancer said “It’s legitimate. There’s nothing wrong with it at all. It serves as a function for society” (McCaghy). This statement might have been different if the dancer was not anonymous and had a specific reputation to uphold. Another dancer explained how she used to think that strippers were “bad girls” but now she has changed her mind and believes they are no different than any other girls (McCaghy). Someone that was in the industry may or may not admit that to her fans or colleagues but in the context of these interviews she is comfortable enough to share her possibly true opinions. Having a glimpse into these dancers' perspectives show how their views about the filed have changed since joining the industry. 

 
Works Cited:

McCaghy, Charles and James Skipper. Binder of interviews. Series 6, Box 7. Charles H. McCaghy Collection of Exotic Dance from Burlesque to Clubs. Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee Theater Research Institute, Ohio State University Libraries, Columbus, OH. 2 Dec. 2015.

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