Burlesque Dancers in the 60s: Individual Lives and Details
A lot of the performers worked other jobs such as waitressing, seamstressing, or as a dance teacher. One woman explains that “when she entered the stripping business she was a naive person.” She was in the business strictly for the money and wanted to go back to school to obtain a 9-5 job in real estate. Many identified themselves as catholic, however, some had differences in their practices or beliefs. For example, one woman was worried that if she went back to the catholic church she would not be forgiven. She didn’t believe that she was going to hell but “probably purgatory.” She explained that Rose la Rose was like a mother to her. Another woman who identifies as Jewish explained that she “doesn’t go to temple but keeps the religion in her heart.” Overall, these interviews give a great insight into the burlesque voice and the different reasonings behind entering the business, their opinions on stripping and prostitution, and the details of the life of a burlesque dancer at that time.