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

Selene Luna

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Neo-Burlesque Stars: A Challenge to Hegemonic Beauty Neo-burlesque challenges hegemonic norms of beauty and femininity through celebration of non-normative bodies and parody of the norm, therefore empowering those who do not fit the strict confines of hegemonic beauty. Many neo-burlesque stars are overweight; therefore challenging the idea that in order to be sexy one has to be skinny. Take critically acclaimed neo-burlesque star, Bella Sin. Regardless off Bella Sin’s overweight body, she is the recipient of many prestigious burlesque awards and the press surrounding her and her performance reeks of praise. By celebrating and drawing attention to her body, Bella Sin suggests that largeness is beauty.

Click here to view Bella Sin's Website

3’ 10” Selene Luna, an original member of the neo-burlesque troupe, Velvet Hammer Burlesque and currently an independent and successful burlesque artist is a Mexican woman and little person. Her successes exemplify yet another challenge to the hegemonic standards for beauty.

Click here to view Selene Luna's Website

Neo-burlesque also critiques hegemonic standards of beauty through parody of the very norms it seeks to critique. For example, burlesque queen, The World Famous *Bob* cites traditional sex symbols and uses hyperbolic expression of femininity to parody dominant conceptions of female beauty and sex appeal (Erwin 139.) She refers to herself as a “female female impersonator.” In one of her most famous acts entitled “Martini Time,” *Bob* appears in a highly stereotypically feminine outfit, (sparkly, glamorous gown, a face full of makeup, gloves that go up the arms etc.) She removes her gloves, and then her gown, and then places a martini shaker in her cleavage. She looks at the audience and laughs as if to say, can you believe I am going to do this? She then tips her torso forward to pour the martini into the glass in front of her, and then retrieves an olive from her panties, all the while laughing and smiling. Finally she places the olive into the glass. Her exaggerated sexualization pokes fun at society’s expectations for how a woman must be sexy.

Works Cited:
Erwin, Jacey Collyer. Play it on the G-String: The Sexuality and Subculture of Neo-Burlesque Striptease. Diss. University of California, Los Angeles, 2004 Ann Arbor. ProQuest. Web. 19 October 2015.