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

The Burlesque Companion: Families to Exotic Pets

Constantly touring and performing night and day, being a stage Burlesque dancer can be a very lonely profession. Some performers have had husbands and children that support them, whereas others have gone through publicly scandalous divorces. Some even turned to exotic pets such as cheetahs and snakes for companionship. Over time, burlesque dancers have chosen a variety of companions to care for. This also ties in with the idea of the “Burlesque Celebrity” and how exoticism and power can come from outrageous animals and public displays. The idea of persona, the need to constantly reinvent oneself, and how a burlesque dancer is received and perceived by the media and public positively and negatively is all related to who and what a dancer associates themselves with.

Exotic animals have appeared in the burlesque world as early as the 1930s. Dances with Doves, a performance by early burlesque dancer Rosita Royce, involves her dancing with her exotic pet birds. 

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