Burlesque as it always will be
By D'Arcy Bresson
Managing Editor
July 8, 2009
 LAS VEGAS - One of the longest running jokes in the storied history of burlesque is about the father who tells his son to never go to the burlesque hall because he’ll see something he shouldn’t. The curious son goes to the burlesque hall and, sure enough, he sees something he shouldn’t—his father sitting in the front row.
The seating section at The Orleans in Las Vegas is anything but working-class men hoping to find a drink during the prohibition era or perhaps forget their worries during the Great Depression. Instead, the rows are mostly filled with glamorous women of all ages decked out in sequined gowns and feathered accessories.
The women are mainly performers from burlesque’s storied past and present. They’re hooting and whistling catcalls for a performer introduced from Windsor, Ont. Canada. Her name is Roxi Dlite and she’s competing to be crowned the Queen of Burlesque. Formerly known as Miss Exotic World, the competition is the highlight of the nineteenth annual Burlesque Hall of Fame Reunion Weekend.
Indeed, burlesque actually has a hall of fame but the reunions weren’t always a glitzy Vegas affair. In fact, 20 years ago, the Burlesque Hall of Fame was just a neglected goat farm in the Mojave Desert. Retired performers from burlesque’s Golden Era of the 1920s, 30s, and 40s were the last ambassadors of time and place neglected from American history. Because it was within their mothballed cedar chests you would find elaborate costumes, photographs and even love letters from enamored fans.
 For those not in the know, burlesque is one of North America’s oldest forms of entertainment. Put simply, it’s stripping. But not the teased-hair, pole dancers popularized in 80s rock videos. Instead, think nipple-pasties and g-strings and the only thing teased was the audience.
Originating in the mid-nineteenth century during the industrial revolution and culture clashes, burlesque served as a comic imitation of a serious art form. An early burlesque show often featured dancing girls and bawdy comedic sketches peppered with double entendres. The skits would lampoon serious forms of entertainment such as opera or ballet while the girls would woo audiences with the flash of a thigh.
Burlesque halls were springing up across America and their comedic-styled shows paved the way for numerous legendary funnymen. Showmen such as W.C. Fields, Abbott and Costello and Bob Hope all got their breaks in the burlesque halls before applying their comedic formula to film.
The advent of film theatres in 1920s forced burlesque promoters to focus their shows on the striptease artists. The comedians still existed but the showgirls became the headliners. Over the next few decades, stars like Lili St. Cyr and Gypsy Rose Lee were just as famous as any starlet from Hollywood.
As the 1950s rolled around and most of America feared Senator Joe McCarthy, moral authorities were putting the squeeze on the bawdy burlesque halls. Television was taking over and burlesque show attendance started to dip. Ironically, the pressure from authorities to clean up the shows ultimately started a race to the bottom. Strip clubs replaced burlesque halls, audiences became customers and the only thing left in the striptease was the strip.
 It wasn’t until years later that a retired stripper named Jennie Lee bought an old goat farm in Helendale, California. Lee intended to create a museum that celebrates burlesque’s rich history and influence but when she died of breast cancer in 1990, a former performer named Dixie Evans took over the goat farm and created the Exotic World Burlesque Museum, now known as the Burlesque Hall of Fame.
Burlesque never entirely went away, it survived mainly as an underground art form that resurfaced in the 1990s. Performers in New York and Los Angeles revived the aging art form with influence from the likes of Gypsy and Dixie but now including a wider range of performance styles.
The modern performers put more focus on the “tease” and less on the strip. The shows took place in small nightclubs and but the notion of burlesque was scoffed at by outsiders tainted by the portrayal of the 80s stripper. But slowly, the word spread of a small ranch in the middle of the Mojave Desert where burlesque was celebrated.
Dixie began the striptease reunions 19 years ago with hopes of bringing attention to the museum. Dixie, now in her seventies, still attends the annual reunions now held in Las Vegas and often shares stories about the Hall of Fame’s history. “We hired a few Mexicans to build a stage. They worked for two meals and a six-pack a day,” says Dixie with no apologies, “That was the going rate for Mexicans.”
Dixie decided to offer up a prize to the best performer to add to the excitement. The title of Miss Exotic World now serves as the benchmark for the modern-day burlesque performers. The title is recognized worldwide and the winner will serve as an ambassador of burlesque who ultimately commands a higher show price.
Roxi Dlite began burlesque like so many other modern performers—by accident. She was performing striptease shows at a couples club in Windsor when a woman thanked her for bringing back burlesque. “I had never heard of burlesque before,” said Roxi, “I went home and researched on my computer and fell in love instantly.”
Since then, she’s slowly worked her way from a small couples club in Windsor to competing with the best in the world in Las Vegas. It’s her first time competing and, coincidently, the first time a Canadian has ever competed for Miss Exotic World.
 To be sure, competitors want to win but being invited to Best of Burlesque Pageant is victory enough for most. “I’m just happy to be included and to celebrate burlesque,” says Roxi.
As a lead-up to the event, Roxi maintained a daily blog where she profiled the other competitors and giving reasons why they should win. This humble approach to competing is not uncommon in the burlesque community. Performers are constantly offering advice and support to each other.
The competition begins and Roxi sashays across the stage as a Runaway Bride. The act culminates when a giant diamond ring descends from the rafters and she climbs aboard for an aerial act.
As strange as it sounds, the competition is just a side note to the reunion. Performers and fans gather yearly to celebrate burlesque and assist Dixie with her dream of keeping an American art form alive.
Roxi’s performance bested 11 of the other 12 performers earning her a second place finish and making her the reigning Princess of Burlesque. She’ll return to Las Vegas next June for the reunion, as will the other performers who traveled from as far away as Finland and Japan. Meanwhile, Dixie Evans will continue her work on the Hall of Fame and her goal of moving it to a permanent home in Las Vegas.
To view more photos from the 2009 Burlesque Hall of Fame, click here. |
