Five Famous Strippers

“Salome”

Although there is no biblical mention of her removing any of her clothes, it is often claimed that the origin of striptease can be attributed to Salome and the dance that is said to have seduced Herod into murdering john the Baptist:

“And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel. Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee. And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom. And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist.” (Mark 6:21-29)

The Dance of the Seven Veils originates not in the Bible but in Oscar Wilde’s 1893 play Salomé. While Wilde’s play does not depict the dance, only mentions it, in Richard Strauss’ controversial opera Salome, it is a central part of the performance. In Strauss’ opera Salome slowly removes each of her seven veils until she lies naked at Herod’s feet demanding the head of John the Baptist.

The turn of the century interest in Salome brought about by Wilde and Strauss manifested itself in what became known as ‘Salomania’ – the permeation of the figure of Salome in popular culture. Salome was envisioned as someone we might nowadays describe as a femme fatale and represented a powerful sexuality and the freedom demanded by modern women.

In 1906 Maud Allan performed the Dance of the Seven Veils in her ‘Vision of Salome’ show and Mata Hari, Ida Rubenstein and Colette later performed the same dance. Due to the risqué nature of the piece each woman found herself battling censorship, causing scandals and ultimately defying society’s expectations for women. It was those women who popularized The Dance of the Seven Veils as a symbol of female self-determination.

Josephine Baker

Early Twentieth Century France was at the forefront of the pioneering of modern day striptease. Semi naked dancers performed at the Moulin Rouge and Folies Bergere, one of the most famous was Josephine Baker.

Josephine Baker, an African-American from St Louis who had performed as a chorus girl on Broadway and toured the United States with a vaudeville troupe, found a turning point in her career when she traveled to Paris to open her show La Revue Nègre at the Theatre des Champs-Élysée. The show gained notoriety for Baker’s erotic, near nude dancing. After a European tour she returned to Paris, to the Follies-Bergère where she performed her captivating Danse Sauvage dressed in nothing but a feather skirt.
When La Revue Nègre finished its run, Baker put on her famous La Folie du Jour show at the Folies. The most iconic image of Baker, naked but for a skirt made from bananas comes from this act.

Whilst Baker was famous and much loved in French society, her return to the United States was miserable. Her US performances received poor reviews and she was rejected due to the racist attitudes of the day.

Baker returned to Paris in 1937 and became a French citizen. She assisted with the French World War Two effort by corresponding with the French Resistance, serving as a sub-lieutenant in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, and performing for the troops. For her efforts Baker was awarded to medal of the Resistance with rosette and named Chevalier of the Legion of Honor.

Although she continued to reside in France, Baker was a strong supporter of the American Civil Rights movement; she worked with the NAACP, spoke alongside Martin Luther King at the 1963 march of Washington and refused to perform for segregated audiences. Baker was also the first African American female to star in a major motion picture.

For Josephine Baker stripping opened the door to wealth, fame, opportunity and respect.

Gypsy Rose Lee

The early twentieth century revival of burlesque produced shows made up of comedy, satire and striptease. The stripping acts soon came to be the central focus of the shows and the word burlesque to be synonymous with the striptease performances. Striptease dancers would create elaborate acts using specially chosen costumes, music, props and lighting, and, in the words of Gypsy, they all had “to have a gimmick!”

Gypsy Rose Lee is one of the most famous dancers in burlesque history. She was known for the wit and humor she brought to her performances and subtle emphasis on the tease aspect of striptease. Lee was one of the biggest stars of Minsky’s Burlesque, the racy (for the time), Paris inspired, burlesque shows put on by the Minsky Brothers in New York City. The Minsky’s Burlesque shows were repeatedly declared obscene and raided, Lee was arrested several times and famously protested one charge by saying “I wasn’t naked, I was completely covered by a blue light.”

Despite her fame in the burlesque world Gypsy is still best known for her autobiography, ‘Gypsy’ which inspired a Stephen Sondheim musical and a movie starring Natalie Wood. She was also a successful author who wrote three books as well as a film and television actress. Gypsy’s fame extended much further than the burlesque halls.

Carol Doda

Carol Doda ushered in a new era in striptease when one night in 1964 at San Francisco’s Condor Club she jumped on top of a grand piano wearing only a monokini. That night Doda became America’s first topless dancer. Doda’s notoriety was such that the Condor displayed a large lit-up cartoon of her outside the club. To this day her name appears on a plaque mounted on the wall outside.

Doda pioneered another significant trend amongst strippers; large enhanced breasts. A natural 34B, Doda underwent several procedures to increase her bra size to a 44D.

Besides many years spent stripping in San Francisco clubs, Doda appeared in a Jack Nicholson produced movie Head, and was profiled by Tom Wolfe in his book The Pump House Gang. She now has her own business, a lingerie store in San Francisco.

Dita Von Teese

Described on her personal website dita.net as the “Biggest star in burlesque since Gypsy Rose Lee” Von Teese is credited with leading the contemporary revival of burlesque and of bringing back the classic look of the Golden Era. As she says herself she “puts the tease back into the striptease” and is known for her sophisticated performances and intricate costuming. Perhaps most famous is her ‘Martini Glass’ show in which strips off and submerges herself in an oversized martini glass. In 2006 she was the first ever guest invited to perform at Paris’ legendary Crazy Horse theater and appeared again in 2009.

Von Teese is a burlesque superstar, style icon and has appeared in fashion magazines across the world, yet she remains grounded and doesn’t forget the local Michigan strip club where her career began. “You can call me a stripper.” She says in her book Burlesque and the Art of the Teese. “I’m fine with that.”

Sources:

Bentley, Toni, Sisters of Salome

Biography, The Official Josephine Baker Website http://www.cmgww.com/stars/baker/about/biography.htm

Biographical Information, Dita Von Teese, www.dita.net

Friend, Tad, Naked Profits, The New Yorker July 12 2004

Lee, Gypsy Rose, Gypsy: Memoirs of America’s Most Celebrated Stripper

Von Teese, Dita, Burlesque and the Art of the Teese