Jo Weldon's New York School of Burlesque

I often wonder where, as a child, I got this idea of glamour. Yes, the Dean Martini show; yes, the old gentlemen's magazines I found where I wasn't supposed to be looking; but where did I get this idea of fashion so fierce it could barely exist in real life? The answer is here in this book: Frederick's of Hollywood catalogues. The cute? You can't handle the cute! I got my first pair of stockings and real garter belt when I was in high school in the 1970's, inspired partly by Rocky Horror and primarily by the fact that real stockings even existed. Though I love a pair of fishnet tights, you'd be hard-pressed to get me into pantyhose, which I have always associated with all the least desirable qualities of being "ladylike." I wanted a little more freedom than that, and since I went to a high school where leg coverings were required, stockings it was. Remind me to tell you sometime about how those garters and stockings caused a ruckus in 1979! I'm...

This was originally intended for The Burlesque Handbook . It was originally five times longer. I kept editing and editing and it was still too long, and ultimately even this version didn't make it in. I had forgotten all about it! I've written more burlesque glossaries, some based on vintage terminology, one very technical, and one illustrated and really mean and filthy! I'm illustrating with some old photos just because I haven't seen them myself for awhile. Attribution: Giving specific and upfront credit for the source of inspiration or influence. Contrary to maxim, this is the highest form of flattery. Backstage: Behind the stage or in the dressing area, usually out of sight of the audience. Bump ‘n’ grind: A bump is a snap of the hips, and a grind is a circular motion of the hips. Burlesque: A style of performance featuring low-brow humour and high-brow strippers. Brittanica says: "In burlesque the serious is treated lightly and the frivolous seriously.” ...