Famed burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese has been heralded as an old-world beauty, with more class, grace, and sophistication than the majority of us plebes—not to mention, the denizens of women who also strip their clothes for a profession. But what exactly is the difference between a burlesque dancer and a stripper? According to Dita, not that much. "I think nearly all mainstream burlesque troupes, clubs and onscreen-portrayals are purposefully in denial. They are trying to take the main element out of burlesque to make it 'OK' for the public, and it's not doing anything to educate people on what burlesque was back in its heyday. For those of us that study it and respect the performers like Gypsy Rose Lee, Sally Rand and Lili St Cyr that came before us and made this revival possible at all, it's insulting. Because all of them did strip and push the envelope with regard to nudity, and to insinuate that they weren't 'classy' is just rude, blasphemous, in fact!" For Laura Herbert, Las Vegas' executive director of the Burlesque Hall of Fame, it's a little more black and white. "I believe that if your outfit can fit in your closed fist, you're probably not a burlesque performer." (AOL)
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