Ten ways to tell if I am a stripper or a burlesque dancer

I was talking to a friend the other day, and it came up that I was going to be in some upcoming Dem Damn Dames shows. When I mentioned burlesque, her eyes grew wide and she exclaimed, "You're a stripper!" Her comment got me thinking. Yeah, one of my numbers is a complete striptease, but I don't consider myself a stripper. I take my costumes off piece by piece, but I consider myself an artist. So I wanted to see what someone else thought.

I remembered an article in Shimmy Magazine (Issue 2 Spring/Summer 2006) by Jo Boobs, who is a performer, and teaches at the School of Burlesque in New York. She was a commerical stripper before she started burlesque and these are ten ways she defines a stripper versus a burlesque performer:


1. Strippers usually mingle with the customers / Burlesque performers generally aren't expected to
2. Strippers play to whoever has the money / Burlesque performers to whoever cheers the loudest
3. Stripping is about the sales and interpersonal skills / Burlesque performers perform with exotic glamour and dance skills
4. Stripping is a job / With Burlesque performers income is rarely the primary motivation
5. Strip joint customers are often concerned about discretion / Burlesque audiences rarely are
6. Strip joint customers pick one or a few girls to interact with / Burlesque audiences sit and watch the whole show
7. Strippers usually have their credits in adult entertainment /  Burlesque performers usually have a theatrical background
8. People who go to strip joints are customers / People who go to Burlesque shows are audiences
9. Stripping is mostly about the nudity / Burlesque is mostly about the costume
10. Strippers look for individuals to entertain / Burlesque performers want the attention of the whole darn room!

*"There are many situations were none of these differences apply, and many burlesque performers are in it for the money."

As Dita Von Teese once said about being called a stripper, "If it was good enough for Gypsy Rose Lee, it is good enough for me."

Next week - Burlesque moves every burlesque performer should know about*

Sayonora - Midnight Joy xoxo