In the spring of 1986, a bachelor party at a rural tavern outside Des Moines unexpectedly became the center of a statewide political firestorm. What should have been remembered as a… Read more: Dancers, Decency, and Double Standards: Iowa’s 1986 Nude Dance Scandal

Erna Alene Hoover—born in Harlan, Iowa, on April 12 or 13, 1912—emerged from the Midwest with a determination that would carry her onto some of the nation’s most prominent stages. After… Read more: The Life and Career of Alene Hoover

This content features a comprehensive list of books and publications focused on burlesque and its historical context. Authored by various writers, these works explore themes such as performance, culture, costume, and the socio-political landscape surrounding burlesque from its inception to contemporary perspectives.

The Dreamland Theatre stood at the heart of Tulsa’s Greenwood District, a community built through Black entrepreneurship, mutual support, and cultural ambition. When John and Loula Williams opened the theatre in… Read more: The Legacy of the Dreamland Theatre in Tulsa

Sugar Babies, a Broadway musical, debuted in 1982. The show brought together a mix of comedic sketches and musical performances, featuring various classic songs. Known for its unique combination of talent and nostalgia, it became a notable production in the theatrical landscape of its time.

During the 1960s through the 1990s, Davenport stood at the heart of a thriving erotic‑entertainment circuit in the Quad Cities. Its geography, nightlife culture, and steady demand for live performance created… Read more: Burlesque in Davenport, IA | Part 2

From riverboats to vaudeville stages, Davenport, Iowa was no stranger to spectacle. Between the 1860s and 1940s, this Mississippi River city became a surprising hub for traveling burlesque troupes, variety acts,… Read more: Burlesque in Davenport, IA | Part 1

Burlesque at the Iowa State Fair wasn’t just a novelty—it was a tradition woven into the fabric of the midway. While newspapers didn’t chronicle it every year, the girlie shows were… Read more: Burlesque at the Iowa State Fair

Carter Lake, Iowa, has always been a geographical curiosity—an Iowa town tucked inside Nebraska. From the 1960s through the 1980s, it became more than a cartographic oddity: it was a nightlife… Read more: Stripteasers in Carter Lake, IA

Burlesque in Cedar Rapids has a rich and surprising history, spanning more than a century of cultural change. From the ornate stage of Greene’s Opera House in the 1890s—where comic burlesques… Read more: Exploring Burlesque History in Cedar Rapids, IA

Greene’s Opera House emerged as a cultural hub in Cedar Rapids during the late 19th century, offering residents access to touring theatrical companies and variety entertainment. By December 1888, the venue… Read more: Greene’s Opera House | Cedar Rapids, IA

In the late 19th century, American burlesque was evolving from Victorian parody into a bold, risqué form of variety entertainment. While most touring companies catered to white audiences and relied on… Read more: Sam T. Jack: Pioneer of Black Burlesque in America

Belle Howitt was a celebrated soubrette of the British Blondes troupe. She appeared in productions such as Ixion, Poll and Partner Joe, and Hamlet, often alongside stars like Lydia Thompson, Lisa… Read more: Belle Howitt: Icon of British Burlesque

“In the early seventies the only travelling opera company of a comic character was that headed by Alice Oakes. She was, in her day, a very clever artist…”— The Journal, “The… Read more: Alice Oakes & The Oakes Company: Comic Opera on Tour

American burlesque history is usually traced to Lydia Thompson’s “British Blondes” in New York, but the Hyers Sisters were already performing burlesque‑style operettas on the West Coast by the late 1860s.… Read more: The Hyers Sisters: Early Burlesquers

Council Bluffs has always been a city of crossroads — a place where travelers, traders, and dreamers converged along the Missouri River. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, its… Read more: History of Burlesque in Council Bluffs, IA

Burlesque in Des Moines during the mid‑20th century was caught in a fascinating tug‑of‑war between repression and resilience. From the 1950s through the 1990s, performers and venues navigated shifting city ordinances,… Read more: Burlesque in Des Moines, IA | Part 2

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Des Moines, Iowa, found itself at the center of a heated cultural and legal debate—one that blurred the lines between erotic performance, artistic expression,… Read more: Big Earl’s Goldmine & the Battle for Burlesque

When you think of Paris nightlife, images of glittering lights, champagne, and sultry performances often come to mind. Among the city’s legendary venues, Crazy Horse Paris stands apart as a temple… Read more: Crazy Horse Paris: A Mid-Modern Burlesque

Born in 1926 in Kansas City, Missouri, Iretha Tucker—née Greer—was a firecracker on stage and a force in midcentury Black entertainment. Known as the “Shake Dancer Supreme” of the Ebony Dancers,… Read more: Iretha “Pepper Pot” Tucker

In the heart of Kansas City’s vibrant Black entertainment scene, a dazzling troupe emerged in 1950 that blended rhythm, spectacle, and unapologetic showmanship: The Ebony Dancers. Composed of eight to ten… Read more: The Ebony Dancers of Kansas City

Long before Des Moines embraced its modern burlesque revival, the city played host to a vibrant, complicated legacy of tease and spectacle stretching from the 1860s to the 1940s. In opera… Read more: Early Burlesque in Des Moines, IA

In the golden age of jazz and burlesque, Madeline Jackson, professionally known as Sahji, emerged as one of the most mesmerizing performers of her time.Born in around 1919, Sahji rose to… Read more: Sahji: Queen of the Shake Dancers

Aida Overton Walker (1880 – 1914) was a transformative figure in American performance history. As a dancer, singer, choreographer, and cultural advocate, she elevated African American artistry in an era of… Read more: Aida Overton Walker: Queen of the Cakewalk

In a sepia publicity portrait dated circa 1911, a poised young woman named Saidie Sellyna (Thompson) gazes confidently at the camera. Preserved in the Sullivan Family Papers at the Smithsonian’s Anacostia… Read more: Uncovering the Lost Legacy of Saidie Sellyna

In the late 1930s, as tensions escalated in East Asia and the United States edged toward war, a young woman named Lin Tsen Chan arrived in America under circumstances that newspapers… Read more: Lin Chan: Chinese Dancer

Jayne Mansfield didn’t grace the stage of Minsky’s or twirl pasties under marquee lights, yet her influence on burlesque—and vice versa—is undeniable. With a persona that screamed camp and curves, Mansfield… Read more: Jayne Mansfield: A Bombshell in Burlesque

In the dust and dazzle of America’s mid-century circus culture, Florence Jensen — better known as “Dainty Dotty” — stood out not just for her size, but for her ink. Billed… Read more: Florence “Dainty Dotty” Jensen

Long before Falls City became known for quiet streets and prairie charm, it played host to a livelier, more provocative chapter of American entertainment history. Burlesque—equal parts satire, spectacle, and subversion—once… Read more: Burlesque in Falls City, NE

Carmen Holiday was a Mexican-American dancer whose career blurred the lines between striptease, theater, and social commentary. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she trained in Latin, jazz, and belly dance… Read more: Carmen Holiday

Cheyenne, Wyoming has been the frontier of entertainment since the mid-1860s. At the heart of it all stood McDaniel’s Theatre, affectionately known as “Mac’s”—a standalone spectacle that catered to the pioneering… Read more: Burlesque at the McDaniel’s Theatre | Cheyenne, WY

In the world of mid-century burlesque and drag performance, few figures were as visually arresting and artistically daring as Lestra La Monte. Born Lester LaMonte in 1900 in Cincinnati, Ohio, Lestra… Read more: Lestra La Monte

Before she became a household name as Lily Munster, Yvonne De Carlo was a determined young woman chasing dreams from the dance halls of Vancouver to the glittering studios of Hollywood.… Read more: Yvonne De Carlo AKA Lily Munster

We’ve covered the fan dancers of the 1930s and 40s but I’m here to dive into another performance art that took the burlesque stage by storm:aqua acts or performances in water!… Read more: Aquatease & the Oyster Girl

In the quiet corners of southeast Nebraska, performance history flickers between preservation and mystery. Auburn may not boast the grand marquees of Lincoln or Omaha, but its opera houses and community… Read more: Burlesque in Auburn, NE

Nestled in the Nebraska Panhandle, Chadron’s performance history is anything but provincial. Beginning in the late 1800s, the town’s opera houses—like the Nelson Opera Block built in 1888—welcomed traveling troupes, musicians,… Read more: Burlesque in Chadron, NE

The Buckaroo Club — also known as the Buckaroo Bar or Buckaroo Nite Club — was once a lively fixture in Van Tassell, Wyoming, a town that now has fewer than… Read more: Buckaroo Burlesque in Van Tassel, WY

In the twilight of the 19th century, as Japan opened its doors to the world, one woman stepped through them and onto the global stage with unmatched grace and audacity. Sada… Read more: Sada Yacco: Geisha and Global Icon

Lola Falana was a force of nature, transforming every stage she touched into a showcase of glamour, grit, and brilliance. Born Loletha Elayne Falana in Camden, New Jersey, in 1942, she… Read more: Lola Falana: Showbiz Trailblazer

The Serpentine Dancer Born in 1862 in Fullersburg, Illinois, Loïe Fuller was a performer who defied categorization. She began her career in the rough-and-tumble world of American vaudeville, burlesque, and circus… Read more: Loïe Fuller

The Moulin Rouge Era In 1992, La Toya Jackson became the lead revue performer at the famed Moulin Rouge in Paris, starring in a show titled Formidable. This wasn’t just a… Read more: La Toya Jackson

Tucked into the windswept plains of western Nebraska, Alliance might seem an unlikely backdrop for the glitter and grit of burlesque. Yet, like so many small towns shaped by railroads, traveling… Read more: Burlesque in Alliance, NE

In a swirl of sequins and shadowy spotlight, Yolanda Montes—the woman the world came to know as Tongolele—stepped onto the stage and redefined what it meant to be an “exotic.” Born… Read more: Yolanda Montes AKA Tongolele

By the 1970s, Omaha’s burlesque scene had begun to evolve alongside changing cultural tides. The glamour of mid-century striptease gave way to grittier, more commercialized adult entertainment, yet echoes of classic… Read more: Burlesque in Clubs in Omaha, NE | 1970s-90s

In the smoky glow of downtown Omaha’s nightlife, burlesque found a home in the clubs that lined Howard Street and beyond during the 1950s and 60s. These venues—often tucked behind unassuming… Read more: Burlesque in Clubs in Omaha, NE | 1950s-60s

In the glittering world of early 20th-century entertainment, few performers embodied the extravagance and allure of the era quite like Rosie and Jenny Dolly. The identical twin dancers captivated audiences from… Read more: The Dolly Sisters: Burlesque Twins

When we think about the great civic organizations that have shaped regional identity, few stand out as uniquely as the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben—which spells “Nebraska” backwards. Since their founding in 1895,… Read more: AKSARBEN Burlesque

Dixie Evans was more than just a burlesque performer—she was a living tribute to Hollywood glamour, a curator of burlesque history, and one of the driving forces behind the burlesque’s revival.… Read more: Dixie Evans: The “Marilyn Monroe of Burlesque”

Noel Toy was a pioneer of Chinese American burlesque, known for her stunning fan and bubble dances that captivated audiences from San Francisco to New York. Born Ngum Yee Hom in… Read more: Noel Toy

The world of circus is built on spectacle—graceful acrobats defying gravity, fearless performers taming wild beasts, and daring equestrians commanding the ring with effortless precision. Among these legends stands Struppi Hanneford,… Read more: Struppi Hanneford aka “Princess Tajana”