I only skimmed the article, but the commenter’s are forgetting that the classic burlesque stars incorporated belly-dancing in their burlesque acts. In my opinion, belly-dancing and burlesque are much less cousins, performance art of enticement and seduction.

As far as what Fleur du Mal’s question regarding American burlesque, it does focus on the strip tease. Back in the 30’s and 40’s when the burlesque comics made a transition into radio and TV, the burlesque theaters had to fill the stage, and they did so with “strippers”. From this we get burlesque strip teaser stars like Gypsy Rose Lee, Lili St. Cyr, etc. Is American burlesque more sexualized than in the UK? The answer may be yes. I watched the HBO documentary by Liz Goldwyn called “Pretty Things” which she interviewed the big classic burlesque stars. One of them admitted, “…sometimes we wore pasties, and sometimes we didn’t. Sometimes we wore g-strings and sometimes we didn’t.” I think there are many different aesthetic to burlesque. I have seen it span the gamut. I have seen very glamorous strip-tease like Dita von Teese and Immodesty Blaize, and I have also seen bits that are much “edgier” and more provocative. However, I have always known burlesque to include a striptease.

I am unfamiliar with British burlesque. Does it focus more on the comedy than the striptease like American burlesque?