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The burlesque “effeuillage” (stripping)
Focus on burlesque strip shows in Parisian cabarets and elsewhere
The “burlesque effeuillage” (stripping) is a performance that combines sensuality and comedy. It is performed by artists, usually women, who undress in front of an audience. Focus on this art of undressing which is performed on the stages of cabarets in Paris and elsewhere.
What is a burlesque (stripping) show?
Burlesque stripping encompasses different forms of performance, but it is often an artistic performance in which a woman dances sensually to reveal her body.
A burlesque effeuillage (stripping) show raises the striptease to the rank of artistic discipline. It is a choreographed and scenographed performance in which a performer gradually undresses to arouse an emotion… but not necessarily an erotic feeling! The burlesque stripping is inspired by dance, theater, cabaret and circus.
Lots of rhinestones, feathers and sequins are usually used in burlesque shows. Nowadays, they value all female bodies, whether thin or curvy. They extol the diversity of shapes, and aim at helping women to take pride in their bodies instead of submitting to the models of beauty and the diktat of slimness.
It is important to note that some men also perform burlesque stripping.
Come and experience L’Oiseau Paradis, the show of the Paradis Latin.
A brief history of burlesque stripping, from Paris to the United States
The first Parisian cabarets, places that provided food, drinks and shows, appeared in the 1880s. At the time, they offered a variety of shows, including sensual performances.
For the record, burlesque stripping was born in a Parisian cabaret, located rue des Martyrs. On March 3, 1894, the show “Le Coucher d’Yvette” (or “Le Coucher de la mariée”) was played for the first time at the Divan Japonais. It featured the Opera singer and actress Blanche Cavelli. The audience was shocked after she stripped naked on stage during the show!
At that time, the new type of lighthearted and glamorous show offered by the cabarets fascinated Parisians. The whole Paris was in love with the French Cancan, the provocative dance that reveals women’s undergarments.
These shows were exported to North America where the genre has been called “burlesque”. In the United States, cabarets and music halls made female nudity an essential component of their burlesque shows; in the 1920s, striptease even became their main element. The burlesque art was at the height of its prominence in the 1950s, when rock’n’roll was in full swing. At that time, morals were setting free from social restrictions and pin-ups were everywhere.
Burlesque performances disappeared in the 1970s, but they have come back twenty years later in a contemporary form, the neo-burlesque. Spurred on by this revival, the stripping shows have been updated. Alternately glamorous, poetic, funny and incisive, they now play with the codes of seduction and praise the beauty of all bodies.
L’Oiseau Paradis, the show of the Paradis Latin
Are you looking for a lighthearted and glamorous entertainment that is in the tradition of burlesque performances? Discover the Paradis Latin revue: “L’Oiseau Paradis”. This show is faithful to the tradition of Parisian cabarets of the late 19th century.
Directed and choreographed by Kamel Ouali, “L’Oiseau Paradis” combines sensuality, humor and poetry. The show preserves and modernizes the traditional codes of burlesque cabaret with comedy, sensual dances, French cancan, acrobatics, and even special effects.
