This is an older documentary that features film footage of some of the legends of burlesque.
Featured are some the biggest names of classic burlesque: Dixie Evans, Blaze Starr, Bettie Page, Tempest Storm, Sally Rand and her fans, and Josephine Baker. But there are also other more obscure performers included.
The DVD is entirely narrated over film clips of some of the most well known performances. If you’re a fan of burlesque, you’ve seen Sally Rand’s fan dance. You’re probably also familiar with Tempest Storm and her weird claw-like hands.
I describe Tempest’s hands as claw-like because she’s got long nails and she holds her hands stretched out tight,like her big stiff smile.
Tempest makes these bold quick moves, like darting down quick to showcase her leg. Then she hovers her hands over her ankle and moves very slowly up with those hovering hands. It’s absolutely classic but seems quite stiff and awkward to most modern performers.
The DVD is nice because there’s a lot of historical and background information given while the performances are taking place.
For the collector who wants a video reference of particular dances and some of the dance moves associated with a specific performer, this is a good DVD to add to your collection.
Buy it on Amazon – Striptease: The Greatest Exotic Dancers of All Time 2004 (52 minutes)
