Burlesque

thumb|right|225px|American burlesque dancer Lola Bel Aire performing a traditional striptease, 2008A striptease is an erotic or exotic dance in which the performer gradually undresses, either partly or completely, in a seductive and sexually suggestive manner. The person who performs a striptease is commonly known as a "stripper", "exotic dancer", or "burlesque dancer".

thumb|300px|Burlesque on Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ|Ben-Hur, A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects. The word is loaned from French and derives from the Italian ', which, in turn, is derived from the Italian ' – a joke, ridicule or mockery.

2003 studio album by Marilyn Manson

female entertainers with multiple talents for singing, dancing, or acting

stage dance from the 1890s

theatrical genre

thumb|upright|Michelle L'amour, 2005 winner of the [[Miss Exotic World Pageant dancing with fans, 2007]] Neo-burlesque, or new burlesque, is the revival and updating of the traditional American burlesque performance. Though based on the traditional burlesque art, the new form encompasses a wider range of performance styles; neo-burlesque can include anything ranging from classic striptease to modern dance to theatrical mini-dramas to comedic mayhem.