Burlesque in Canada: From Parody to Revival

Burlesque is a stage tradition that mixes comedy, costume, music and suggestive dance. After decades on the margins of entertainment, it returned in the early 2000s as a lively scene, and Canadian performers have been prominent in that revival. Descriptions from the early 2010s called it a form that had taken off across the country with no end in sight.

What the word means

Dictionaries give several senses of burlesque. In literature and drama it denotes a work that raises laughs by treating lofty subjects with vulgarity or treating ordinary ones with mock seriousness. In a wider sense it can mean any ludicrous parody or caricature. The word also names a variety show with slapstick, skits, bawdy songs, striptease and a lightly dressed chorus line. The term comes from an Italian word related to jokes and mockery.

From parody to striptease

In the nineteenth century, English-language burlesque was mostly a theatrical spoof that sent up opera, Shakespeare and other respectable genres. In North America the form gradually shifted toward variety acts and, by the early twentieth century, to striptease as the main draw. Changing tastes, new media and municipal licensing rules reduced its audience in the middle of the twentieth century, and the stage form faded from mainstream view for a time.

The neo-burlesque revival

The revival is usually called neo-burlesque. Its performers keep the humour, glamour and costume of the older tradition, while the participants are far more varied. By the 2010s accounts, people of any race, creed, body shape, personality or gender could take part, and numbers ranged from classic, slow striptease to political commentary hidden in a prop or costume detail. Subjects run from realistic to fantasy-driven. A performer typically adopts a stage name and builds a persona around it.

Acts can take many hours of preparation for a few minutes on stage, covering choreography, sewing, music editing and makeup. Fame and income are rarely the outcome, though they do occur for some.

Why people perform

Performers and observers have listed a range of motivations: building confidence, a sense of healing, advancing a healthy view of sexuality, teaching audiences and addressing social issues. Not everyone shares this positive reading. Critics have questioned whether striptease-based entertainment can be separated from objectification, and performers themselves debate the point, so the form attracts both enthusiasm and disagreement.

The Canadian scene

Early-2010s coverage observed that several top-ranked international burlesque names came from Canada and that new acts were appearing in every province. Festivals were reported to be growing larger each year, with public awareness rising alongside. The scene's details have shifted since, but the combination of local troupes, regional festivals and touring performers has remained the basic structure.