History of the Striptease
History of the Striptease
Let’s kick things off with a little respect for the stripteases of old – where the emphasis was on less is more. Classic striptease artists like Gypsy Rose Lee used to do performances in theatres where they’d tease audiences with their slow disrobing, while modern artists like Dita von Teese combine performance art with their extreme costuming and stage acrobatics.
But how did we get to the venues like The Cabaret Club? In actual fact, these types of clubs and establishments are centuries old; men and women alike have been excited by women and men taking their clothes off for probably as long as we’ve been wearing clothing.
We wanted to take a sexually-charged look at the entertainment and sensual fun of the striptease and then invite you along to experience a bit of history at one of Brisbane’s oldest strip clubs and licensed adult entertainment venues, The Cabaret Club.
Oh, and before we get started…
We’d like to shout out to all the dancers, performers, adult entertainers, and sex workers out there. Ours is an art form, a release from the day to day, and a necessity. Without us, life would be very boring indeed. We love working at The Cabaret Club and providing a sexy, frisky and fun environment for men and women to enjoy music, drinks and the atmosphere of the club while letting their hair down.
Where it all began
There is, as with anything in history, contention over where the striptease all began. Various reports list the United States as the birthplace of the striptease, while other historical data (ok, Wikipedia) points to ancient Babylon. Either way, the striptease was definitely kicking around in the 6th Century and made its way to England in various plays and theatrical modes and methods.
English brothels
The strip clubs of today are far from brothels – but in 18th Century England it was common practice for so-called ‘posture girls’ to strip on tables for entertainment for gentleman callers.
You’ve probably heard about how wild England used to be – from Jack the Ripper through to the vast division between the working class and the landed gentry – but we’re pretty sure that no matter whether you were noble or poor as hell, you loved watching a sexy girl get her clothes off as much as the next person.
French tradition
You’d have to be living under a rock if you haven’t heard of the Moulin Rouge – and the French tradition of striptease has long held a fond place in the hearts of many adult entertainment enthusiasts. The can-can is a sexually charged dance of exuberance to the final throes of Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld where the highest kicks are a tantalising glimpse into the world of French erotica.
American striptease
America has long had a history of ‘Cooch Tents’ at travelling fairs and circuses, while burlesque and vaudeville halls were places where you could go to watch a show where women would perform acts in various stages of undress. This was taking place as early as the 1890s, while later on in the 1960s it was liberation for all and topless Go-Go dancers were fairly commonplace in nightclubs around the USA. The lap dance was purportedly pioneered at a venue called the Mitchell Brothers O’Farrell Theatre in the 1980s.
British striptease
Across the pond from the States, the Brits were getting their own version of buck wild with various striptease acts keeping people sane throughout World War II and beyond. London’s Soho is widely credited with being a hotbed of adult entertainment, with the 1960s bringing a boom of ‘fully nude’ adult dancing and strip venues.
Australian striptease
In Australia our history of striptease is ingrained – taken as it was from British and American traditions. From Kings Cross in Sydney to the Valley in Brisbane, we are proud to have some of the hottest clubs and girls in the world.
Across Australia, we have various laws around what is legal in terms of lap dances from state to state. Some venues allow certain amounts of touching – while others are stricter. The best approach is, of course, to always check with the lady you are spending some time with prior to doing anything – at The Cabaret Club we have a very respectful environment where the focus is on everyone having a great time.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this brief historical jaunt – and if you want to come in and see a little bit of history with your own two eyes, come down and see us soon.
Love, CC x