Burlesque on the big screen

Burlesque, as I’ve known it, is a dance form ripe with gender play, body reclamation, and audacious creativity. The burlesque of Chicago-based troupe Lickity Split, San Francisco performer Lotta Bootay, and others is characterized by women claiming full agency in their own sexuality–however strange, stereotypical, or salacious it might be. So you can imagine my “uh oh” when a friend recently sent me this trailer:

So. Torn. For the record, I have a real serious crush on Christina. I definitely didn’t take to all that genie in a bottle crap, but when she stuck a hose between her legs and egged on the boys in that one video, and then told every human being they were beautiful, I swooned. She’s fierce and a little confused and I like that. And Cher? Holy shit, Cher. If she can’t keep things a little bizarre and wonderful, I don’t know who can.

But I fear, even despite the incredible duo of Cher and Christina, this film might take burlesque back to its less radical roots, where men called the stage shots and it was all about stereotypical beauty. Say it isn’t so.

Thanks to Kate for the heads up.