Striptease

A striptease is a performance, often a dance, in which the performer gradually and elegantly removes their clothing for the purposes of sexually arousing the audience, usually performed in nightclubs[?]. Emphasis is on the act of undressing, not on the state of being undressed: the performance is finished as soon as the undressing is finished. The "teasing" involves the slowness of undressing, while people are eager to see more nudity. Delay tactics include additional clothes under clothes being removed, putting clothes or hands in front of just undressed body parts, etc.

Strip club is the U.S. term (U.K. also?) for a nightclub which specializes in striptease entertainment, but often includes lap-dancing as well (see below).

Ecdysiast is a fancy word for a striptease artiste, derived from the Greek ekdusis meaning stripping off. The term exotic dancer is also increasingly being used.

Salome performed a striptease for Herod, and for her reward asked for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Usually, performers are given money, especially in modern times.

Depending on the country and the local community standards, exotic dancing may range from a sleazy front for overpriced prostitution, to a lighthearted erotic entertainment, to a pricey place to entertain business customers. People attending exotic dancing establishments outside their own community should be aware of the possibility that things may be very different from what they are accustomed to.

Lap-dancing clubs are the currently fashionable form of striptease in the UK and USA. Here the performers, in addition to stripteasing for tips, also offer "private dances" which can range from close up strips to grinding in the lap of the customer. Variations on this name include table dancing (performer dances on customer's table) and couch dancing (customer sits on a couch).

Most erotic actresses in the US make their main living from their earnings as featured strippers.

Notable strippers:

• Lili St. Cyr[?]
• Gypsy Rose Lee
• Sally Rand[?]

See also:

• Burlesque[?]