Yes, Lili St. Cyr ruled the stage in the 1950s. But the burlesque star, who gained notoriety for her bubble bath show, was also renowned for her irreverent attitude and pioneering line of lingerie. She sold lacey, risque undies decades before brands like Agent Provocateur or Victoria's Secret even existed. Burlesque is back in style -- five decades after its balloon popped. The art form enjoyed a revival in the 1990s that's still shaking. Contemporary performers such as Dita Von Teese have taken their inspiration from 1950s artists who pioneered the look and attitude of burlesque. Here are some of the oldies and newbies that got it started and have kept it going.
Then . . . Tempest Storm: She took the '50s by storm, appearing onstage and in movies and magazines. She even had her "moneymakers" -- i.e., her breasts -- insured by Lloyds of London for $1 million. At 82, Storm still takes the stage on occasion.
Lili St. Cyr: She was the ultimate burlesque performer in the 1950s -- and not only because of her scandalous bubble-bath show. Often billed as the "anatomic bomb," she gained notoriety for stormy romances, pinup photos, movies, even a pioneering line of underwear called Undies World.
Blaze Starr: The red-haired performer earned the title "The Hottest Blaze in Burlesque" by taking the stage with a couch that would burst into flames when she sat on it. She became the subject of the film "Blaze," based on her notorious 1950s relationship with Louisiana Gov. Earl Long.
Bettie Page: Pinup girl. Fashion icon. Playboy model. Yes, yes, yes. She was also one of burlesque's favorite faces -- appearing in seminal burlesque movies such as "Striporama." Her hairdo remains a contemporary icon.
Dita Von Teese put the tease back in striptease in the 1990s -- and, in the process, became the queen of neo-burlesque. . . . and now
Dita Von Teese:
The queen of the neo-burlesque movement got her start working in a California strip club. Except that she didn't dress or act like the rest of the strippers. Von Teese adopted a 1940s look and set out to "put the tease back into striptease" -- a move that led her into a modeling and acting career.
Velvet Hammer Burlesque: The Los Angeles-based troupe helped revive the art form in the mid-1990s with a show that recasts burlesque as a mix of vaudeville and punk rock -- with dancers in all shapes and sizes, covered as much with tattoos as lace.
Suicide Girls: The troupe started in 2001 as an homage to Bettie Page. Then it became an online community. Then a live show that mixes confrontational theater with feathers, pasties, tattoos and piercings. Punk girls gone wild.
Pontani Sisters: Among the leaders of New York's burlesque scene, the Pontanis roll out a show of kicky choreography, bawdy come-ons, glitzy outfits and kitschy song-and-dance and comedy skits. The troupe has performed everywhere from rock clubs and the Venetian in Vegas to national burlesque fests such as Tease-A-Rama.
Miss Dirty Martini: The Manhattan performer has become a sensation on the scene -- and not just because she reprises 1940s burlesque. She's plus-size and proud of it, working her curves into a show that's full of panache.