By Laura Frykberg
It started as a form of English theatre used by the working class to make fun of the bourgeois, but once burlesque dancing emerged in America, it took a sexy turn and has never looked back. It's now so popular there's even a national championship.
The moves sexually provoke because burlesque is the grandmother of striptease, however it wasn't always so risque;. Early 20th century performers entertained with the tease, rather than the strip.
However by the 1960s the booming sex industry put burlesque into a coma until its revival in the 1990s.
But now it's experiencing a resurgence in popularity, and Miss Burlesque competitions are being held worldwide, including New Zealand.
And with the show almost sold out, it's a clear sign that it's still attracting the masses.
3 News