Burlesque - Is it Adult Entertainment?

[oggbashan]

Camden Council has faced a storm in a bra-cup: Burlesque needs a licence?

The UK's Licensing Act 2003 requires a licence for performance of dance (among other things such as selling alcohol, or hot food after 11pm).

"Adult entertainment" is in a different category for licensing. Some Councils, but not mine, require heavy fees to license "Adult Entertainment" because some see it as part of the sex industry.

Camden apparently considers Burlesque to be the same as Lap-Dancing.

Are they right?

Locally, several bars have applied for and obtained, licenses for Pole Dancing and Lap Dancing. As long as admission is restricted to adults-only there has been no objections from the local residents and the licenses have been granted.

Unfortunately, recent experience has shown that such applications are a last gasp for a failing business before it closes for ever. Pole Dancing and Lap Dancing are no big deal locally and customers won't pay inflated admission prices for such exhibitions. Perhaps that's because some of the younger customers of our local night clubs perform similar dancing - free. Businesses need a licence for the customers to dance, but that is a different and easier licence to get than "performance of dance" which covers everything from a single dancer to the Royal Ballet.

What do you think? Is Burlesque Adults-only?

Og

 

[Stella_Omega]

It's vaudeville. As with all vaudeville some of it is crap some of it is inspired. It certainly is vaudeville for mature audiences!

Pole dancing is one little routine that some burlesque dancers used... turned into the current cheap stripper rage, big deal.

Lap dances are Adult Entertainment... in the sense your licensors are using the term.

 

[xssve]

It's technically adult, but sans nudity, it's no more or less adult than ballet or the tango - it's more akin to theater.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

OG

The local cops just busted 2 hot dog carts and fined the women $200 each. They used some ancient blue-law to do it. Prob'ly to discourage the bums or one of the FEED THE HOMELESS non-profits whined. But the gals are popular and the paper is pissed.

 

[Guest]

It sounds like theater to me.

But I'm digging on your phrase, a storm in a bra-cup, dear Og.

 

[CharleyH]

Camden Council has faced a storm in a bra-cup: Burlesque needs a licence?

The UK's Licensing Act 2003 requires a licence for performance of dance (among other things such as selling alcohol, or hot food after 11pm).

"Adult entertainment" is in a different category for licensing. Some Councils, but not mine, require heavy fees to license "Adult Entertainment" because some see it as part of the sex industry.

Camden apparently considers Burlesque to be the same as Lap-Dancing.

Are they right?

Locally, several bars have applied for and obtained, licenses for Pole Dancing and Lap Dancing. As long as admission is restricted to adults-only there has been no objections from the local residents and the licenses have been granted.

Unfortunately, recent experience has shown that such applications are a last gasp for a failing business before it closes for ever. Pole Dancing and Lap Dancing are no big deal locally and customers won't pay inflated admission prices for such exhibitions. Perhaps that's because some of the younger customers of our local night clubs perform similar dancing - free. Businesses need a licence for the customers to dance, but that is a different and easier licence to get than "performance of dance" which covers everything from a single dancer to the Royal Ballet.

What do you think? Is Burlesque Adults-only?

Og

Burlesque is never stripping and never should be adults-only. There is an erotic element for sure, but why is erotic performance (no nudity) a bad thing? There is a greater entertainment art and history value about Burlesque than puritans believe, and besides, the whole point of burlesque is to entertain. The Parisian revue 'Crazy Horse' comes to mind. Wonderful revue and yes ... I'd take my children to see it, if the powers that be would let me.

 

[glynndah]

It sounds like theater to me.

But I'm digging on your phrase, a storm in a bra-cup, dear Og.

Tempest in a C cup?

 

[Huckleman2000]

I don't know if it's the same in the UK, but here in the States we have musical/theatrical acts called "Neo-Burlesque" that are, as Stella said, more like vaudeville music-hall acts than strip-club entertainment. As such, they generally strip only to pasties and boy-shorts, sing bawdy songs, stage kinky scenes, and do it all with a not-so-subtle wink to the bi/lesbian community. The women, while attractive, mostly don't conform to the stripper age and body-types. Nonetheless, this is "adult" entertainment - they don't perform in all-ages clubs. Mostly, they book in music clubs/bars, like local bands do, and don't require any different sort of license than any other bar with live music acts or karaoke.

If they charge for lapdances and strip to g-strings or fully nude, that's a strip club, i.e., "adult entertainment".

 

[JackLuis]

I don't know if it's the same in the UK, but here in the States we have musical/theatrical acts called "Neo-Burlesque"

If they charge for lapdances and strip to g-strings or fully nude, that's a strip club, i.e., "adult entertainment".

So it has some socially redeeming factors then?

I think so too. The Zealots on either side may whine but it seems fair to me.

 

[Xelebes]

It sounds like theater to me.

But I'm digging on your phrase, a storm in a bra-cup, dear Og.

A side of me is titillated by the thought of such, pardon the pun. The other side is terrified by what else it could mean.

 

[Stella_Omega]

A side of me is titillated by the thought of such, pardon the pun. The other side is terrified by what else it could mean.

Yeah, the visual images are shiver-making...