Have you ever been to a burlesque show? Across the country, women of all ages, shapes and sizes have been takin? it off with humor and style?in bar backrooms, big theaters, and all kinds of venues in between. I think they?re so much fun because it gives all sorts of audiences the chance to let loose, to hoot, holler and appreciate intricate costumes, props and choreography, not to mention what?s between the performers?... ears. It?s sexy, smart stuff.

Burlesque started centuries ago as a way to poke fun at stuffy upper class entertainment with bawdy variety acts and brazen striptease. At different points it?s disappeared off the radar, but there?s definitely been a revival of this art form over the past ten years or so, returning in large part to New York City?s innovative performers like Dirty Martini and the World Famous *BOB*. (www.teaseorama.com, www.redhotsburlesque.com ). For a photographic historyof burlesque (that is both sexy and fun), pick up a copy of Striptease.What I like the most about these shows, amid the glamour, stories and silliness, is how real the performers are?I mean, they look like real women with real bodies, not wax statues. I see women clad in nothing but stage lights, pasties and a g-string, curvy, bedimpled and asymmetrical as me, and they just look so powerful, so proud. I can?t help but love my own body a bit more for it. If you're looking for some beginner's tips on taking it all off in the privacy of your own bedroom, check out Babeland's How to Striptease.