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Performing While Pregnant
Photo from Eva's Menagerie, March 2025 (about 4.5 months pregnant here!) When I debuted in 2017, it had everything to do with being a...

Bebe Bardeaux
Mar 123 min read
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Black Burlesque History Timeline, 1940-1949 (Part III)
If you haven't already, be sure to check out the Black Burlesque History Timelines Part I: 1880-1929 and Part II: 1930-1939 . These...

Bebe Bardeaux
Feb 54 min read
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Black "Soft-Femme" Icons
What does it mean to be a soft femme?* Tender, radically vulnerable , dainty, "girly", gentle, peaceful, nearly maternal. In the realm of...

Bebe Bardeaux
Nov 21, 20243 min read
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Burlesque and Sex Work
Recently, a performer made a controversial statement online that threw the burlesque community into a tizzy. Check it out: Prostitutes do...

Bebe Bardeaux
Nov 14, 20244 min read
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A Deep Dive into Ohio Shake Dancers
Recently, I was connected to a wonderful burly historian in Columbus, Ohio named Silky the Body . Silky focuses on Black entertainment...

Bebe Bardeaux
Oct 24, 20241 min read
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The "White Fantasy" of Black Movement
While Shake Queens mainly focuses on femme shakers, there was a straight cis male shaker named "Snakehips" Tucker that revolutionized...

Bebe Bardeaux
Oct 14, 20244 min read
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This Charmed Life: I Contain Multitudes!
Hi everyone! Bebe Bardeaux here, and I have super exciting news for you all! clears throat, waits for folx to gather : I'M HAVING A...

Bebe Bardeaux
Sep 18, 20244 min read
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Burlesque Plagiarism: Is This Still a Thing?
What exactly is burlesque plagiarism to an art form steeped in history and inspiration?

Bebe Bardeaux
Apr 24, 20245 min read
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"Do Women Enjoy Watching Shake Dancers?" A Modern Shake Dancer Responds
Earlier this week, I transcribed the1956 Afro-American newspaper article called "Do Women Enjoy Watching Shake Dancers?" for my Patreon....

Bebe Bardeaux
Oct 27, 20234 min read
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Popular Shake Dancers in History, Part 2
Hi again! Here's another short video featuring five more popular shake and burlesque dancers. This one showcases dancers from films in...

Bebe Bardeaux
Jun 7, 20232 min read
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Popular Shake Dancers in History, Part 1
Hi everyone! I'm still hard at work finishing Shake Queens. If you're interested in what I've found while digging around in online...

Bebe Bardeaux
Jun 3, 20231 min read
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On Motherhood, Burlesque, & Self-Worth
It's International Women's Day, and I'm tired. As a woman and an artist, I ask... who am I if I'm not proving my worth to anyone and...

Bebe Bardeaux
Mar 8, 20223 min read
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Black Burlesque History Timeline, 1930-1939 (Part II)
To view the Black Burlesque History Timeline: 1880-1929, click here . I've previously mentioned this, but I think it bears repeating: my...

Bebe Bardeaux
Jan 28, 20223 min read
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Remembering Miss Topsy
Since finding out that Miss Topsy passed away, I've been a bit of an emotional wreck. Because I never actually met Miss Topsy, she is...

Bebe Bardeaux
Nov 30, 20212 min read
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Rest in Peace, Miss Topsy
Yesterday, Miss Topsy's family friend commented on an older blog post I wrote about her, letting me know that she had recently passed...

Bebe Bardeaux
Nov 19, 20211 min read
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BurlyPod 2021: Getting S*xy with Burlesque History & Education
Although I try my best not to broadcast too much of my personal life on my blog, I can't help but to show certain aspects of my "true...

Bebe Bardeaux
Nov 12, 20214 min read
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Is it a Nod or a Steal: On Imitation, Flattery, and Keeping Up With the Burly-Joneses
Pic for Algorithm! Photo: David Lawrence Byrd A very introspective White guy who loved making up quotes once said " Art begins in imitation and ends in innovation." I think about this quote a lot when I write, dance, or create anything. This girl from Little Mix wore a knock-off version of Pamela Anderson's 1999 MTV VMA's look and totally gave no credit, so a whole generation of teenyboppers thinks she originated it. BOOOOOOOO For instance, I've loved writing horror stories

Bebe Bardeaux
Nov 4, 20216 min read
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It's a New Dawn, It's a New Day, It's a New Life...
Ooo-wee, I'm on fire!! Two posts in one week? I told y'all the Burly Blog is back! (Happy Halloween, brought to you by this creepy...

Bebe Bardeaux
Oct 29, 20213 min read
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Bebe's Burly Blog is Back!
Hello friends, old and new! I started this blog to document my burlesque and vaudeville journey. I wanted a personal and intimate record...

Bebe Bardeaux
Oct 27, 20214 min read
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Burlesque is a Battlefield: On Showing Up
I recently had an existential burlesque crisis. Perhaps, looking back through this blog, I'll discover that I've had many existential...

Bebe Bardeaux
Mar 18, 20215 min read
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