University of British Columbia Peter Wall Institute of Advanced Studies PHYSICAL CULTURE, POWER, AND THE BODY

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FROM STRUTTING TO SPREADING TO POLE-WORK: FEMALE STRIPTEASE AS EMBODIED EXHIBITION

Becki Ross

Abstract: From Strutting to Spreading to Pole-Work: Female Striptease as Embodied Exhibitionism The post-war decades 1945-1975 marked a time of remarkable growth and development of the industry of commercial female striptease in cities across N America. In this paper, based on archival and interview data from an ongoing case study of 'bump' and 'grind' in the infamously raunchy seaport of Vancouver, BC, I propose to probe explanations for how and why the nature of the business changed from strutting to spreading to pole-work over the course of 3 decades and the implications for shifts in dancers' identities, choreography , aesthetics , physicality and presentation of sexual explicitness. Rather than accept popular regulatory stereotypes of strippers as degraded, objectified victims of men's lust, 18 retired striptease dancers narrate complex, stirring stories of their agency, craft., expertise, and gifts as physically talented performers in the era that preceded lap dancing, champagne rooms and stage fees. I will also investigate parallels between the identities and careers of professional striptease dancers and elite female athletes- figure skaters, tennis, softball, and golf stars during the same period with a focus on the entertainment value, earning power, skills and training and the short shelf life of each of these talented sporting women.