Open Letter to Susan Dalgety - Response to 'Welcome to Burlesque - Self Empowerment of Sexploitation'

I write in reply to Susan Dalgety ’s in her Edinburgh Live opinion piece 12th February 2024 ‘Welcome to burlesque – self empowerment or sexploitation’

I’m the founder of World Burlesque Day and what lead me to launching this day is the profound mental health resilience and strength I found from discovering and performing burlesque.

In 5 short years World Burlesque Day has gone from reaching 44 countries to 80 countries and globally burlesque festivals have exploded growing 96% from 125 festivals in 2017 to 245 in 2024.

In Dalgety’s article where she references burlesque as ‘demeaning to women’ treating them as ‘sexual commodities’ she agrees she is a dispassionate observer and I like to change that.

I do not believe burlesque is in any way a sexual exploitation of women’s bodies but I can understand how she may have drawn that conclusion because she is, as she says, a dispassionate observer.

On her own website in reference to her relationship with the country Malawi she says ‘Just as Scotland is much more than bearded men in kilts playing the bagpipes against the backdrop of a Highland loch, so Malawi is far more complex than the stereotypical images beloved of well-meaning charities’.

Ms Dalegty, so too, is burlesque. You may just be also guilty of stereotyping this glorious artform.

So why not join us on Sunday 21st April for our World Record Attempt and be part of the World’s Largest Online Burlesque Class?

You can see and hear for yourself why this artform is experiencing a resurgence and the resounding message from men and women worldwide who perform it is the confidence and joy they find.

Lady Akasha UK "For me, burlesque was the first dance group in my adult life that I became involved with. Little did I know how much body confidence, positivity and above all, friends for life, it would give me! Burlesque has taught me how to be me, to love my body and myself!"

Mr Sparkle Glitterpants NZ "Burlesque to me means freedom to express yourself, Burlesque means confidence, being built up so you’re not afraid to show who you are any more, Burlesque means positivity, body positivity, self positivity and seeing the positivity of every single person who rocks the stage! Burlesque means so much to me."

Vanilla Rose Cyprus "Burlesque is my wonderland, it's the way I express my real and deep self, the one that I keep hidden in my everyday life. My followers often tell me that one of the best things about me is that I smile a lot. And actually this is one of my distinctive signs, but how could it be otherwise? When I do Burlesque I feel so happy, relaxed, excited and have so much fun all together that I cannot help but smiling!"

To take up my offer email me [email protected] and I’d like to send you my book Burlesque or Bust to help give you a different perspective.