Burlesque Dancer Eliza Bane

Eliza Bane, please explain to the readers of strip-magazine what the difference is between a Burlesque dancer and stripper?
Burlesque is creative and artistic, as well as more individually representative of the performer as a performance artist, while the other is usually a formulaic product to be paid for and delivered on demand. A few strippers I have come across are quite creative and very individual so they blur the line a bit, but the goal is still getting naked, instead of the (personal) art of the tease. Getting naked would completely defeat the purpose and beauty of burlesque.As a Burlesque dancer are you offended when someone refers to you as a stripper or exotic dancer?I am not offended in the sense that I have nothing against stripping/exotic dancing, however stripping/exotic dancing and burlesque are two very different things, so it is annoying when someone clumsily doesnt make the distinction.How did you get interested in dancing Eliza Bane?
I was a ballet dancer as a child and have always been drawn to dancing and the beauty of the human form in different types of motion.

Did you have a career at anything else before you stared dancing?
Yes, I have a BFA in Graphic Design and was an Art Director for a number of years before going into burlesque and costuming full time.

Do you have elaborate costumes as part of your act? How expensive is that? What does each costume cost you?
Yes, I do. I design and make them all myself. They are fairly to quite expensive, anywhere from $400 to $1500 (more if I am lucky enough! to have the budget), depending on how elaborate they are. I tend to c ontinue adding to them gradually, as time and budget permit.

How long do you see yourself as a Burlesque dancer Eliza Bane?
One of the beautiful things about burlesque is it is not age or body type contingent. I can pretty much do it as long as I like and other people like (gotta have an audience!). I do plan to take a break in a couple of years when my husband and I have a baby, but thats not for a while!

Your last comment:
At the risk of sounding full of myself or lofty, I am honored to be able to help celebrate the beauty of the female body and spirit (very important together) in the interest of helping men and women become more comfortable sexually and learn to embrace their own needs and inspirations. As I grow older (and curvier!) I become aware of a woman in myself that I am learning to embrace, over time. I am tapping into something that I wasnt necessarily prepared for but is natural for me to share. Human beings are sexual creatures by nature and to deny this is unnatural and causes an imbalance in the world. I think we see this in cultures, even within our own, that deny and banish what is natural and necessary for proper human balance and fulfillment. One way of thinking and doing is not right for everyone and is not necessarily right or wrong. It is more important to find out what is essential to our own health and happiness as individuals and pursue it.

Photos by Howard Rosenberg, DonSpiro and Kimball Hall

To learn more about Eliza Bane, go to: www.elizabane.com

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Author: Saxon

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