Why do men like striptease dance?
Striptease is one of the most erotic types of dance, especially popular with men. This erotic dance is full of sensuality, eroticism and suspense.
Revealing in a state of suspense and playfulness the beauty of the body creates a suspense and magic that envelops that woman. Curiosity, senses, attention, attraction are awakened to the maximum during a striptease dance.
In Greek mythology Eros, from which the word Eroticism originates, was the embodiment of the god of love and designates the expression of the integrating impulses of life manifested through the libido which is dominated by the principle of polarisation (female/male) and pleasure.
Striptease, this dance of seduction, expresses very well the play of erotic attraction between man and woman, which is full of intensity and beneficial energetic tension.
The art of erotic dance in ancient times
Art has become a way for human beings to express their emotions since the earliest ages. Rock drawings discovered by archaeologists depicting the goddess of fertility are full of eroticism.
Since all over the world the first religious manifestations have at their centre gods and goddesses, considered to be superior, supernatural beings, in ancient times there was a reverence, an openness and a total acceptance of their mode of manifestation.
The peoples of the ancient East believed that eroticism could not be separated from religion and vice versa. At that time, dancing was practised as a sacred form of communication with the universe. Most common were fertility dances in which the goddess Gaia was invoked to bring rich harvests but also to awaken and energise creative energy and force.
In India there was an upper caste of women initiated into the occult mysteries of pure and elevated eroticism. These women, sacred dancers, were trained, learned, highly regarded and respected and had a special status far above other ordinary women even though their erotic dancing often involved nudity.
George Bataille describes nudity as "a state of communication that reveals a search for a possible continuity of existence beyond the limits of the self."
Striptease in Antiquity
Since ancient times, human beings have had a natural openness to eroticism and understood its role in their lives as the only antidote to death.
Eros, the god of love, was then the most important aspect of human existence and, in particular, of creation. There is countless evidence that has survived the wear and tear of time that illustrates the direct, natural and unashamed way in which eroticism was manifested in those times.
As mankind evolved, great civilisations arose and imposed a certain way of life. Culture, art and religion developed and made their unique mark according to the trend of the time and geographical location. All of these have influenced to a greater or lesser extent the relationship to eroticism.
The Dance of the Seven Veils - the first striptease dance of legendary times
On the banks of the Euphrates in ancient Babylon, the goddess Ishtar, the goddess of love, was worshipped as the queen of heaven, gentle yet strong and fearless. In their tradition, Ishtar healed illnesses, brought forgiveness of guilt and sins. Ishtar was the third in the famous trinity of Sin-Moon, Shamash-Sun, Ishtar-Sex.
The goddess Ishtar is also associated with Aphrodite - the goddess of overwhelming beauty and love in Greek myths and legends, and Inanna - the glamorous, bold and brilliant Sumerian goddess of love.
The goddess Ishtar is recognised in history as the origin of the dance of the seven veils. Ishtar, the goddess of love, is said to have been the lover of the mortal Tammuz. One day her sister Ereshkigal (who is nothing more than her dark side) won his attention, luring him to the dark kingdom, where she reigned.
Grieving, Ishtar wants to descend into the kingdom of shadows to save her lover. She knocks on the gates of the kingdom and begs the guardian to let her cross over to the underworld. He notifies Ereshkigal, and she tells him that she will be allowed access on condition that at each of the seven gates she gives up a garment or jewel. Of course these gates, like the giving up of clothes, are symbolic.
Ishtar then began to dance the dance of the 7 veils using her solar erotic energy. Each dance movement had the power to make one of the seven veils fall off one by one. Arriving in the shadow world completely naked, Ishtar uttered: All is illusion!
She managed to turn darkness into light and attract the grace of the Supreme God who would allow Lai Tammuz to revive but only for half a year. He thus becomes a god and is the symbol of the rebirth of all nature with the coming of spring.
Dance of the 7 veils - the victory of light over darkness
Seen from an esoteric perspective, the dance of the 7 veils is the dance of the transcendence of the 7 chakras. The moment Ishtar dances she exudes a feminine strength and power that removes the first veil. By shedding this veil she no longer identifies with the survival instinct. The second veil she strips herself of is unrestrained erotic desire. The third veil eliminates identification with the ego. The fourth veil removes attachment and possessiveness. The fifth veil is symbolised by the illusion of sequential time which is necessary to be transcended in order to gain control of the mysterious energies of time. The discarding of the sixth veil removes identification with the discursive mind. The seventh veil is the veil of illusion, which makes us believe that we are separate from divinity. Thus Ishtar reaches the end of the inner journey of individual consciousness by uniting with cosmic consciousness.
Ishtar is the symbol of feminine power and will and through this ritual dance she frees herself from the seven veils and transcends the illusory reality to become one with the Self. Here is how, seemingly implausible to the predominantly materialistic thinking of the present age, nudity in fact symbolises the renunciation of illusion which makes it possible to reveal our true divine nature and brings us to the point where we no longer feel separated from the Creator.
Striptease - the erotic dance of seduction
Striptease is considered to be a slow, sensual erotic dance during which the dancer removes an article of clothing in a playful, sensual and provocative way. Striptease has been practised since time immemorial and is integrated into the art of dance.
In the early days, this erotic dance was included in ritual ceremonies that were consecrated to gods or goddesses and was performed only by initiated women. Of course the movements were sensual, but the striptease had a different purpose than to impress through the eroticism expressed in the movements.
The higher goal of this erotic dance was to induce an objective emotion of detachment, of letting go of the illusory aspects of life and even of sublime happiness and self-recovery.
Later, the striptease was also adopted by common people who turned it into a courtship ritual. The aim of this erotic dance was to impress the opposite sex with the most sensual and romantic movements.
Over time, influenced by many artistic trends, the erotic striptease became increasingly perverted and controversial. Some cultures have even banned it.
Some countries have blamed this erotic dance on prudishness. However, France, the UK and the US have received striptease performances with great enthusiasm and even fascination. This is how female mystery and sensuality came to be showcased in a seductive manner.
Some women have had the courage to reveal parts of their bodies during circus performances or on cabaret stages. And they found that it brought them fame.
Striptease in the 20th century
Modern Striptease had its beginnings in the 1880s and 1890s when the first striptease shows were organised at the famous Moulin Rouge and the Folies Bergere.
The erotic striptease dance consisted of taking off clothes one at a time under the playful pretext that the dancer had a flea or fly pinching her under her clothes. In 1907 actress Germaine Aymos became famous after a striptease performance at the Moulin Rouge.
In 1893 in Chicago, the dancer with the stage name "Little Egypt" danced at the Chicago World's Fair in a very daring cabaret costume for the time, consisting of a sheer skirt, belt and bustier leaving her waist and thigh area exposed.
One of the first striptease dancers in the US was Charmion. In 1901 she starred in a film that would bring her fame as she performed acrobatic trapeze acts while undressing in a sensual manner. Gypsy Rose Lee and Sally Rand are also two names of reference in the history of American striptease.
Rose Lee became famous mainly for her inspired improvisations. During one dance her suspenders break and her dress falls off. Seeing that the audience was starting to whistle, she turned that embarrassing and slightly embarrassing moment into a show full of sensuality, finally shedding her clothes to the rapturous applause of the men in particular. Later, in the 1920s, this striptease moment was introduced into circus performances in the form of sensuous choreography.
Mata Hari, known as an exotic dancer, courtesan and spy, became famous after a very erotic dance during which she shed her clothes and was left with only a beautiful bra decorated with precious stones and jewellery around her neck and hands. Her career is a great success, as her dance involves nudity. To this day she is considered one of the inventors of the striptease.
From 1939-1950 striptease became the most popular cabaret show. Sally Rand became famous in 1932 for her spectacularly erotic performances. At one point she dances extremely provocatively using a balloon on the stage of the Paramount Club in Seattle.
Striptease also became popular in Japan at the end of World War II. In Britain, striptease has a history of about 100 years. Laura Henderson began performing such eccentric shows around 1930.
In the 1960s in the US striptease took a new form called "go-go", and was performed topless. The first to adopt this style was Carol Doda in San Francisco at the Condor Night club.
Pole dancing
Since 1920, the choreography of circus performances has included pole dancing. The most famous pole dancer of the time was Charmion. Gradually pole dancing spread around the world, especially to strip clubs in Canada, where it attracted large audiences.
Since 1950 pole dancing has become synonymous with sensual dancing. Dance choreographies no longer focused solely on the idea of nudity and became more and more impressive. Pole dancing and male striptease shows appear in the 1970s. Women are very excited to watch a male erotic dance or male striptease especially on special occasions such as bachelorette parties or on March 8.
Nowadays pole dancing has become an attraction in striptease clubs or night clubs and is an exciting way to spend an unforgettable evening. With the advent of pole dancing and even striptease classes, the choreography has become increasingly sophisticated.
Pole dancing has its origins 900 years ago. Discovered in the 12th century, pole dancing was practised not only by women but also by men of all ages. At first, pole dancing was only performed by men using a wooden pole because the rotations required arm strength, stamina and agility.
According to some historians, pole dancing, called 'Mallakhamb' in those days, originated over 900 years ago in India and was practised as a seduction ritual among African tribes. Wives-to-be danced with sensual and seductive movements around a wooden pole decorated with flowers to show off their best selves.
Over the years, a host of famous actresses have stripped off for the sake of art, performing striptease scenes that were popular with the public.
Famous actresses who have stripped in films
The film La dolce vita, directed by Federico Fellini, is also remembered for a striptease scene performed by a famous Romanian actress, Nadia Gray, on the maiden name Kujnir-Herescu. The film Striptease contains one of the hottest erotic pole dancing scenes, performed by actress Demi Moore, who remains famous for this role.
Hot striptease scenes were performed by some famous actresses such as Kim Bessinger, Natalie Portman, Jessica Alba, Salma Hayek, Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Biel, Rose McGowan, Olivia Wilde, Lindsay Lohan, Kristen Stewart, etc.
The dark history of striptease dance
As a highly erotic dance involving nudity, many striptease dancers were attracted to nightclubs where prostitution gradually began in some of them. Since then, striptease dancers have often been equated with prostitutes.
The Lucky Love nightclub, on the other hand, promotes sublime erotic art, in which these gross aspects have no place. The choreography and conduct of the staff is full of sophistication and seeks to express human and artistic values, whether we're talking about striptease, pole dancing, erotic dancing or maintaining the atmosphere through humorous conversation.
The erotic dance revival
The unfortunate status of stripping was perpetuated until recently when, with the evolution of pole dancing, more and more women turned it into a hobby. Since 2017, pole dancing has been officially declared a sport and pole dancing competitions are held annually.
The pole dance choreographies have become more and more surprising and spectacular year after year by combining aerobic movements with floor movements, not only as a fulcrum but also to give the dance more energy.
Influences from German Expressionism as well as from Russian ballet that emphasize the feelings conveyed during the dance, discipline, poetic, fluid and natural movement make the truly talented striptease dancers a manifestation of feminine magic.
Striptease - fascination and sensuality
The power of fascination of the body of a nude woman dancing a sensual striptease while being aware of the symbolic meaning of the ritual gestures of her dance is overwhelming for a man.
Here is a sublime example of a man's transfiguration of a woman from the Song of Songs: The Beauty of Shulamite, ch. 7 1-7
"Return, Shulamite! Turn, let us look upon thy face! How beautiful, lady, are your sandaled feet! Round is thy thigh, like a colan, of a skilful workman! Thy bosom is a rounded cup, thy body is a sheaf of wheat, beautifully gilded with lilies of the field! Thy two breasts are like two young hinds, like the twins of a gazelle. Thy neck is a pillar of ivory; thine eyes are like the hissing hissing of Heshbon, at the gate of Bat-Rabim. Thy nose is like the tower of Lebanon that looks towards Damascus Thy head is as great as Carmel, and thy hair is purple, with its proud locks thou dost hold a king in bondage. How beautiful and alluring in thy loveliness, beloved!"
We conclude this brief foray into striptease history with the saying "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder". In other words, admiration, the state of transfiguration, produces an ever deeper reflection of the admirer in what he admires through a state of identification.
Thus, the man who is able to admire a beautiful, sensual, charming, vital woman dancing a wonderful striptease, will experience sublime states of happiness and self-realization.