Stephanie Diani’s Dames: The Legends of Burlesque

The women portrayed in Stephanie Diani’s Dames: The Legends of Burlesque series have, in some cases, been performing for upwards of 50 years and still take to the stage on a regular basis. Diani’s images place them in their homes or, in a few cases, the hotel rooms they stayed in while performing in Las Vegas, and highlight their grace, courage and extreme self-possession. 

Their beauty, while undeniable, most certainly does not fit into the culturally accepted standards seen in fashion magazines and on television. Shadows and light obscure and highlight different details in her images in order to invite the viewer into the photo to explore and to discover their own reaction to the subject matter and the subjects. 

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