Images by Silvia Bergomi

Burlesque dancers and their racy ways have recently been creating a lot of buzz, a trend that continued this week when they performed at the opening of The New Burlesque exhibit at Mc2 Gallery. Not to be confused with normal strippers, these dancers spend their wages on precious, shiny and extremely opulent costumes. Cesare Cicardini captured the resulting extraordinary wardrobes—along with the girls’ lives—in the 20 photographs that are currently on display. By wholly infiltrating the entertainers’ world, the photographer was able to immortalize the emblematic atmosphere just before showtime, the moments that best represent the performers’ singular, off-beat sensuality.

The New Burlesque, curated by Denis Curti and Claudio Composti, is currently is on display at the Mc2 Gallery in Milan.

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