(Credit: David Heasley)

Since the shoulder strap first fell from Gypsy Rose’s shoulder, the art of the auletride has captivated the imaginations of millions of Americans ... but strip clubs are well-established as the domain of pervert truckers and human traffickers, so what’s a girl to do?

Local burlesque shows provide the erotic catharsis of a striptease, but in a safer and more mainstream location – such as your favorite bar. The real beauty of burlesque is that it emphasizes the sexy over the sex, according to local burlesque dancer, Cherie Blondell.

“There’s a lot of pageantry involved in burlesque,” she asserted. “It’s not just about the ‘strip’; it’s also about the ‘tease.’ It’s about your costume, and your gimmick. With burlesque performers, there’s always something kind of tongue-in-cheek behind what they are doing.”

Blondell said that burlesque dancers are more concerned with humor and mystique than mere raunchiness, and often the performances are ... prolonged ... with other acts interspersed among the dancers. Her group, the Ooh-La-Las, takes the concept of the show even further than most troupes.

“The Ooh-La-Las are all different,” she said. “We all have a different style. So if you’ve never seen burlesque before, you’re going to get it all. You’re going to see every type of performer, every size of girl – there’s really something for everyone there.”

“In addition to burlesque, we’ve got great music: there are bands that perform with us, so, in between the girls, you get to dance and have fun,” she added. “And that’s not typical at a normal burlesque show, but it is for us.”

While strip clubs do have a target audience, burlesque caters to a much wider range of people, said Blondell.

“It’s becoming a huge trendy thing in the underground right now, and so anybody who’s into that kind of entertainment or are looking for that trendy ‘underground’ type of scene ... well, we’re it. We’re totally it. We’re there for the hipsters,” she said.

With several burlesque troupes performing regularly in and around Columbus, there’s no shortage of wittier, sexier-than-strip shows for you to experience. Here are just a few to try on for size:

The “Big Top” Revue @ Circus (1227 N High St.)

$6, 18 and up

Every third Thursday, the Ooh-La-Las treat Circus-goers to an extravaganza of burlesque, complete with local bands, dancing, and all the scintillation you can handle. October’s Revue is October 20th, and ladies are encouraged to wear their own burlesque-esque dress.

Also, check out Viva Valezz, the only burlesque dancer to have won the coveted Golden Pastie Award from the New York Burlesque Festival. Be sure to check her out on October 15th at KOBO, and Wall Street on October 20th and 21st. Viva Valezz will also take the main stage at Trauma. Check out her website, www.vivavalezz.com, for even more shows.