Hi Ball Burlesque was Australia’s first burlesque troupe, and has been at the forefront of the Australian burlesque revival since 2002. Hi Ball is renowned for their glamorous, authentic brand of tease, which is inspired by the golden era of 1950s burlesque.

Hi Ball was formed by a group of friends who all share a love of vintage glamour. Having seen the burlesque revival first hand in the United States, the girls knew it was only a matter of time before burlesque took hold in Australia.

In late 2001, the girls decided to take the plunge and form a troupe. The name Hi Ball was chosen because of their affinity with 1950s cocktail culture.

Hi Ball’s first performance was at a fundraising event for PBS radio station. Their appearance caused a sensation, and since then Hi Ball Burlesque has gone from strength to strength, earning fans all over Australia and the world.

Burlesque refers to the unique blend of dance, strip tease, humour, and gimmick that became one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the 1930s through to the late 1950s. Burlesque stars of the 1930s and 1940s such as Gypsy Rose Lee, Josephine Baker, and Mae West combined raw sex appeal with a sharp wit, extravagant costumes, and clever choreography, to set the theatre world, and the censors, on fire.

After a long absence from the spotlight, burlesque shimmied back into the public eye in the late 1990s. Hot on the heels of the swing dancing craze, the burlesque revival has seen performers such as Dita Von Teese achieve international stardom.