The transformative beauty of burlesque

A Baltimore photographer captures performers, both costumed and conventional

Burlesque
(Image credit: Sean Scheidt)

It would be easy to look at photographer Sean Scheidt's portraits of burlesque performers, first in street clothes and then in costumes, as simple before-and-after transformations.

Instead, "quite a few of the performers use the stage to express a part of them that's always present," Scheidt says. "It always seems that the persona is deeply ingrained."

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Sarah Eberspacher

Sarah Eberspacher is an associate editor at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked as a sports reporter at The Livingston County Daily Press & Argus and The Arizona Republic. She graduated from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.