The series Dames: The Legends of Burlesque explores old age, sexuality and the image of the body, through burlesque dancing girls who have not yet gone into retirement and have kept on working in this discipline for decades. In the summer of 2001, Diani saw her first show of “legends” in the Burlesque Hall of Fame in Las Vegas. She attended the show along with women in their 60s or 70s, dancing, doing striptease and other kinds of burlesque arts. It was when in 2008 when she decided to start this series.

Born in the United States in 1971, Stephanie Diani graduated summa cum laude in Archaeology at the University of California. After various temporary jobs, Diani discovered that she was fired by the arts and devoted herself to photography, trying to capture in images her passion for various social groups. Mythological and anthropological elements appear in her work. She has portrayed celebrities such as Dustin Hoffman, David Lynch, Steve Carell and Mark Ruffalo, for various publications including Der Spiegel, Stern and The New York Times. Currently lives in Los Angeles with two cats, a dog and a husband.

Stephanie Diani (EEUU, 1971)
Dames: The Legends of Burlesque

2011 edition
Outdoor installation
Venue: Container in the Old Port