Showgirls were tall, statuesque figures featured prominently in casino showroom productions. They had a role distinct from that of a dancer, and they were sometimes referred to as mannequins because they appeared partially nude and did not dance.
The idealized image may be traced back to Florenz Ziegfeld Jr., who combined European glamour with early twentieth century standards of beauty to create the glorification of the American girl in his revues. In his publicity for the production, the words "showgirl" and "American girl" were interchanged. Busby Berkeley continued the idealized spectacle in his Hollywood films of the 1930s.
By the 1960s, the introduction of European shows such as the Folies Bergere and the Lido de Paris made the Las Vegas showgirl an international phenomenon. World renowned for her striking height (accentuated by a headdress and high heels), the bejeweled and scanty costume, partial nudity, and standards of west European beauty, the "showgirl" has an iconic image that has retained its place in showroom entertainment despite enormous changes in American society and showroom entertainment over the last four decades.
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