Elderly legends of burlesque

About 10 years ago, photographer Stephanie Diani traveled to Helendale, California, USA to make a photo essay about the Miss Exotic pageant, which is currently taking place in Las Vegas and is called the Burlesque Hall of Fame. Then Stephanie was struck by the ladies of advanced age, who, with a sense of their own dignity, publicly nursed in revealing clothes or even in a negligee. These were experienced burlesque dancers who taught the younger ones all the delights of this exotic profession. These ladies impressed Stephanie so much that she returned to California seven years later to create the photography project Ladies: Legends of Burlesque.

(Total 9 photos)

1. Candy Baby Caramelo started dancing at the age of 7 and began performing as a burlesque dancer at 21. Art, money and a desire to see the world inspired her to pursue a career as a dancer, and she has performed in the US, Japan, Europe and South America. She's wearing white fur and feathers because, she says, "it makes me look sexier." Unfortunately, she passed away in 2011. (Stephanie Diani)

2. Marinka (also Maria Portnoy) at her home in Las Vegas in 2009.

She has worked in France, Italy, Switzerland, Egypt, Germany and Spain. (Stephanie Diani)

3. Toni Elling started performing at 32, driven by a desire to "make more money."

She worked in Detroit and Lima, Ohio, where she first began performing regularly. She took her stage name from Duke Ellington, whom she knew personally. (Stephanie Diani)

4. Puffy Fanny Annie - 200 kg of "scorching sex", as she calls herself.

She worked as a dancer from 1968 to 1997. She made this dress herself. Stephanie photographed her during the Miss Exotic pageant at her home in Las Vegas in 2009. (Stephanie Diani)

5. Tai Ping at his home in West Hollywood, California.

As a child, she wanted to be a dancer and her father sent her to ballet school at the age of 9 or 10. She later moved into a wave of calypso dancing and, in the 1960s, into burlesque. (Stephanie Diani)

6. Dusty Summers has been performing for over 25 years and has written an autobiography called The Stripper Lady about her life and career.

She also wrote two more books, How to Become a Professional Stripper and The Golden Garter. (Stephanie Diani)

7. Stephanie Blake in the kitchen of her home in Simi Valley, California.

In 2009, she was in charge of the "dog crèche". (Stephanie Diani)

8. Angel of Satan - she calls herself the mistress of the devil, the queen of fire brushes.

She worked from 1968 to 1979. in the clubs of Las Vegas. Now lives in Palm Springs, California. (Stephanie Diani)

9. Joan Arlene, known as Saxwire-Girl, at her home in Twentynine Palms, California.

She is wearing one of her outfits, in which she performed 55 years ago. Her portrait on the wall was commissioned for her by one of her fans. She passed away in October 2011 from leukemia. (Stephanie Diani)