Dancing naked in the material world

Dancing Naked in the Material World, a unique and illuminating photo-documentary, allows us to look beyond the exotic, sometimes grimy surface of the world of striptease and into the lives of the women who perform there. The dancers, whose humanity and intelligence is graciously depicted in Marilyn Futterman's brilliant black-and-white photographs, describe in their own words how they feel about themselves, their marginal profession, and the men who support it. How does such a sexual, competitive occupation affect the self-esteem of these women? What are their fears, hopes, and ambitions? Futterman, after deciding to do a photographic series on strippers, became a waitress in one of the clubs in Atlanta, Georgia. Working with and interviewing the dancers enabled her to better understand their diverse and complex lives. She witnessed first-hand the strippers' working environment, the people met there, and the relationships between the women. Men go to these clubs seeking fantasy for a dollar with no threat of intimacy. And the women achieve a kind of emotional fulfillment that is remarkably harder to find outside the doors of the club. Dancing Naked's poignant depiction of this odd social contract is important cultural history, vivid autobiography, and beautiful photography.