DOCSLIB.ORG

Feminist Identity and the Burly-Q

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Feminist Identity and the Burly-Q SHAKE IT HARD: FEMINIST IDENTITY AND THE BURLY-Q _______________________________________ A Thesis presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School at the University of Missouri-Columbia _______________________________________________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts _____________________________________________________ by PORTIA JANE KING Dr. Wayne Brekhus, Thesis Supervisor AUGUST 2008 The undersigned, appointed by the dean of the Graduate School, have examined the thesis entitled SHAKE IT HARD: FEMINIST IDENTITY AND THE BURLY-Q presented by Portia Jane King, a candidate for the degree of master of arts, and hereby certify that, in their opinion, it is worthy of acceptance. ___________________________________________ Professor Wayne Brekhus ___________________________________________ Professor John Galliher ___________________________________________ Professor David Crespy I want to thank all of my friends and family who have loved me enough to continue to support me, even when sometimes it was from very far away and with very little communication for extended periods of time. Specifically, I want to thank my parents who have always encouraged me to follow my dreams, my brother and sister-in-law who remind me daily that all can be handled with a little laughter, and my best friend who uprooted his life to hold my hand through this. I dedicate this paper in loving memory of my grandparents who passed away during its conception. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my advisor, Wayne Brekhus, for all of the help and guidance that he has given me over the last two years. His experience has been invaluable to me during this undertaking. I would also like to thank the members of Little Mama’s Burly-Q Revue. The women and men of Little Mama’s have taught me the importance of believing in yourself and never letting anyone else define who that is. Thank you for opening your family to me. Finally, I would like to thank the Blue Note of Columbia, Mo for allowing me to conduct research in their facility. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 1 HISTORICAL BURLESQUE ................................................................................ 2 The Rise and Fall of the Burlesque Queen: 20th Century ......................................................... 11 NEO-BURLESQUE ............................................................................................ 13 THE FEMINIST AND THE BURLESQUE QUEEN ............................................. 15 Liberal Feminism: A Position of Support .................................................................................. 15 Shifting Definitons ....................................................................................................................... 16 ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE .......................................................................... 16 WOMEN AND DESIRE ...................................................................................... 17 THE SUBVERSIVE PERFORMANCE AS POLITICAL PROTEST .................... 18 METHODS.......................................................................................................... 21 Setting the Scene ......................................................................................................................... 21 GLITTER OVER FASCISM ................................................................................ 23 Naked Activism ............................................................................................................................ 24 Body Image ................................................................................................................................... 26 Reproductive Health .................................................................................................................... 27 Gender Bending and Boylesque ................................................................................................ 28 Queer Identity ............................................................................................................................... 29 Hot and Sweaty on the Campaign Trail ..................................................................................... 31 ANALYSIS ......................................................................................................... 33 Rethinking Pre-conceived Notions ............................................................................................ 33 Contestation ............................................................................................................................... 34 iii Intentionality ............................................................................................................................... 40 Collective Identity ....................................................................................................................... 44 Over Arching Trends ................................................................................................................... 45 TYING UP LOOSE ENDS .................................................................................. 46 A Mirror or a Distortion: LMBQR vs. Historical Burlesque ...................................................... 46 Speaking to Questions of Bias and Advocacy ......................................................................... 49 Implications for Further Research ............................................................................................. 50 Concluding ................................................................................................................................... 51 APPENDIX A ...................................................................................................... 52 APPENDIX B ...................................................................................................... 53 WORKS REFERENCED .................................................................................... 59 iv Abstract Can a woman remove her clothes knowing about the gaze of the other and still maintain feminist ideals? Can she legitimately use her body to further her feminist and political ideals? I will examine the historical rise, fall, and revival of burlesque in the United States and how burlesque has been both reinvented and reinforced by the neo-burlesque movement. I will also look at public performances by Little Mama’s Burly-Q Revue, a queer/ feminist neo-burlesque troupe residing in Columbia, MO, a Midwestern college town, to show how social activism and feminism can and do line-up with historical burlesque ideals. By applying the social movements model for assessing cultural forms of entertainment of Rupp and Taylor, an argument for Little Mama’s Burly-Q Revue’s engagement in social protest could be outlined in terms of contestation, intentionality, and collective identity. It was found that the local troupe did follow the model and that while having stepped away from the origins of burlesque appears to be a part of the evolution of burlesque v Introduction Women are no longer to be considered little tootsey wootseys who have nothing to do but look pretty. They are determined to take an active part in the community and look pretty too. -Lydia Commander, 1909 Public portrayals of female sexuality have long been and continue to be a heavily debated subject in both the social sciences and popular culture. At the heart of this debate is feminism and how it plays into the exposure of female flesh. Can a woman remove her clothes knowing about the gaze of the other and still maintain feminist ideals? Can she legitimately use her body to further her feminist and political ideals? It is a common position in feminist pornography literature, especially in radical feminist literature, that pornography cannot be separated from the objectification of the male gaze over the female form and the subsequent degradation of the female, though the specifics of the arguments may differ (Bart 1985, Beneke 1990, Clark 1983, MacDonald 1990, MacKinnon 1984). However, while much of the literature is useful for assessing certain displays of the female form, it fails to account for context. In Towards a Feminist Erotica (1987), Kathy Myers argues that all images are engaging in some level of objectification but that there needs to be some way of distinguishing those representations that exist to dehumanize women from those that operate against it. While some level of objectification may be present, the understanding of why the display was constructed and its intended operation as a display of the body is key to the development of full view of how the display is operating. Simply put, it is not as 1 easy as just assigning the objectification label to every display of the sexualized body. There are many differences between the burlesque of the mid to late nineteenth century and the burlesque of the twenty-first; however, the traditional burlesque roots are clearly exhibited. I will examine the historical rise, fall, and revival of burlesque in the United States and how burlesque has been both reinvented and reinforced by the neo-burlesque movement. I will also look at public performances by Little Mama’s Burly-Q Revue, a queer/ feminist neo- burlesque troupe residing in Columbia, MO, a Midwestern college town, to show how social activism and feminism can and do lineup with historical burlesque ideals. Historical
Load more

Recommended publications
  • US Barefoot History
    USA BAREFOOT HISTORY Keith St Onge, World and national champion The first man reported to meet the challenge of barefoot skiing was Dick Pope Jr, on March 6, 1947. In fact, for the first time, barefooting was recorded in pictures. According to sources at Water Ski Hall of Fame and witnesses of the event, it was actually the then 17-year-old A.G. Hancock, who made the initial attempts earlier in the year, driven by pioneer Chuck Sligh in Winter Haven, Florida. Charlene Wellborn Then the first woman to ski on bare feet was Charlene Dick Pope Jr Wellborn in 1951 at Cypress Gardens. The first barefoot competition was held at the 1950 Cypress Gardens Dixie Championships. As the tournament began, the first participants ended up with nothing but headaches, until Dave Craig of Miami successfully stepped of the ski. Then Stew Mc Donald of Tampa managed a short ride without skis. Pope, unaccustomed to the rough water of the tournament area had a difficult time, but was able to move into the first place with the longest ride. Finally, a young skier from Mexico named Emilio Zamudio was up. He kicked off his ski, stood up high, and waved joyously at the crowd, winning the competition. Ken Tibado Stew Mc Donald Ken Tibado As the story goes, Ken Tibado of Lake Wales introduced the two-ski jump out in 1953 and the beach start in 1956. Barefooting’s first significant public exposure came at 1956 tournament nationals in Laport, Indiana. A young skier named Mike Osborn thrilled the crowds with one of the first major barefoot exhibition in the World.
    [Show full text]
  • Self, Other, and Jump Rope Community: the Triumphs of African American Women
    Georgia Southern University Digital Commons@Georgia Southern Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies, Jack N. Averitt College of Fall 2007 Self, Other, and Jump Rope Community: The Triumphs of African American Women Wynnetta Ann Scott-Simmons Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd Recommended Citation Scott-Simmons, Wynnetta Ann, "Self, Other, and Jump Rope Community: The Triumphs of African American Women" (2007). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 507. https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/507 This dissertation (open access) is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies, Jack N. Averitt College of at Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. For more information, please contact [email protected]. SELF, OTHER, AND JUMP ROPE COMMUNITY: THE TRIUMPHS OF AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN by WYNNETTA SCOTT-SIMMONS (Under the Direction of Ming Fang He) ABSTRACT Using Critical Race Theory, Critical Literacy, Black Feminist Thought as a theoretical framework and Oral History as research methodology, the lives of four young African American women are explored as they leave their culturally insular surroundings, “Jump Rope Communities”, to seek access to the codes of power and registers of language in all-White, all-girl, elite private schools during the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. In capturing the memories, perceptions, and lived experiences of these women over thirty years later, the journey into a world of divergences was explored--divergent language codes, divergent social, cultural, and economic stratifications, and divergent linguistic expectations, behaviors, and dispositions.
    [Show full text]
  • 3/30/2021 Tagscanner Extended Playlist File:///E:/Dropbox/Music For
    3/30/2021 TagScanner Extended PlayList Total tracks number: 2175 Total tracks length: 132:57:20 Total tracks size: 17.4 GB # Artist Title Length 01 *NSync Bye Bye Bye 03:17 02 *NSync Girlfriend (Album Version) 04:13 03 *NSync It's Gonna Be Me 03:10 04 1 Giant Leap My Culture 03:36 05 2 Play Feat. Raghav & Jucxi So Confused 03:35 06 2 Play Feat. Raghav & Naila Boss It Can't Be Right 03:26 07 2Pac Feat. Elton John Ghetto Gospel 03:55 08 3 Doors Down Be Like That 04:24 09 3 Doors Down Here Without You 03:54 10 3 Doors Down Kryptonite 03:53 11 3 Doors Down Let Me Go 03:52 12 3 Doors Down When Im Gone 04:13 13 3 Of A Kind Baby Cakes 02:32 14 3lw No More (Baby I'ma Do Right) 04:19 15 3OH!3 Don't Trust Me 03:12 16 4 Strings (Take Me Away) Into The Night 03:08 17 5 Seconds Of Summer She's Kinda Hot 03:12 18 5 Seconds of Summer Youngblood 03:21 19 50 Cent Disco Inferno 03:33 20 50 Cent In Da Club 03:42 21 50 Cent Just A Lil Bit 03:57 22 50 Cent P.I.M.P. 04:15 23 50 Cent Wanksta 03:37 24 50 Cent Feat. Nate Dogg 21 Questions 03:41 25 50 Cent Ft Olivia Candy Shop 03:26 26 98 Degrees Give Me Just One Night 03:29 27 112 It's Over Now 04:22 28 112 Peaches & Cream 03:12 29 220 KID, Gracey Don’t Need Love 03:14 A R Rahman & The Pussycat Dolls Feat.
    [Show full text]
  • Dallas Striptease 1946-1960 A
    FROM MIDWAY TO MAINSTAGE: DALLAS STRIPTEASE 1946-1960 A Thesis by KELLY CLAYTON Submitted to the Graduate School of Texas A&M University-Commerce in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS May 2019 FROM MIDWAY TO MAINSTAGE: DALLAS STRIPTEASE 1946-1960 A Thesis by KELLY CLAYTON Approved by: Advisor: Jessica Brannon-Wranosky Committee: Sharon Kowalsky Andrew Baker Head of Department: Sharon Kowalsky Dean of the College: William Kuracina Dean of the Graduate School: Matthew A. Wood iii Copyright © 2019 Kelly Clayton iv ABSTRACT FROM MIDWAY TO MAINSTAGE: DALLAS STRIPTEASE 1946-1960 Kelly Clayton, MA Texas A&M University-Commerce, 2019 Advisor: Jessica Brannon-Wranosky PhD The entertainment landscape of post-World War II Dallas, Texas included striptease in different types of venues. Travelling and local striptease acts performed at the city’s annual fair and in several nightclubs in the city. In the late 1940s, the fair featured striptease as the headlining act, and one of the city’s newspapers, the Dallas Morning News, described the dancers as the most popular attraction of the largest fair in the United States. Further, the newspaper reporting congratulated the men who ran the fair for providing Texans with these popular entertainment options. The dancers who performed at the fair also showcased their talents at area nightclubs to mixed gender audiences. Dallas welcomed striptease as an acceptable form of entertainment. However, in the early 1950s, the tone and tenor of the striptease coverage changed. The State Fair of Texas executives decried striptease as “soiled” and low-class. Dancers performed in nightclubs, but the newspaper began to report on one particular entertainer, Candy Barr, and her many tangles with law enforcement.
    [Show full text]
  • City of Las Vegas Data Book
    082011B City of Las Vegas Economic and Urban Development Department & Redevelopment Agency Economic and Urban Development Introduction Economic and Urban Develpment Department The Economic and Urban Development Department (EUD) creates, coordinates and encourages new development and redevelopment throughout the city of Las Vegas. It increases and diversifies the city’s economic base, and creates jobs, through business attraction, retention and expansion programs. In addition, this newly expanded department now includes employees who oversee and manage local, state and federal grants used to provide public services, develop public facilities and support affordable housing for low income Las Vegas families. The majority of grants are received from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as part of entitlement funding. These grants are used for homeless services and shelter, senior nutrition, rent assistance and new construction of affordable housing and community centers, to name a few. The EUD coordinates with the city of Las Vegas Redevelopment Agency on day-to-day operations, economic development, job creation and long-term strategic goals. Las Vegas Redevelopment Agency The Las Vegas Redevelopment Agency (RDA) promotes the redevelopment of downtown Las Vegas and surrounding older commercial districts by working with developers, property owners and the community to accomplish beneficial revitalization efforts, create jobs and eliminate urban decay. The Las Vegas Redevelopment Area encompasses 3,948 acres. The area roughly includes the greater downtown Las Vegas area east of I-15, south of Washington Avenue, north of Sahara Avenue and west of Maryland Parkway. It also includes the Charleston Boulevard, Martin L. King Boulevard and Eastern Avenue corridors.
    [Show full text]
  • Communityw O 7 S 0 B &
    INC PULATION REA PO DU SE RING U 20 NL % 13 2 V EN 7, 5 RO 8 . L 2 C LM 4 S 7 N EN 8 Y 062,2 3 T , 5 E 6 T E 3 NR , G 2 N O 6 A % EW N L I R COM S LM 2 G VE E C E 9 N A A RS N N I L RE T A .6 FR 3 V 3 I N 3 O , M E 3 L IO NR 9 U T OL F A LM 5 N E O S E ALIFO N L C R T R N M T A I U 4 U A S Q . 7 T E A O . o C 0 R C 0 0 9 E M 1 A P 9 FO 0 F G M IN R N O E T O T IN H 1 S S T E N O U E F C O 8 1 I C H G . R O S A 9 T R T N 7 I E 9 M V 0 E A 6 Y S R $ T S 3,086,745,000(ASSISTED BY LVGEA) S E NEW COMPANIES U N I D 26 S N I ANNUAL HOME SALES N 7 U 4 R EMPLOYMENT 5 T E E , COMMUNITYW O 7 S 0 B & 4 A T , 5 L 7 las vegasA perspective E 895,700 , 9.5% 6 L 7 6 UNEMPLOYMENT 4 0 RATE 6 E M M IS E LU A R LUM VO P TOU VO R M A CO ITOR E L R M VIS G TE S A T M N O M V E 6 H O G M ER M SS O $ .
    [Show full text]
  • The Rise and Fall of Fair Use: the Protection of Literary Materials Against Copyright Infringement by New and Developing Media
    South Carolina Law Review Volume 20 Issue 2 Article 1 1968 The Rise and Fall of Fair Use: The Protection of Literary Materials Against Copyright Infringement by New and Developing Media Hugh J. Crossland Boston University School of Law Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/sclr Part of the Law Commons Recommended Citation Hugh J. Crossland, The Rise and Fall of Fair Use: The Protection of Literary Materials Against Copyright Infringement by New and Developing Media, 20 S. C. L. Rev. 153 (1968). This Article is brought to you by the Law Reviews and Journals at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in South Carolina Law Review by an authorized editor of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Crossland:THE RISE The Rise AND and FallFALL of Fair Use:OF The FAIR Protection USE: of Literary Materia THE PROTECTION OF LITERARY MATERIALS AGAINST COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT BY NEW AND DEVELOPING MEDIA HuGH J. CROSSLAND* St. Coumba, sitting up all night to do it, furtively made a copy of abbot Fennian's Psalter, and how the abbot protested as loudly as if he had been a member of the Stationers Company, and brought an action in detinue, or its Irsh equivalent, for Columba's copy, and how King Diarmid sitting in Tara's halls, not then deserted, gave judgment for the abbot .... I. INTRODUCTION Many copies of literary material-books and periodicals- have been made in violation of the law. The growing use' of copying machines is causing a decline in the market for litera- ture, is unfair competition2 to the publisher and copyright owner, and has possible constitutional significance.3 Although the copyright statute4 grants absolute rights5 protecting writ- ings that are published in accordance with its provisions, the courts have put a gloss on the statute by allowing non-infringing * Assistant Professor of Law, Boston University School of Law; B.B.A., M.B.A., University of Michigan; J.D., Wayne State University; LL.M., Yale University; Member of the Michigan Bar.
    [Show full text]
  • Glenn Killinger, Service Football, and the Birth
    The Pennsylvania State University The Graduate School School of Humanities WAR SEASONS: GLENN KILLINGER, SERVICE FOOTBALL, AND THE BIRTH OF THE AMERICAN HERO IN POSTWAR AMERICAN CULTURE A Dissertation in American Studies by Todd M. Mealy © 2018 Todd M. Mealy Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy May 2018 ii This dissertation of Todd M. Mealy was reviewed and approved by the following: Charles P. Kupfer Associate Professor of American Studies Dissertation Adviser Chair of Committee Simon Bronner Distinguished Professor Emeritus of American Studies and Folklore Raffy Luquis Associate Professor of Health Education, Behavioral Science and Educaiton Program Peter Kareithi Special Member, Associate Professor of Communications, The Pennsylvania State University John Haddad Professor of American Studies and Chair, American Studies Program *Signatures are on file in the Graduate School iii ABSTRACT This dissertation examines Glenn Killinger’s career as a three-sport star at Penn State. The thrills and fascinations of his athletic exploits were chronicled by the mass media beginning in 1917 through the 1920s in a way that addressed the central themes of the mythic Great American Novel. Killinger’s personal and public life matched the cultural medley that defined the nation in the first quarter of the twentieth-century. His life plays outs as if it were a Horatio Alger novel, as the anxieties over turn-of-the- century immigration and urbanization, the uncertainty of commercializing formerly amateur sports, social unrest that challenged the status quo, and the resiliency of the individual confronting challenges of World War I, sport, and social alienation.
    [Show full text]
  • Blue Star Museums Press Release
    [email protected] (888) 661-6465 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE BURLESQUE HALL OF FAME TO PARTICIPATE IN BLUE STAR MUSEUMS Museum offering free admission to active military and their family members this summer [Las Vegas, NV – May 9, 2019] The Burlesque Hall of Fame will join museums nationwide in participating in the tenth summer of Blue Star Museums, a program which provides free admission to our nation’s active-duty military personnel and their families this summer. The 2019 program will begin Saturday, May 18, 2019, Armed Forces Day, and end on Monday, September 2, 2019, Labor Day. More information about Blue Star Museums and a list of participating museums can be found at arts.gov/bluestarmuseums. Blue Star Museums is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in collaboration with Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and more than 2,000 museums nationwide. First Lady of the United States Melania Trump and Second Lady of the United States Karen Pence are honorary co-chairs of Blue Star Museums 2019. “The burlesque world has always had a special relationship with the US military,” says Executive Director Dustin M. Wax. “Burlesque performers like Gypsy Rose Lee, Ann Corio, Mae West, and Sherry Britton travelled the world with the USO, posed for pinups, led book drives for overseas service members, and of course entertained troops in theaters and clubs around the country. We are proud to continue that special relationship and to share that history with today’s generation of men and women serving in the armed forces.” “The Defense Department congratulates Blue Star Families and the National Endowment for the Arts on reaching an incredible milestone: ten years of service to the military community though Blue Star Museums,” said A.T.
    [Show full text]
  • Physics: the Physics of Sports
    Physics: The Physics of Sports Week 04/27/20 Reading: ● Annotate the article: Expect higher, more intricate tricks from Olympic big air snowboarders ​ ○ Underline important ideas ○ Circle important words ○ Put a “?” next to something you want to know more about ○ Answer questions at the end of the article Activity: ● Complete physics/sports improvement table ○ Article:Cool Jobs: Sports Science ​ ○ Improving Athletics with Science Writing: ● Read the article Baseball: From pitches to hits ​ ○ Answer the writing prompt at the end of the article. Física: La Física de Deportes Semana 04/27/20 Lectura: ● Anote el artículo: Expect higher, more intricate tricks from Olympic big air snowboarders ​ ○ Subráye ideas importantes ○ Circúle palabras importantes ○ Ponga un "?" junto a algo que usted quiera saber más ○ Conteste las preguntas al final del artículo Actividad: ● Complete Tabla de Mejora Física / Deportiva ○ Article:Cool Jobs: Sports Science ​ ○ Improving Athletics with Science Escritura de la: ● Lea el artículo Baseball: From pitches to hits ​ ○ Responda la pregunta al fin del artículo. Expect higher, more intricate tricks from Olympic big air snowboarders By Scientific American, adapted by Newsela staff on 02.13.18 Word Count 907 Level 1030L Image 1. Anna Gasser of Austria competes in the Women's Snowboard Big Air final on day 10 of the FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboard World Championships 2017 on March 17, 2017 in Sierra Nevada, Spain. Photo by: David Ramos/Getty Images During the Olympics, the world's best snowboard jumpers will zip down a steep ramp. They will fly off a giant jump and do tricks in the air, pulling off sequences of flips and twists so fast and complex that you need a slow-motion replay to even see them.
    [Show full text]
  • Rose La Rose and the Re-Ownership of American Burlesque, 1935-1972
    TAUGHT IT TO THE TRADE: ROSE LA ROSE AND THE RE-OWNERSHIP OF AMERICAN BURLESQUE, 1935-1972 DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Elizabeth Wellman Graduate Program in Theatre The Ohio State University 2015 Dissertation Committee: Jennifer Schlueter, Advisor Beth Kattelman Joy Reilly Copyright by Elizabeth Wellman 2015 ABSTRACT Declaring burlesque dead has been a habit of the twentieth century. Robert C. Allen quoted an 1890s letter from the first burlesque star of the American stage, Lydia Thompson in Horrible Prettiness: Burlesque and American Culture (1991): “[B]urlesque as she knew it ‘has been retired for a time,’ its glories now ‘merely memories of the stage.’”1 In 1931, Bernard Sobel opined in Burleycue: An Underground History of Burlesque Days, “Alas! You will never get a chance to see one of the real burlesque shows again. They are gone forever…”2 In 1938, The Billboard published an editorial that began, “On every hand the cry is ‘Burlesque is dead.’”3 In fact, burlesque had been declared dead so often that editorials began popping up insisting it could be revived, as Joe Schoenfeld’s 1943 op-ed in Variety did: “[It] may be in a state of putrefaction, but it is a lusty and kicking decomposition.”4 It is this “lusty and kicking decomposition” which characterizes the published history of burlesque. Since its modern inception in the late nineteenth century, American burlesque has both been framed and framed itself within this narrative of degeneration.
    [Show full text]
  • Fiscal Year 2011 in Review
    CITY OF LAS VEGAS ECONOMIC AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS FISCAL YEAR 2011 IN REVIEW The front cover of this publication features a rendering of The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, which is currently under construction in Symphony Park™ in downtown Las Vegas. Named in honor of Fred W. and Mary B. Smith, this performing arts center will be home to Nevada Ballet Theatre, Las Vegas Philharmonic and first-run touring attractions. It was designed by David M. Schwartz. The opening is planned for spring 2012. LAS VEGAS ECONOMIC AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT Now more than ever, the city of Las Vegas is focused on new businesses, job creation and building on the success that has come to fruition in the downtown area. The city’s multi-faceted and multi-functional Economic and Urban Development Department (EUD) serves these purposes. Currently, the department’s responsibilities include the following: Negotiating new development contracts and redevelopment projects. Encouraging entrepreneurship and startups through an established business incubator, technology transfer and venture capital investment. Regional and international business and investor attraction efforts. Symphony Park urban community development. Mart attraction (e.g., the 5-million-square-foot World Market Center Las Vegas). Fast track assistance with expediting business-related permits, licenses and entitlements. Managing a real estate portfolio, including land acquisitions, leasing and sales. Connecting retail developers, commercial brokers and property owners with appropriate high-quality tenants. Visual Improvement Program assistance, which aids businesses with upgrading their exteriors and reducing urban decay. Tax Increment Financing assistance. Researching and compiling data sought by businesses, concentrating on information specific to the city of Las Vegas and Redevelopment Area.
    [Show full text]