Toni Elling

Toni Elling, born in 1929 is a well known burlesque dancer out of Detroit.

Many performers today still count on her for encouragement, support, direction in they’re dancing. Miss Elling is a massive inspiration within the Burlesque community especially in the Midwest. It’s almost impossible to roll through Detroit and talk to any performers who didn’t speak to her regularly or check up on her. She is said to be a Burlesque mother to many many of Burlesque‘s finest performers today. I love hearing modern dancers speak of Miss Toni Elling. Their love and adoration for her is unwavering. Miss Elling was a friend of the incredible Duke Ellington and is said to be the inspiration behind Duke Ellington’s song, Satin Doll. Not only that, but Duke Ellington used to call Miss Elling regularly for advice about life, love and his compositions! Due to that fact, Miss Toni Elling was given the stage name”Satin Doll”. Most likely because Toni Ellings movements on stage are impactful, sensual and refined.

I’ve been told by several of Toni’s Burlesque children that she insists her students strut the stage in their entire costumes, giving the audience time to take in the beautiful costume and the details of it before stripping out of it. In addition, she would not take off her panties in her act or wear a G-string because it is “entertainment, yes, but the idea is to suggest what’s there, not throw off all your clothes and reveal everything. That’s why they call it strip-tease.” As I have been told she’s always been emphatic on this point.

Many performers start in burlesque and striptease at a very young age, however, Miss Elling became curious enough about Burlesque in the 1960’s that she took the stage, at the age of 32. Miss Elling had gone back to the telephone company seven times to try to get a job before they finally hired her, however, She was unhappy with her job as a telephone operator at the Michigan Bell Telephone Company where she had worked for 9 years. You see, Miss Elling could not be promoted because she was an African-American.

It was suggested to Miss Elling that she take up striptease in order to pay her bills. At first she was offended by this thought, “I had this thing about stripping,” she said. “I didn’t think it was that nice.” After speaking with her brother and getting his approval, she moved forward with her stripping career.

Ms. Elling was smart enough to take the leap and continued forward in her life with dignity and charm in the Burlesque world. Miss Elling was so beloved within the striptease world that after she retired in 1974, many years later, in 2016, she was inducted into the Burlesque Hall of Fame in Las Vegas. A well deserved and long awaited honor.