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removed her clothes whilst she danced in front of a rhinestone-covered spiderweb. However, her most iconic acts involved boa constrictors - an example of one was called 'The
Consummation of the Wedding of the Snake'', where she stripped while holding an 8-foot boa constrictor. She described it as: "A gorgeous young maiden is going to be sold into slavery to an ugly old man. Instead, she dances with a snake, gets bitten, and dies."
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Zorita became well known for her unique and controversial numbers, such as the 'Half and Half'. She dressed one half of her body as a groom and the other as a bride, and, keeping one side to the audience, began to undress each other, leading to the 'wedding night romp'. In another, an unseen 'spider'
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for her use of snakes in the act - she was also known to walk her snakes on leads in public. She was released on a $ 1,500 bail, but after her last New York performance all of her snakes were confiscated.
225:. When she was touring venues, her 'girl friend' accompanied her. She was married, the first time at 15, and divorced three times. She later said that she stripped for men, but preferred women.
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She retired from stripping in 1954 and ran several burlesque clubs in New York and Miami before retiring completely in 1974 to breed
Persian cats.
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202:'Zorita', a song about her, was recorded by the Fields-Madera Orchestra in 1959. The song was written by
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After being discovered through a beauty pageant, she began working as a burlesque artist in 1935.
412:"This wonderfully wicked burlesque dancer's snake act sizzled the midcentury stripper circuit"
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On August 15, 1941, Zorita was arrested for indecent exposure at the
Kentucky Club in Toledo,
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131:. Following a client's suggestion because of her full and mature figure, she worked as a
490:"Spectacles of Agency and Desire: Exotic Dancers and Celebrities with their Exotic Pets"
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dancer. She was best known for a twenty-minute dance which she performed with two
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Spectacles of Agency and Desire: Dance
Histories and the Burlesque Stage
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177:. Dark 'spider's hands' slowly peel off her clothes from the rear.
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The name 'Zorita' was given to her by Mr Miller, who owned the
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In another act, she emerges from a giant spiderweb dripping in
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American
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
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who gave her the two snakes that became part of her act.
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in 1915 and was adopted by a strict
Methodist couple in
103:, 30 August 1915 – 12 November 2001) was an American
437:"Snake dancer Zorita arrested – Toledo History Box"
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154:. It was here she built up a friendship with a
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331:"Zorita: Vintage Burlesque Dancer, Stripper"
462:"Toledo Blade - Google News Archive Search"
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187:In 1941, Zorita was arrested by the
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127:. When she was 15 she worked as a
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518:"Fields-Madera Orchestra - Oh Me"
410:Buck, Stephanie (8 August 2017).
365:"Superstars of Burlesque: Zorita"
119:Zorita was born Kathryn Boyd in
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685:American burlesque performers
142:When she was 17 she moved to
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111:called 'Elmer and Oscar'.
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148:Zoro Garden Nudist Colony
16:American burlesque dancer
623:"Revenge Is My Destiny"
139:to earn extra money.
597:"Judy's Little No-No"
257:Revenge Is My Destiny
543:"I Married a Savage"
647:Fosse, Bob (1974).
266:(1974) (uncredited)
250:Judy's Little No-No
571:"Naughty New York"
569:Intrator, Jerald.
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291:"Miss Zorita"
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35:Kathryn Boyd
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695:2001 deaths
690:1915 births
499:16 December
471:16 December
232:Filmography
221:Zorita was
175:rhinestones
90:1935 - 1974
77:entertainer
674:Categories
271:References
204:Sol Marcus
129:manicurist
115:Early life
42:Youngstown
144:San Diego
105:burlesque
416:Timeline
223:bisexual
133:stripper
658:7 April
649:"Lenny"
632:7 April
606:7 April
580:7 April
554:7 April
527:7 April
446:7 April
421:6 April
374:7 April
340:7 April
150:at the
125:Chicago
81:actress
522:45 Cat
260:(1971)
252:(1969)
246:(1959)
240:(1949)
165:Career
99:(born
97:Zorita
25:Zorita
264:Lenny
660:2018
653:IMDb
634:2018
627:IMDb
608:2018
601:IMDb
582:2018
575:IMDb
556:2018
548:IMDb
529:2018
501:2015
473:2015
448:2018
423:2018
376:2018
342:2018
206:and
182:Ohio
54:Died
46:Ohio
31:Born
135:at
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