Nudity in live performance

Nudity is employed to convey symbolic expressions as well as a means to allow more freedom of movement and in some cases to accentuate the characteristics of the body.

[1] In Western traditions, dance costumes have evolved towards providing more freedom of movement and revealing more of the body; complete nakedness being the culmination of this process.

The gathering itself is proposed as performance art, while the resulting images become statements based upon the identities of the people posing and the location selected: urban, scenic landscapes, or sites of historical significance.

Models posing on stage nude or partially draped was a feature of tableaux vivants at London's Windmill Theatre and New York's Ziegfeld Follies in the early 20th century.

[19] The issue of nudity in performances came into the spotlight again in the play Equus with the lead characters Alan and Jill having nude roles.

[17] However, in spite of precautions to control cell phone use, videos of nude scenes on Broadway have been taken by audience members and posted online.

[22][23] Live sex shows have been marginalized after a brief period of acceptance, perhaps due to competition from interactive on-line performances, or because the enactment of pornographic scenarios on stage is "too real" for general public enjoyment.