Beldini, known as "the gem of the exotics" starting in the s, won't be stripping and, just three months after a knee replacement, will forgo dancing too. But she has some other tricks planned for the May 11 show. Beldini, who was sent to federal prison in following a bribery conviction, performed her bump-and-grind act for audiences at Union City's old Hudson Theater in the early s.
Her career, which included at least one appearance with burlesque legend Blaze Starr, came at the tail end of burlesque's popularity. A reporter called her "more of a respectable madame figure than a temptress" in a Harvard Crimson story.
Though she bared mostly all as Hope Diamond, Beldini thinks of those days as "an innocent time. Beldini hasn't performed as Hope Diamond in over 40 years. One of her last appearances was on Long Island in , when the local paper dubbed her "one of the premiere ecdysiasts" in vulgar parlance, a stripper. Beldini, who was Healy's campaign treasurer, was sentenced to three years in prison in She was released in The Kennedy Dancers' 40th anniversary show, called the "Jersey City Follies," will be a tribute to vaudeville and burlesque, styles of live entertainment dating back to the late 19th Century that included comic acts, singers and, yes, strippers.
Next week's show doubles as a major fundraiser for the Jersey City dance company, which started its first season in Beldini won't be the only familiar name to grace the Loew's stage next week.
Sandra B. Diane Dragone, Kennedy Dancers' artistic director, said she thought it would take more convincing to get Hudson County pols to agree to sing and dance live, but "people love to be on stage. Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald jjournal. Follow him on Twitter terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook. If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation.
