Julianne Hough was 22 when she starred in the 2010 American backstage musical film Burlesque. The young actress had already won two seasons of Dancing with the Stars, but this was her first major film role.
Behind the Scenes: Casting and Character Ages in Burlesque
The casting for the movie Burlesque was carefully orchestrated to align the ages of the actresses with their respective characters.
The photo of seven-year-old Ali with her mother in Burlesque is actually a photo of a much younger Christina Aguilera with her real-life mother, Shelly Kearns. At the premiere in Paris, Cher dazzled in a sequined mini skirt paired with platform pumps and fishnet stockings.
Kristen Bell keeps it chic in knee-high leather boots and a winter white cape, Cher stuns in sky-high black pumps and fishnet stockings, Christina Aguilera embraces edgy Parisian style with black ankle boots, while Cam Gigandet opts for rugged suede lace-up boots at the Burlesque Paris photocall at Le Crazy Horse on December 15, 2010, in Paris, France (Credit: Joseph Kerlakian / Startraksphoto)
During the release of “Burlesque” in the United States on November 24, 2010, the main cast members encompassed a diverse range of ages: Cher (Tess) was 64, Christina Aguilera (Ali) was 29, Stanley Tucci (Sean) was 50, Kristen Bell (Nikki) was 30, Julianne Hough (Georgia) was 22, Cam Gigandet (Jack) was 28, Eric Dane (Marcus) was 38, and Alan Cumming (Alexis) was 45.
The acclaimed Michael Kaplan, the visionary behind iconic costumes in films like Blade Runner and Fight Club, crafted the film’s sartorial landscape. In a nod to her character Ali Rose’s burgeoning burlesque career, Aguilera specifically requested sky-high, sultry heels. Rising to the challenge, Kaplan collaborated with the legendary Christian Louboutin to create a bespoke pair that perfectly captures Ali’s magnetic stage presence.
Christina Aguilera stuns as Ali Rose in Burlesque, exuding old-Hollywood glamour in a satin corset, lace-trimmed briefs, fishnet tights, and custom Christian Louboutin heels crafted for the film (Credit: Sony Pictures Releasing)
In October 2010, Kaplan spoke to The Los Angeles Times about the looks he created for Burlesque.
That’s a costume from a number called ‘I Am a Good Girl.’ I wanted Christina to kind of look like a dessert. There’s feathers, there’s satin, and she’s all pink and peach and adorable. Like some kind of sorbet.” “That was one of Cher’s working outfits. When she’s in the club, she doesn’t wear period clothes, she’s just Tess running her club, with her beautiful blue-black hair. I wanted Cher to have her own color—and I felt the character Tess should be in black. That was her color. Cher always put her imprint on everything she was wearing. I’d put clothes in her room every day and she’d walk out combining them in a different way than I thought she would. Cher and [her character] Tess are not that unalike—both are show business troupers.
All of the costumes [in this dance number] have a little bit of surrealism in them, that was kind of my departure point—you could say Magritte from the hat. And other costumes have a little bit of Man Ray. She has beaded hands on her breasts and a set of hands on her butt, so there was some humor, some sexiness. There’s also a skirt made of just garter belts that moves wildly [with the] dancer. It was a lot of fun to do that one—it was one of my favorites.
That’s Christina in the finale wearing a costume I made of gold chains. All the costumes, on all the dancers [in this number]—and there were quite a few—were made out of gold chains, all handmade and linked together, link by link. Gold chains and Swarovski crystals.
Christina Aguilera stuns in the Burlesque finale, dripping in handmade gold chains and Swarovski crystals, perfectly complemented by sky-high golden heels that elevate her electrifying stage presence (Credit: Sony Pictures Releasing)
I invited Nadja Swarovski to see the finale of the movie. I guess she loved what she saw because she said she was very moved. And a few days later she called and asked me if I would design a line of jewelry for Swarovski, which I just completed.
Julianne Hough, then 11, made her acting debut in the 2001 film Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, playing an unnamed Gryffindor student.
Julianne Hough as Georgia: Dancing, Acting, and On-Stage Glamour
Burlesque tells the story of Ali Rose (Aguilera), a small-town girl who moves to Los Angeles and finds success at a burlesque club owned by Tess (Cher). Hough plays Georgia, one of the club’s leading dancers.
Julianne Hough and Kristen Bell dazzle in Burlesque (2010), exuding showgirl glamour in shimmering gold-embellished bodysuits, cascading chains, and fishnet tights (Credit: Sony Pictures Releasing)
In the film, Tess Scali (Cher) asks Sean (Stanley Tucci) what happened to all the good dancers in LA. Sean responds, “Dancing with the Stars.” This is a funny line because Julianne Hough, who plays Georgia in Burlesque, is one of the professional dancers on the Emmy-winning show.
Julianne Hough on Training for Burlesque: More Grueling Than Dancing with the Stars
In an interview with Reuters, Julianne Hough revealed that preparing for her role in the movie musical was much more demanding than her experience on the reality competition show.
Julianne Hough commands the stage as Georgia in Burlesque, dazzling in a sequined fringed mini dress, fishnet tights, and sultry lace-up ankle boots that elevate her high-energy dance performance (Credit: Sony Pictures Releasing)
Unlike the quick turnaround on Dancing with the Stars, Burlesque required months of intense preparation and repeated shooting of each dance number over grueling 16-hour days.
“On ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ you learn the dance, you dance the dance on TV, and then you’re done,” she said. “‘Burlesque’ was months of preparation, and each number was shot over and over again, over 16-hour days.”
Cher portrayed Tess, the firm yet fair owner of a Los Angeles burlesque club; Julianne Hough portrayed Georgia, an aspiring dancer with dreams of success in the burlesque world; and Stanley Tucci portrayed Sean, Tess’s supportive and charismatic manager who assisted Georgia in pursuing her ambitions (Credit: Sony Pictures Releasing)
In addition to dancing, Hough also sings in the film, and performing the number “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” left her with painful welts on her sides, legs, arms, and neck that lasted for weeks.
“When I sang ‘Diamonds Are A Girls’ Best Friend,’ sliding down those beads was probably the coolest thing I’ve ever done,” said Hough. “And the most painful! I had welts on my sides, my legs, my arms, and my neck for weeks!”
“On ‘Burlesque,’ I learned the logistics of filmmaking and figured out my comfort zone,” said Hough about her experience on the set. “By the time I shot ‘Footloose,’ I felt prepared and could focus on the acting.”