salome's dance for king herod is referred to in the new testament ( and ). however, the first mention of her removing seven veils is in oscar wilde's play of "salome" in 1893. some have claimed as the origin of modern striptease. after wilde's play and richard strauss's opera "salome", first performed in 1905 the erotic 'dance of the seven veils', became a standard routine in opera, vaudeville, film and burlesque. a famous early practitioner was maud allan who in 1907 gave a private performance of the dance to edward vii.