View Full Version : Dancing in the 70's 80's and 90's
francinista
09-21-2010, 05:55 PM
Lena whats the name of the club and what town is it in that pays $500.00 a week ? Francinista
tempest666
09-21-2010, 08:48 PM
Well this thread has made me wish I was old enough to dance in the 90s!
LOL I wasn't old enough but I still danced late 90's early 2000's. Ah, gotta love being a jailbait stripper. :D
Kellydancer
09-21-2010, 08:56 PM
These remind me of when I started dancing. Most of you would have loved it because it was strictly entertainment. I had to wear two pairs of panties and pantyhose in between. I also had to tape my top to my breasts because nudity wasn't allowed. When the clubs switched to "topless" they were pasties or latex on the nipples. The dances were very tame. I would air dance a bikini or pastie dance for $5 or $10 dollars a song. There was no such thing as extras and I once got in trouble for kissing a regular on the cheek. At some clubs a guy could hold my waist and at other clubs they couldn't touch at all! It was also relatively easy to sell dances and would often leave with $200-$400 (or more) for doing bikini (Yes I've made over $400 doing bikini) or pasties. There were even clubs that paid dancers!
Sadly most of the clubs I worked at are long gone. The first club I danced at went from a no touching bikini bar to a full nude (and I believe touching) club. I know if I was entering the business now I wouldn't stay. Too dirty and more competition.
Kylea2
09-21-2010, 09:51 PM
I really wish we could sticky this thread for the new girls!
I agree with Kelly though that many of you would have loved dancing before all the major changes. When I first started all of my money was made on stage. It was MONTHS before I even knew that we could offer table dances. I literally didn't know what one was, & had to ask the manager if it were okay because the customer asked me for one. We were supposed to raise our hands & the bouncer would bring over a table/pedestal to dance either on or in front of. At that particular club they would bring over a table that came up to my hips & I danced for the customer with the table between her & I. The going rate for a table dance back then was $20... and now girls are grinding on laps for that!
Kellydancer
09-21-2010, 10:07 PM
I worked at one club where we actually carried the pedestal around. Then when a customer wanted a dance I climbed on it. Another club I worked at we did dances literally on a table that used to be a fancy dining room table for a mansion. I never did a lap dance and I'm glad that wasn't an option. The idea of grinding on a customer repulses me.
francinista
09-22-2010, 03:03 PM
The first club I worked at had alot of girls they would pretty much hire any one they just wanted to have as many girls as they could .You had to be a cocktail waitress too you were not allowed to sit unless you put a dress on during a twenty minute break you could have a few drinks with a customer. The rest of the time you were in a constant rotation with mandatory serve a drink songs in between. It was topless and we had to wear pantyhose under our thongs. The table dances were 12 inches from the customer for $3.00 and our dj tip was $3.00.Every week they had a new feature that did one or two shows a night .We had 4 stages with no poles and no blacklights. It was very competative and you worked your ass off. Later they changed the law and it was nude with no alcohol the topless dances went up to $5.00 and the nude were $10.00 but they made us give $3.00 to the club every time we used the box to stand on for anude dance. So I tried to just dance topless and keep my dance money at this time thedj fee went up to$8.00. MY next club was small they paid the dayshift girls $10.00 a day our table dances were 2for$5.00 and we danced all day long did really well one stage girls got along well. Then I went to small town in georgia Worked in a BYOB club we sold $4,$8,$12 sodas and juice got 50% commission end of week topless 3 or 4 girls made good tips on stage. The next few clubs I worked at paid $50.00 anight shift pay plus you made 50% commission on drinks and champagne some times it was topless or nude the law kept changing.We also had these hostesses that hustled drinks too mostly korean and a few older white women theyalso waitressed we often had a table with alot of guys drinking with a bunch of girls. We had alot of foriegn seamen customers and they brought us nice gifts. If you could get along with alot of different women you could make good money and have a good time. I was very close with alot of the mostly female club owners they treated me really well. Francinista
Melonie
09-22-2010, 03:30 PM
Again, most upscale clubs in the 90's were VERY selective in regard to the physical appearance, stage performance skills, and 'social' skills of the dancers they were willing to hire. No offense intended, but I would dare to say that 2/3rds of the dancers working today would NOT have made the 'cut' back in the 90's.
Kellydancer
09-22-2010, 03:54 PM
Again, most upscale clubs in the 90's were VERY selective in regard to the physical appearance, stage performance skills, and 'social' skills of the dancers they were willing to hire. No offense intended, but I would dare to say that 2/3rds of the dancers working today would NOT have made the 'cut' back in the 90's.
Completely agree. I am an attractive dancer, yet was passed over many times (and other clubs made me audition a few times). I look at some of the dancers today and cringe. They certainly wouldn't be working at the clubs I did (and I generally worked at midlevel clubs).
francinista
09-22-2010, 04:13 PM
The first club I worked at in 1982 was topless we had to wear pantyhose under our thongs. It was a huge club 4 stages with no poles or blacklights.The tabledances were $3.00 the house fee was $3.00. You could not sit and drink with customers unless you put on a dress for a 20 minute break. We had to be cocktail waitresses too we had these mandatory serve a drink songs. There were alot of dancers it was vey competative and you worked your ass off. they had a new feature dancer every week and she did one or two shows a night.It was strictly no touching.The next club I worked at was small they paid the dayshift $10.00 a day .Our dances were 2 for $5.00 they were easy to get and tips were good unlike the club I was at before where they discouraged the guys from walking around that place had no seats around the stages.
The club had these theme nights nighty night,tropical night, cocktail dress night, no bouncers and $3.00 dj fee. My next club was in a small town in Georgia a B.Y.O.B. we sold $4,$8,$12, sodas and juice customers brought alcohol but we did not drink it .It was topless 3 or 4 dancers jukebox .No bar fees 50% drink commission paid at end of week. Good tips on stage table dances usually $5.00 or guys would just fill up your garterwith$$.The next several clubs were topless or nude according to what the city law was at the time I made $50.00 anight shift pay. You got 50%commission on drinks and champagne. Great tips on stage and some table dancing no touching. We had these hostesses mostly Korean and a few older white women that hustled drinks and waitressed too. There were alot of foriegn seamen customers they would bring us nice gifts. Often times there would be a big table of guys buying drinks for lots of women together. If you could get along with alot of different types of girls you could have fun and make alot of money. Many times the ability to drink alot made you more money than you made dancing. I became close to many of the mostly female club owners and I was treated very well. Francinista
obscurity
03-09-2012, 02:33 PM
When I started dancing in the mid 90's we had to wear two thongs and.....pantyhose! The most scandalous thing dancers started doing at that time was crawling on stage. We were not allowed to simulate sex acts or touch ourselves, or our our g-strings in any way. I can honestly say I never touched a customer in any way my first six years of dancing and the money was even better than it is now. I remember the owner coming by and smacking my knee when I rested the ball of my foot momentarily on a customer's knee for balance.
Besides the differences already mentioned in previous posts I see a huge difference in not just the physical but the mental/emotional contact involved in stripping now. For the first 8 or so years I danced it was more about being hot and sexy and fun and bouncing from guy to guy around the room. Now there is a psychological intensity as it's necessary to stick with one guy and try to draw as much out as you can. Now dancers use cell phones, email to keep their regulars hooked. There was no VIP when I started and it was a club rule that dancers couldn't sit with a guy for more than 2 songs. I loved not getting to know the guys and being the mysterious, untouchable "entertainment".
Stripping in the mid 90's was more about getting to see the pretty naked girls than grinding away at some weirdo faux relationship.
i know this is SUPER OLD!!!! but as i'm researching on here, i am soooo lucky to have read this thread!!! for THIS is how it was for me. we were queens, treated like pin up royalty...not an ounce of distasteful behavior. LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS!
Kellydancer
03-09-2012, 03:17 PM
When did you work, 90's? Yes the 90's were great moneywise. Sure we were approached by customers for sex and sure many of my coworkers were offering extras (usually out of the club)but a clean dancer could rake it in. We couldn't do anything even remotely sexual, including touching ourselves. Let's not forget the quality of dancers. I often see posts from people angry with the uggos working the clubs but when I danced generally speaking I danced with beautiful women and when the club hired a fat or ugly dancer we would get mad. Yes there were still ugly and fat dancers but they weren't at the upscale clubs and most weren't at midlevel clubs either.
Su Su
03-11-2012, 05:27 PM
Gosh, those old times sounded like a blast. I vaguely remember the 90s, and wish I was born much earlier. I'm jealous of all you hot mommas getting to experience all that :)
Screw the 21st century!
Dorien
03-11-2012, 11:03 PM
It's interesting when I read the comments about how selective club owners were in the 90's, early 2000's and before. Here is my theory: in the 90's being thin was considered to be this attainable standard of beauty; tallish, thin, small waist, flat stomach, large breasts, tiny nose , full lips. Now, dancers are getting butt implants. It seems guys prefer butt implants and cellulite! Seriously! Fit, thin, blond dancers are not the dancer of choice anymore.
I worked in a club in the nineties in which the owner would come into the club and watch each dancer to make sure their looks were up to par. He was big on fit, thin but healthy dancers. He would rate us by numbers. If a dancer was gaining weight, or looked to be losing it by substance abuse or their teeth looked rotten; he would give them a warning and a time period to fix it. Now clubs seems to hire anybody just to get the house fee $$.
Times have changed.
Dorien
03-12-2012, 12:07 PM
I just wanted to add, that I'm not saying that clubs hire just anyone, but that the standard of beauty has changed since the 90's. For example: it would be rare to see a dancer with over 36in hips working at an upscale club. Now, if your hips are under 40ins, you are considered to have "no booty" or a flat ass, even if you have a tiny hour glass figure. Also back then, even into the early 2000's being blond, colored eyes (blue mainly), tiny nose and full lips was like the standard of beauty, where as now a more exotic look is favored.
Maybe it's just Hell-LA, but this is what I've noticed.
firemaiden04
03-12-2012, 02:12 PM
^^ Yeah, it definitely depends on the region. Up here the Jersey Shore look is the Thing...dark tan (orange) skin, big black hair, bitchy attitude. And it's been the fashion in general since I've been living up here for the past 10 years. My last club had maybe five blondes total, including me, and I was the only natural blonde--the others just had the fried bleachy look.
Kellydancer
03-12-2012, 02:42 PM
It's interesting when I read the comments about how selective club owners were in the 90's, early 2000's and before. Here is my theory: in the 90's being thin was considered to be this attainable standard of beauty; tallish, thin, small waist, flat stomach, large breasts, tiny nose , full lips. Now, dancers are getting butt implants. It seems guys prefer butt implants and cellulite! Seriously! Fit, thin, blond dancers are not the dancer of choice anymore.
I worked in a club in the nineties in which the owner would come into the club and watch each dancer to make sure their looks were up to par. He was big on fit, thin but healthy dancers. He would rate us by numbers. If a dancer was gaining weight, or looked to be losing it by substance abuse or their teeth looked rotten; he would give them a warning and a time period to fix it. Now clubs seems to hire anybody just to get the house fee $$.
Times have changed.
Depending on the club would depend on how strict they were about these. For instance yes in the top tier upscale clubs you pretty much had to have all of them. The midlevel ones (the ones I tended to work at)the more you had the better but some things were not needed. For me personally I had these: full lips, small waist, small hips, flat stomach, large breasts and tiny nose. I was somewhat thin but not as thin as the girls at the higher end clubs, more athletic and this reason is one why the super upscale clubs tended not to hire me (they usually wanted size 2 and 0 and I tended to be 6). Also, I am a brunette and many had a limit on brunettes because they prefer blondes. Tallish? I'm 5'6 1/2-5'7 so I guess that leans towards the taller but did dance with a few taller and many shorter than me. I had a small butt and did dance with a few who had large butts. These women though were in great shape though (think Jennifer Lopez). No flabby butts.
Like you I also worked at clubs with picky managers. At one club I was told I didn't want to audition for the one manager because he required all the girls be super fit and athletic. As it turns out I did audition for him and he thought I was hot, but did tell me to start work that Friday and buy a better outfit. The other manager would hire anything and you could tell which manager hired which dancer. The ugly dancers could not work the weekend nights though, only the girls the strict manager hired could. This btw was a midlevel club and not one of the very selective, which tells how picky clubs were back then.
lifetravelergirl
03-12-2012, 07:34 PM
Stripping in the mid 90's was more about getting to see the pretty naked girls than grinding away at some weirdo faux relationship.
Love this ^_^ perfect description!
Dorien
03-12-2012, 11:30 PM
^^ Yeah, it definitely depends on the region. Up here the Jersey Shore look is the Thing...dark tan (orange) skin, big black hair, bitchy attitude. And it's been the fashion in general since I've been living up here for the past 10 years. My last club had maybe five blondes total, including me, and I was the only natural blonde--the others just had the fried bleachy look.
^
We have a Snooky clone that works at one of the clubs I work at and she banks. She does have a thick but very fit body and is great cancer and really happy all the time. Yesterday I was the only blond working. It was a slow day, but the black girls I worked with banked more than me.
It would be nice to try a different environment.
lol1337a
03-13-2012, 01:42 AM
^^I'm from the same area as firemaiden and it seems popular with both. A lot of girls with lighter hair and complexions actually dye their hair black and tan a lot. A lot of top earners I've worked with do this.
tempest666
03-13-2012, 07:15 AM
I'm down here in PA and I make more $$$$ with blond-ish hair than black hair. But then I don't tan cause I'll get deported :D
Jay12
03-13-2012, 01:10 PM
I just wanted to add, that I'm not saying that clubs hire just anyone, but that the standard of beauty has changed since the 90's. For example: it would be rare to see a dancer with over 36in hips working at an upscale club. Now, if your hips are under 40ins, you are considered to have "no booty" or a flat ass, even if you have a tiny hour glass figure. Also back then, even into the early 2000's being blond, colored eyes (blue mainly), tiny nose and full lips was like the standard of beauty, where as now a more exotic look is favored.
Another reason why a more exotic physique has been more favorable is because diversity is now the standard for everything, not just beauty. Cookie cutter blonds are just...boring IMHO; I know some people like them and all, they are not ugly by any means, just boring. The best thing a club can have is diverse dancers, not a 80/20 ration in favor of cookie cutter blondes versus women who have other physical traits (brunettes, Blacks, Asians, Slavs, girls with piercings/tattoos, etc).
Also, the same way having big boobs might be a good asset, having a big ass is just as good as having big boobs. Asses are just as desirable as boobs.
Kellydancer
03-13-2012, 01:35 PM
is it the thing as in popular with the girls, or popular with the guys (or both)? Because there aren't that many blondes here either but it's still the ideal look among customers so they bank. Same with skinny vs thick- lots of fatter girls here but guys still want trim girls so even if those girls are crappy talkers or ugly they still make $$ easily.
I was once worked a shift with 5 blondes. Two of them were the stereotypical blonde look: blonde, fake breasts, tan, etc. They would bank easily. One blonde was average looking and average body. One was butt ugly face with a great body and the fifth was obese with a pretty face and long hair. Anyway this one day these two guys came in and got dances with the two hot blondes. I could never compete with these two because yes men tended to like them. However they got dances with all of them while kept rejecting me. I couldn't believe that guys would rather buy dances from ufly and fat blondes than attractive brunettes but some guys are like that.
Dorien
03-16-2012, 11:30 AM
is it the thing as in popular with the girls, or popular with the guys (or both)? Because there aren't that many blondes here either but it's still the ideal look among customers so they bank. Same with skinny vs thick- lots of fatter girls here but guys still want trim girls so even if those girls are crappy talkers or ugly they still make $$ easily.
^
It's popular with the guys & girls...except for some white guys I know who can spot butt implants and they are not a fan. But these "snookiese girls" bank at my club and girls are so envious of that body type.
Kellydancer
03-16-2012, 11:42 AM
I am just surprised the Snooki type is popular because I see nothing sexy about her at all.
katia13
03-17-2012, 12:07 AM
I started 2001. (17 yrs old to 28 2012)I believe the clubs in the NY & NJ have changed. The best way someone summed it up was, "Show business to Sex business". I could not agree more. When I walked into a club the very first time I was shocked to see so many gorgeous women. The manager gave me a speech about getting highlights, tanning and working out. The girls were true stage performers. There were no private rooms, just lap dances. We had to wear gowns. ;D The customers were nice and I needed no regulars to make money. If I gained a few I made them come in on a slower night. My main club got a champayne room about 2003. From that point on the club put the lap dances in the open so you had to sell the room. By 2005 it wasn't about stage or being attractive and fun. It was about extras and forming annoying relationships with regulars. At this point the business is not the same business I started in. I dread going to work while I used to be excited and happy. The show is over. I can not wait to leave the bizz.:O
Dorien
03-17-2012, 09:13 PM
I am just surprised the Snooki type is popular because I see nothing sexy about her at all.
^
Nor do I. But this club is predominantly Latin. I find this dancer'f make-up and hair extensions over the top, but she has a bangin body (unlike Snooky) and she is an unusually talented dancer in the way her energy level is crazy.
Kellydancer
03-17-2012, 09:19 PM
That's it too, Snooki doesn't even have a banging body, she always look like a fat girl. I can see attractiveness in bigger girls (and to some I was a bigger girl) but to me she just looks flabby. Not to mention she looks cheap.
Frenchie
03-17-2012, 09:35 PM
I watched buddies get sucked in for $500-$700 a night THINKING they were going to get laid and instead just getting ripped.
"Fool me once..." Clubs like that killed the goose. The internet helped a lot, because customers couldn't compare notes so easily.
The man who used to think he'd get laid if he spent justw a little more realized he needed to be smarter, and started negotiating. Throw in a bad economy and you get what we have today.
Frenchie
03-17-2012, 09:38 PM
Another reason why a more exotic physique has been more favorable is because diversity is now the standard for everything, not just beauty. Cookie cutter blonds are just...boring IMHO; I know some people like them and all, they are not ugly by any means, just boring. The best thing a club can have is diverse dancers, not a 80/20 ration in favor of cookie cutter blondes versus women who have other physical traits (brunettes, Blacks, Asians, Slavs, girls with piercings/tattoos, etc).
Also, the same way having big boobs might be a good asset, having a big ass is just as good as having big boobs. Asses are just as desirable as boobs.
I think hair color is a copout, like when people say they can't find a job or relationship at their *location* even though everyone around them is.
GlamourRouge
03-17-2012, 09:41 PM
"Fool me once..." Clubs like that killed the goose. The internet helped a lot, because customers couldn't compare notes so easily.
The man who used to think he'd get laid if he spent justw a little more realized he needed to be smarter, and started negotiating. Throw in a bad economy and you get what we have today.
I agree. I think the biggest killer of old dancing money is the internet. You can find out anything you want, and not to mention the power of forums. Combine that with a big recession (depression in disguise) and its almost not worth dancing these days unless you move where the money is for your look and body type+ethnicity.
Kellydancer
03-17-2012, 10:07 PM
Agreed about the internet. Also, not sure if this is because of the internet but the loosening of dancing morals. Back when I danced fulltime guys actually paid for bikini dances that were no touch and they REALLY paid for topless dances that were no touch. Now many clubs are full nude and touching.
Optimist
03-18-2012, 06:14 PM
I think hair color is a copout, like when people say they can't find a job or relationship at their *location* even though everyone around them is.
I disagree. I worked in New Jersey/New York and did well with black curly hair. So when I decided to work in Ct I thought it was a no brainer to rock the same look. I started out at my new Ct spot and another girl warned me that it's a gamble to wear black hair because they like blondes. I thought she was nuts until I got passed over and passed over! All the hard work trying to connect and turn these guys on was wasted. I put on a blonde wig the next time and even though I thought it looked nuts, I'll be damned if they didn't love it. And another example is I loved the style in Vegas and tried to take it to my next club down South and it just didn't fly! I could not get them amped. I changed into the type of costumes they liked and voila! To some guys connecting with the familiar is more important than connecting with just any hot chick.
GlamourRouge
03-18-2012, 09:18 PM
I disagree. I worked in New Jersey/New York and did well with black curly hair. So when I decided to work in Ct I thought it was a no brainer to rock the same look. I started out at my new Ct spot and another girl warned me that it's a gamble to wear black hair because they like blondes. I thought she was nuts until I got passed over and passed over! All the hard work trying to connect and turn these guys on was wasted. I put on a blonde wig the next time and even though I thought it looked nuts, I'll be damned if they didn't love it. And another example is I loved the style in Vegas and tried to take it to my next club down South and it just didn't fly! I could not get them amped. I changed into the type of costumes they liked and voila! To some guys connecting with the familiar is more important than connecting with just any hot chick.
I totally agree. And like hair color, with body type its the same thing. Move where your look is most popular and it'll be a goldmine. Or at least travel dance there. You make the most when you look/act like how the men in the area (customers) expect you to. If you don't, it usually works against you because men are turned off, confused, or feel inferior (in a bad way). That's why dumb slut stripper personality works better than super smart stripper personality. Give the customer what they want ;)
Kellydancer
03-18-2012, 10:43 PM
Agree with both of you. Both hair color and body types can determine many things in this business. I know having been a brunette with a larger body type (not fat, just more muscular) there were clubs that rejected me.
Melonie
03-24-2012, 08:23 AM
I believe the clubs in the NY & NJ have changed. The best way someone summed it up was, "Show business to Sex business". I could not agree more. When I walked into a club the very first time I was shocked to see so many gorgeous women. The manager gave me a speech about getting highlights, tanning and working out. The girls were true stage performers. There were no private rooms, just lap dances. We had to wear gowns. The customers were nice and I needed no regulars to make money. If I gained a few I made them come in on a slower night. My main club got a champayne room about 2003. From that point on the club put the lap dances in the open so you had to sell the room. By 2005 it wasn't about stage or being attractive and fun. It was about extras and forming annoying relationships with regulars. At this point the business is not the same business I started in.
Identical observation from my own perspective. Agreed that the entire business model for strip clubs changed permanently following the 9/11 2001 incident and ensuing 2002 recession. From that point forward, it was all 'downhill'. From 2002 through 2007 or so the 'downhill' slope was, however, gradual. But after the 2008 'crash', the 'downhill' slope became much steeper ... which prompted me to quit live club work altogether at that time.
I think the biggest killer of old dancing money is the internet. You can find out anything you want, and not to mention the power of forums. Combine that with a big recession (depression in disguise) and its almost not worth dancing these days
I'm going to have to disagree with this assertion. For a fact, from about 1995 on, all sorts of 'adult' content became available via the internet ( and I cashed in on that ! ). But it wasn't until the recession of 2002 that dancer earnings potential began to fall, customer contact expectations began to rise, and a surplus of willing dancers appeared that would accept lower earnings and higher contact. I'm blaming the economy as the primary killer of old dancing money ... both by reducing the amount of 'discretionary income' that typical strip club customers could afford to spend, as well as by increasing the number of financially stressed girls who were willing to turn to stripping / extras to reduce that financial stress.
Queen Jewel
04-22-2012, 07:25 PM
. And another example is I loved the style in Vegas and tried to take it to my next club down South and it just didn't fly! I could not get them amped. I changed into the type of costumes they liked and voila! .
Can someone give me an example of what the customers in the south like vs the customers in vegas vs the customers elsewhere? Just curious...
Optimist
04-22-2012, 11:41 PM
Can someone give me an example of what the customers in the south like vs the customers in vegas vs the customers elsewhere? Just curious...
For whatever city you have in mind, look up costume boutiques in that town. Also go to specific club sites to see what their current girls wear. That way you can see some examples.
Nina_
04-26-2012, 09:00 PM
The stripping industry has evolved atrociously. I miss the 90s and I've only been dancing for nine months, lol.
My mom danced in the 80s and 90s. When she first started, the girls all actually had to be very attractive. Some clubs these days will hire almost anything. You had to have your nails done, you had to look like a professional erotic performer. You had to wear gowns. Extras? What were extras back then? The dances were no-contact, and they took place on little boxes/pedestals in front of the customer. The clubs were (generally) much busier and men were eager to buy dances. House fee? What house fee? My mom got paid $17 an hour by the club while still taking home the shitload of money she'd make each night. Money was easier to make, and I can assume that the job was much less stressful. I mean, I'm sure the 90s had its own issues. For example, when my mom first started dancing they had a quota where only two black women were allowed to work on the same shift. She was one of them.
A woman at my club has been dancing since '92. She's another prime example of how the industry has gone downhill. She complains about it all the time, and I don't blame her. After 20 years of dancing I'd be insane.
But hey, everybody was doin' good in the 90s. The economy was much better, which obviously has played a role. It's just sad that the stripping industry has also turned into a prostitution industry, and I truly can't stand it.