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who would attend a stripper retreat?
I was talking recently with a friend who is (like me) both a stripper and a yoga teacher. She has a goal of buying land and opening a retreat space offering yoga and meditation classes, nature walks, healthy food, and so on. We were talking about the sorts of people she would market to, and this got me thinking that there aren't many retreats of this kind offered to people in our line of work.
That world can be really judgemental about sex work. When I go to normal yoga retreats, I don't feel comfortable talking about stripping, even though a lot of the anxieties I'm there to resolve revolve around the pressures of my job.
So I'm just wondering, totally hypothetically, if you were going to a retreat for strippers, what would you want to see there? All other attendees would be dancers, obviously. Yoga classes geared towards dancer's bodie? meditations for releasing stress and anger and building self-confidence? What other services would you like to see offered? How far would you be willing to travel? How much would you be willing to pay?
This is just a daydream right now, but I'm curious if there's interest out there for something like this.
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Re: who would attend a stripper retreat?
Throw in a massage and some good clean food and I am so there.
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Re: who would attend a stripper retreat?
Do not limit yourself to strippers... sex industry workers ;)
Or if you do have enough interest to make it viable, have a specific retreat just for exotic dancers.
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Re: who would attend a stripper retreat?
meh. honestly? i hang out with strippers 5 nights a week. on holiday id rather be by myself, or with my partner.
its a cool idea tho, we once thought of making a fat retreat, like a health camp for adults lol
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Re: who would attend a stripper retreat?
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Originally Posted by
GoldCoastGirl
Do not limit yourself to strippers... sex industry workers ;)
Totally...I originally wrote "sex workers" in the post, then remembered a thread a while ago where some girls said they didn't consider themselves sex workers. So that's another question...would anyone be freaked out if there were women there who worked in other areas of the sex industry?
So, GCG, would you come?
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Re: who would attend a stripper retreat?
I would go and would not be freaked out by the presence of other sex workers. I probably wouldn't like it if there were strippers there who were judgmental about that sort of thing since that sounds like it's just what you're trying to retreat from. What I would be willing to pay would depend on the length and the accommodations and food. Maybe $600-$800 for a weekend? I'd fly to Austin for that. And I would be interested in everything that you mentioned, plus a pillow fight.
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Re: who would attend a stripper retreat?
If I had the time, money and health to travel when it was on...I'd go. Sounds extremely relaxing..both physically and emotionally. If there was a massage therapist I'd be even more inclined to go.
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Re: who would attend a stripper retreat?
It would be cool, I'd try it once. I'd support the fact that it was dancer-run. I certainly wouldn't pay any more $$ than whatever the going rate is for equal amenities, I'd feel ripped off and capitalized upon.
However, I seriously do not mind NOT DISCUSSING work on vacation, especially a relaxing spa one. I'd prefer not to commiserate, or even laugh about shit....want it off my mind. I personally don't feel upset that I can't discuss work with other people when on vacation, I always say I work in a bar and change the topic.
TBH, it sounds cool but def idealistic. Are you gonna market it as dancer-run? What about all the weirdos, and all the amateur women who are gonna call and ask a bunch of questions, or just flat out "feel trendy" ? If you were to make it exclusive to sex workers...well that takes a lot of work on your part to prove ppl ARE sex workers, and prob wouldn't work out financially.
Basically, I'm happy with sw-fests, visiting a normal spa with a friend that's a dancer, and just going on vacation and not discussing work with anyone.
What about she just like, runs her retreat normally the rest of the year, but has like annual or semi-annual retreats just for dancers, like a mega/professional stripper-fest? Fuck yea, I'd like to see that pulled off! You could change the location every year. I'd travel for it.
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Re: who would attend a stripper retreat?
Yes! Yes! Yes! I went to a bellydance retreat once..."dance camp" and it was such a blast!
I love yoga and massages. Will ther also be pole-dance classes, and perhaps some burlesque lessons?
We should do it somewhere cool in the Hill Country, off of one of the lakes or rivers, so we can swim too.
Oh, can retired strippers come?
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Re: who would attend a stripper retreat?
"well that takes a lot of work on your part to prove ppl ARE sex workers"
I thought the same thing.
I know the only proof that I have (and carry) is my IWW union card, and that is not exactly something most other sex workers carry around with them. And certain areas of sex work are definitely trendy and so forth and so on. It would definitely be something to give serious consideration. If it were open to sex workers (in the broad sense) then I would most likely attend. Each year I go this camping event grassroots activism thinger, and we each year we have a sex work discussion group for workers only. It only ever ends up being four or five people, but even that small of a group is a really great thing to have so yeah.
Echoing the whole healthy food thing.
You would probably also have to decide if it is open only to sex workers who are women, or if it is open to sex worker men as well, how long it lasts, issues surrounding disclosure of employment and legality (some of us are not exactly on the legitimate side of the law) and stuff like that.
But basically it sounds like a rad idea. People rarely realize how necessary community events are, whether the community is job-based or identity-based or what have you, until those events actually exist. Though everything needs a bonfire.
Yup.
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Re: who would attend a stripper retreat?
[QUOTE=Alaska;1381885]I certainly wouldn't pay any more $$ than whatever the going rate is for equal amenities, I'd feel ripped off and capitalized upon[./QUOTE]
No way, that would be shitty.
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Originally Posted by
Alaska
However, I seriously do not mind NOT DISCUSSING work on vacation, especially a relaxing spa one. I'd prefer not to commiserate, or even laugh about shit....want it off my mind.
I see what you mean. To me, yoga retreats are a little different from regular vacation. I go on vacation to get away from stuff, whereas I often do yoga to specifically deal with that same stuff.
I definitely wouldn't want it to devolve into a sob-fest or anything. I don't see that there'd HAVE to be a bunch of discussion about dancing, just that the programming would specifically take dancers' needs into account.
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Originally Posted by
Alaska
TBH, it sounds cool but def idealistic. Are you gonna market it as dancer-run? What about all the weirdos, and all the amateur women who are gonna call and ask a bunch of questions, or just flat out "feel trendy" ?
I haven't thought that seriously about it, but come to think of it I don't know how I'd market it. I definitely wouldn't want a bunch of rendy S-factor type people there. I'd probaby promote it word of mouth through communities like this one, and maybe adverstize in $pread or Naked Ambition and places like that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Alaska
What about she just like, runs her retreat normally the rest of the year, but has like annual or semi-annual retreats just for dancers, like a mega/professional stripper-fest? Fuck yea, I'd like to see that pulled off! You could change the location every year. I'd travel for it.
Yeah, that was the idea. I can't imagine there would be enough of a market for stripper retreats to run it like year-round. Once or twice a year would be all you could do.
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Re: who would attend a stripper retreat?
I love everything about the 'retreat' concept except that it would be for strippers... personally, I'd rather go on retreat where I can meet other business people in different industry... ie, a breath of fresh air, not a place to reminisce on strip club war stories. but that's just my opinion and it still might be a great idea.
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Re: who would attend a stripper retreat?
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Originally Posted by
xoxoGracexoxo
I haven't thought that seriously about it, but come to think of it I don't know how I'd market it. I definitely wouldn't want a bunch of rendy S-factor type people there. I'd probaby promote it word of mouth through communities like this one, and maybe adverstize in $pread or Naked Ambition and places like that.
Maybe keep it reference only? No need for a Cosmo exposé "I went to stripper camp!"
On the original question-massage, YES. Reflexology, because you know half of us have messed up feet. I like the mediation idea, too. Everything open to late hours so we don't all have to change around our sleep schedule just to get to yoga.
I'd want there to be dancer related stuff-pole class, maybe some scheduled roundtable discussions about various topics. It needn't be touchy-feely-just more of a hands-on than a lot of us get-makeup, costume choices, dealing with injury (maybe that sort of class, too.)? No one HAS to go talk about anything, but it could be around.
Definitely good food. And since you're taking requests-no caterer's tea! Real vacas do not involve Lipton, or stale old peppermint. ;D
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Re: who would attend a stripper retreat?
We did a burlesque retreat:
http://www.academyofburlesque.com/retreat.html
It was an amazing, amazing experience! I would totally go to one, and we're definitely doing more of them.
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Re: who would attend a stripper retreat?
You know I would so be there! I love shit like that.
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Re: who would attend a stripper retreat?
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Originally Posted by
RoseLeigh
no caterer's tea! Real vacas do not involve Lipton, or stale old peppermint. ;D
Dude. Good tea is the heart of yoga.
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Originally Posted by
Jo Weldon
That looks like so much fun!! I'm glad you're doing it again, cause I totally want to go. If you need someone to teach a "Yoga for Dancers" class, I'm so on it.
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Re: who would attend a stripper retreat?
I am drooling over this idea!:D
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Re: who would attend a stripper retreat?
I personally need a yoga for dancers class. My old body is creaking.
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Originally Posted by
xoxoGracexoxo
Dude. Good tea is the heart of yoga.
That looks like so much fun!! I'm glad you're doing it again, cause I totally want to go. If you need someone to teach a "Yoga for Dancers" class, I'm so on it.
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Re: who would attend a stripper retreat?
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Originally Posted by
xoxoGracexoxo
Dude. Good tea is the heart of yoga.
Yes! Yes! Yes! I have the recipe for the tea they give you after session at Yoga, Yoga. Its the best shit on earth, and even better with soymilk and local honey! I'm all over this shit.
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Re: who would attend a stripper retreat?
Oh yes, the Yogi Tea from Yoga Yoga was my favorite part! mmmm.
Grace, put it together, do it! See if you can get a grant to kick it off at that fancypants retreat center outside of Austin.
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Re: who would attend a stripper retreat?
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Originally Posted by
Katrine
Yes! Yes! Yes! I have the recipe for the tea they give you after session at Yoga, Yoga.
Mmmmm...when I worked there, unlimited access to tea was the best part of the job.
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Originally Posted by
Susan Wayward
See if you can get a grant to kick it off at that fancypants retreat center outside of Austin.
The Crossings. Yeah, I was thinking about it, actually. It's a beautiful facility with massage and spa amenities right on site. Renting space run a few thousand dollars, though, so I'd have to know for sure that peeps were going to come.
I'm giving it serious thought, though.
In the meantime, anyone interested in my take on Yoga for Dancers can visit the article on my blog.
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Re: who would attend a stripper retreat?
For me it would have to be themed, industry related boths, pole trick, biniki, ass shaking contest, shopping, spa treatments, and all paid for by sponsers held in casino hotels with clubs built in them.
Kinda like eXXXotica meets the Hooters Peagant in Vegas, but workshops, yoga, and talking about my feeling on my dime sounds to self help tree hugger hanging out with my mother for me.
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Re: who would attend a stripper retreat?
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Originally Posted by
UV69
For me it would have to be themed, industry related boths, pole trick, biniki, ass shaking contest, shopping, spa treatments, and all paid for by sponsers held in casino hotels with clubs built in them.
Kinda like eXXXotica meets the Hooters Peagant in Vegas.
I don't know, sounds like something that customers and PL's would try to weasel in on. What I like about the "dancer retreat" is having girls there that I know from this site. Most are super rad. It would be like a healthy stripperfest. I think?
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Re: who would attend a stripper retreat?
I can't say I would go as I am in Australia ;)
however I am enjoying the discussion in this thread and agree with many of the points raised: must be competitively priced, offer massage, offer yoga for dancers classes, deal with issues that relate to our job as well as life issues/lessons, etc.
For me I would enjoy it even more if the 'retreat' limited the size of number of attendees to a nice intimate size, if you get my drift? And matched us with room-mates that we would get along with thru having interviewed each of us about our likes, dislikes, etc.
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Re: who would attend a stripper retreat?
I'd love this. More as a yoga/massage/meditation/tea chillout kind of scene than a pole class/makeup one, though... I've found that strippery stuff and relaxing do not go hand in hand.
I also would not mind being forced to go on a diet for a week. At all. And if I revolt and try to hide candy bars in the sink faucets, someone needs to stop me.