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Dancer VS Waitress
When I tell my friends that I want to be a dancer, they say "Oh, you're better off just waitressing at a strip club." I thought they were just saying that to prevent me from dancing. (I've been a waitress for about 4-5 years) But then, I've talked to a few girls online, inlcuding ex-dancers...and they tell me they make just as much bartending and waitressing!!! I believe that being a dancer is much harder than a waitress (a waitress might have tons of clean up duties though) and if a waitress at a strip club make just as much, I'd rather do that. Any opinions??
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Re: Dancer VS Waitress
I guess you will never see a waitress at a strip club have $1500 nights??
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Re: Dancer VS Waitress
^^ yes, but a waitress or bartender will also never owe the club money on a bad night. Or have to compete with 40 girls on a Friday night. Or have to tip out DJs, management, bouncers, housemoms and everyone else who sits on their ass in a club with their hands out for the dancers' hard earned money.
The grass is always greener on the other side. When I was a bartender, I envied the dancers for their ability to make their own schedules and their $500+ nights. When I was dancing, I envied the bar staff for their steady reliable cash flow that they didn't have to hustle for. (And the fact that their money truly was under the table; the bar staff never had to declare tips or get ass-raped with 'independent contractor' taxes.)
As far as stress level and general working conditions, dancing and bartending/waitressing are equal, I think. (My 2 cents from having done both.) That grouchy asshole who's sitting JUST far enough from the stage that he can get a great view of the dancers without having to tip? The waitress isn't making any more money off of him than the dancers. The same douchebags who are too cheap to get dances or tip dancers are also too cheap to tip for drinks. As a waitress, you may not have to put up with feeling degraded when guys get to see you naked for free, but you'll feel like slave labor when a guy throws two quarters on your tray and thinks that's an OK tip. Or as a bartender, when a guy tips a single dollar for a whole ROUND of drinks. (It happens more often than you think!)
Some guys will shower money on the waitstaff and ignore the dancers b/c they think they have a better chance of picking up a waitress, or b/c they want what they can't have (or b/c they resent dancers for making "easy money" but they see the waitstaff as "working hard for their money".)
When the club is dead/slow, the waitstaff isn't doing any better than the dancers. If there are five guys in the club, the waitress will make $5-10 serving each guy a drink, guaranteed. A dancer may make nothing at all from any of those 5 guys...or she might sell one of them a VIP room and make $200+. Dancing provides the OPPORTUNITY to make more money, but it also comes with far less security. You start off each night in the negative, and by the end of the night you could be walking out with $500+...or just barely enough for a cab ride home. As a waitress, you're guaranteed a paycheck and a certain amount of tips and there's security in that, but there's usually a lower ceiling on just how much you can make in a night.
As a waitress, you'll never feel resentful and pimped out when the club takes a cut of your money and everyone from the DJ to the bouncers to the housemom (and sometimes even the managers!) has their hands out for a percentage of YOUR earnings. As a dancer, whenever a money emergency arises or you have something you really want to save $ for, you have the freedom of just dropping in and picking up extra shifts whenever you want to...or taking a week off or re-arranging your schedule when you have to study for exams. Waitstaff often have to jump through hoops to request time off or change their schedules, and they definitely don't get to make their own.
IMHO dancing is more mentally/emotionally challenging and requires a thicker skin and loads more self-confidence. Bartending/waitressing is more physically demanding.
Also, there can be a huge difference between what bartenders and waitresses make. An experienced bartender who's been there for awhile and gets to work the busy main bar on weekend nights will often make 3-4 times more than a new hire who gets stuck on the side bar or on slower shifts. Same with waitresses...the ones who get the VIP rooms make far more money than the ones that just walk the floor.
It depends on the club, whether waitresses make just as much as dancers. I've worked in clubs where $100 was a good night for a bartender or waitress (:no:) and I've worked in clubs where $300 was a slightly-below-average night behind the bar (:yes:)
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Re: Dancer VS Waitress
If you're a waitress who's willing to flash boobies or do champagne rooms, you might make as much as a dancer. Otherwise, at least at my club, it'd be really tough.
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Re: Dancer VS Waitress
If you're going to do it, work in one of these kinds of clubs.
1. Super busy party clubs with high liquor sales, or
2. A club with private VIP rooms where a waitress is an important part of the sale and the dancers wil help you get a big tip. I've helped a waitress get a $2500 tip before because she placed me in a VIP room with a high roller who kept me there ALL NIGHT. Make sure you're a good networker for this and know how to sell.
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Re: Dancer VS Waitress
I actually recently waitressed at a strip club. While it was fun, and some of my fellow waitresses were making good money, you really really have to hustle (more than the dancers- or to me it seems...)- . Face it, the guys are THERE for the DANCERS. That's who they're spending most of their tip money on (Probably).
At the club where I was, which was the best one out of the 3 in this area, I had to tip out just 20% to the bartenders and that was it. So, it was nice spending money (I took it on as a night job), but I was working like 6-10 hours straight depending on my shift, and you have to be on your feet the entire time. The dancers do their sets, and go out and mingle to get guys to buy a dance. (Not saying its easier to be a stripper (I wouldn't know at this point)... just saying)
I'm a very confident and outgoing person, and would sometimes sit and chat with some of the customers every once in a while, maybe for a minute or two to rest my feet, and also just to be friendly so that I'd get a better tip, but you can't do that for too long, because dancers get mad about you charming one of their possible patrons.
So obviously its a pro to be a stripper because it's less TIME put in for MORE money and you're basically being paid to seduce these men out of their money. I imagine the work as a modern form of Geisha. Or a modern courtesan. These men flock to clubs to be seduced, and I myself absolutely love the idea of playing the roll of seducer.
So, who cares what your friends think, what do you think you could handle? Or what you would be most comfortable doing? You could always start out as a waitress and then move up to dancing, which is what a few of my fellow waitresses ended up doing.
I can't exactly tell you which is better. I think mentally, I am much more equipped to be a stripper but still decided to do some research beforehand before jumping in (in order to make sure I wasn't just glamorizing everything in my head, lol)..., so because I haven't exactly danced before, I can't really give anyone advice on waitressing vs dancing.
But I can definitely say from experience that waitressing is Hard WORK. And while I'm sure stripping is no walk in the park for a lot of girls- from the brief talks I was able to have with some of the friendlier dancers while I WAS there, it is definitely really fun to do granted that you are naturally an outgoing and confident woman who is honestly comfortable with your body and sensuality!!
(I can't wait to get started!!!- Not gonna rush it though!)
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Re: Dancer VS Waitress
Hey Zorabelle, thanks for the feedback and I agree with you. I can't wait to get started either!! And I'm doing tons of research as well. Thanks