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New "type" of dancer entering clubs
I stand ready to get shot down on this, but I'm making myself a low target. It seems from posts on this board, comments from some dancers, and direct observation that a new type of dancer is entering the dancer business.
I'm having a hard time labeling what I'm describint. So I'll describe it instead. A white collar, four year degree (or higher)
woman in her mid 20's to early 30's who has been laid off her
white collar job due to the bad economy or outsourcing of
professional jobs overseas. Also as a sub group, a smaller group of women who have a white collar job that suddenly has no bonus paid, and is dancing part time. (Say 16 to 24 hours a week.)
Am I on track with this observation or not. My ATF was white collar but augmenting income to pay off debt and dancing part time. Some of her dancer friends were doing the same.
I am not talking about the dancers in school and dancing because that hasn't changed much in twenty years. I'm talking about women who's economic situation has changed and not due to divorce or men problems. If I am correct, you will see more of these subtypes of dancer types women in the next year or so. And I freely admit I may not be right. Alot of them don't come out and tell a customer that they are entry level lawyers
getting paid poorly, or engineers who's jobs are going elsewhere. Alot of insurance and bank investment type women
who are in their 20's 30's and are dancing and can't get back in banks or insurance companies.
What do you people think? Any other observations?
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Re:New "type" of dancer entering clubs
This is certainly a more "active" segment lately than it traditionally has been. However there has always been a certain number of women who fit your description who have supplemented their incomes by dancing.
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Re:New "type" of dancer entering clubs
I think you might be seeing a higher percentage of dancers that fit that description on this board simply because they are more comfortable with computers and participating with groups online.
I fit quite a bit of that description except I wasn't laid off, I just got sick of the office world and decided to dance.
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Re:New "type" of dancer entering clubs
Sounds like me...except I was not laid off. I chose to leave my low paying programming job after I got my degree to start a company. In the interim time that we are building and growing, I am stripping for fun and profit....
Niceguy,
What do you mean by "Alot of insurance and bank investment type women
who are in their 20's 30's and are dancing and can't get back in banks or insurance companies."
Are you assuming that these women will not be allowed back to their corporate jobs because they have stripped? It has never been a problem for me, I just don't put it on my resume.......
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Re:New "type" of dancer entering clubs
I've run into many dancers who fit your descriptions with the exception of the "laid off" part. Many women dancing nowadays are doing it either for the fun or to just make a few extra bucks. They are professional job holders by day and dance one or two nights a week on their days off or after their 9-5 shift. Some just thow away the shackles of the "day job" by choice, not because of a dip in the economy or loss of job.
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Re:New "type" of dancer entering clubs
Niceguy, I would agree - entry level salaries really aren't enough to live on. And if a person has a lot of college debt, dancing is such a great way to get out of that! I too was dancing part time, but the advantages of dancing full time and quitting the day job eventually made a lot more sense to me!
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Re:New "type" of dancer entering clubs
Dancing sure beats working 9-5, 5 days a week. I made $45,000 a year (with no degree...more than most of my degreed friends did). But, after I had a baby, there was no way I was going to go back to the corporate world. Since my SO and I would both be working in the daytime, day care would be a definite...and that wasn't acceptable to us. I stay home, he goes to work all day, and then 2 days a week, he gets home and takes our little girl while I go to work at night. We never need to pay for daycare (good lord...it's expensive!!) and we both get quality time with the most important person in the world. In my eyes, it's a win-win situation...and one that would not be possible working in the corporate world.
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Re:New "type" of dancer entering clubs
By banks and insurance jobs I am referring to changes within those industries. For example, Life insurance companies are way down in this country. Probably not another policy that needs to be sold. The growth is in China for Life Ins. and the companies that cater to overseas sales are hiring... mostly overseas. Alot of Life companies merging or on last legs. Examples: Kemper, CNA, New England Mutual (GONE), General American St. Louis (gone). Met and Pru since becoming stock companies not showing any growth. Banks are constantly merging. Example Bank One about to go through huge layoffs with the merger and move to NYC to new parent Chase.
Alot of layoffs in banks and insurance industries. Within tech a bad economy, and engineering jobs for design starting to go to China.
So those are the job types where I have woman friends (and male friends) who are getting hit hard. Also a trend. Less than top tier law firms not paying much salary for entry of new lawyers.
The less than top tier firms are of course the major amount of new law jobs. I see increasing amount of woman mortgage bankers and real estate getting jobs in clubs as that market slows.
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Re:New "type" of dancer entering clubs
To be more clear.. I think the banks are doing well, but the large banks appear unstable and are chaning around causing people to lose jobs and move around to other cities. Medium and small banks appear to be really growing. Insurance, especially life insurance seems to be at the end of its product life cycle in the US and Europe
and is an "old old" industry. The companies are not growing and are in fact shrinking.
Manufacturers are under severe pressure here in the US from China and engineering jobs are starting to go bye bye to China. Same with tech software type jobs, compounded there with a cyclical downturn in tech. Tech really is manufacturing but in "new" industries.
Years from now people will marvel at the economic change that occured from "globalization and robots taking jobs" at the turn of the century. (2000). For us old timers living here in time
(any one from age 18 through 50) we have to survive through this major change in "real time."
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Re:New "type" of dancer entering clubs
Hmmm don't know about more of them, but i know there has always been women with good paying jobs dancing on the side. *hint*
I may not be a Lawyer, but i have a degree, and work a good position at a major hospital. I danced for fun, then the extra cash!
I have however seen my share of college drop outs dancing. Or the ones who wanted to model or do porn, and did not make it, so they danced instead.
Dunno, just my observations over the years. All types it seems, still i guess.
Pamela
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Re:New "type" of dancer entering clubs
I would have to agree that there is a slightly higher percentage of gals who have degrees/special training who have entered the entertainment world due to poor/ lack of jobs....but the stereotype of a 'dancer' enstills thoughts of gals who have no other choice....i beleive it has long been true that many women who are educated CHOSE to dance for one reason or another.
I enjoy the freedom of the work itself, along with the flexibility of hours available so that i can omit the daycare and care for my child myself.
But, to make a short story long--yes there are more women faced with career issues these days, however there have always been a fair amount of well spoken, well read, educated dancers prior to present day economic woes.
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Re:New "type" of dancer entering clubs
Quote:
Originally Posted by Veronika link=board=27;threadid=6709;start=msg74799#msg7479 9 date=1077066942
I think you might be seeing a higher percentage of dancers that fit that description on this board simply because they are more comfortable with computers and participating with groups online.
I fit quite a bit of that description except I wasn't laid off, I just got sick of the office world and decided to dance.
Me too...although I had a great job as a computer programmer, I'd rather make twice as much with half the stress and half the hours.
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Re:New "type" of dancer entering clubs
Yep, this description fits me too. I have a 4 yr BA degree, I work in the marketing/media field, and I'm in the dancing biz because I haven't gotten a raise (forget about a bonus! lol) in 5 years...despite glowing evaluations.
I work for a great company, one of the best in the industry. Unfortunately, they know that most of their employees are stuck with them...because even moving to a different company within the same industry won't get you too far, money-wise...not in this economy. So I suck it up and stay in the corporate world (at least I get health insurance), and then work nights and weekends to make ends meet.
If I think about this too much, I get really annoyed!! It pisses me off that despite my education, I still make more $$ with my body.
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Re:New "type" of dancer entering clubs
Quote:
Originally Posted by Emily link=board=27;threadid=6709;start=msg74982#msg7498 2 date=1077123027
Quote:
Originally Posted by Veronika link=board=27;threadid=6709;start=msg74799#msg7479 9 date=1077066942
I think you might be seeing a higher percentage of dancers that fit that description on this board simply because they are more comfortable with computers and participating with groups online.
I fit quite a bit of that description except I wasn't laid off, I just got sick of the office world and decided to dance.
Me too...although I had a great job as a computer programmer, I'd rather make twice as much with half the stress and half the hours.
Right !! I have done the 9-5 thing and it sucks !! I make in a day or too tops what I made in a week. I have lots of friends who either moonlight as dancers or were laid off gave dancing a try and loved it..
FH
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The other type of dancer...
are the ones like me. I was a stay at home mom (25 yo. with 3 little boys). In the last year, I became more open sexually, started out doing amature photography for fun with a group of online friends. Went to a party with these friends and a dj saw me dance and asked me to try it out.
I dance because I love it, not because I need the money. Not that I don't need the money as I think everyone can use more money but I dance for the way it feels feeling and moving to the music.
I private dance because I love making them feel good. I visit with customers because I love people and getting to know people. Strip clubs are fun, dancing is fun so why not get paid to do both? Its a way to express oneself and ones sensuality in an acceptable environment.
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Re:New "type" of dancer entering clubs
During Superbowl, I made in 6 days what would have taken me 3 months at my highest paying regular job to date!!!!!
Now if I get a lucrative sales job that I am after...commission based.....I could quit dancing...but it seems that at the moment, they are only giving these jobs to men....bah!
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Re:New "type" of dancer entering clubs
What about real estate, Katrine? A lot of women are very successul in this.
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Re:New "type" of dancer entering clubs
I know many, many people in real estate, its a major buyer's market right now here in Austin. Takes months and your own $$ to get a RE license, and I'm just not interested in driving around all day...traffic, bleh!!
Besides, I am starting a business, we beging selling our product in 3 weeks....meanwhile, I'm cleaning up in stripping.....
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Re:New "type" of dancer entering clubs
It seems like the 18-22 yr old are missing from the biz. What are they doing? Web cams?
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Re:New "type" of dancer entering clubs
Y'know, a sideline of this perceived phenomenon is that many customers will have to contend with a plethora of *gasp* educated dancers! Oh whoa to the stereotypes... or not... The smart girls know when to BE the stereotype ;) and when to be that devilish vixen with a mind toward libertine literature or somewhere in between.
Another thought is that a lot of educated women are in their mid to late twenties and thus at a very comfortable stage in their sexuality (betwixt the wisdom of years and the influence of education). This is a wonderful time to play with that to the fullest making exotic dancing a fun alternative rather than an "only choice". Omigosh... exotic dancers who WANT to be exotic dancers... how *fanciful*!
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Re:New "type" of dancer entering clubs
I can't speak for all the guys, but smart women really turn me ON.
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Re:New "type" of dancer entering clubs
the dancers who do it because they want to are the ones making the money...customers can sense who is happy and who is miserable but there because she has to be.
I love my job more than any other job I've ever had. I look forward to going into work and the perks are nice. :)
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Re:New "type" of dancer entering clubs
Love your post Veronika :)
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Re:New "type" of dancer entering clubs
Actually, in my club right now it seems that there are a lot of young girls(18-21) starting out.
I'm only 19 myself and for me it seems like it's a great job because I can get paid great while I'm in college.
I worry about a lot of the other young girls though. They aren't doing it because they are in school, they are doing it as a career and most of them get caught up in what I call "the stripper trap". You start out making good money for the first time in your life so you buy a new car, nice place to live, get yourself some credit cards...
Then you're stuck. You can't stop dancing because you are stuck with all these bills that you can't pay at another job. You're used to your free schedule and no matter how much you want out, you're stuck.
For me, stripping is just a way to get started, since I started out with nothing. It's helping me make something of myself. I just wish there was a way to pound it into other young dancers heads, "save your money" or "No, really, you don't need a BMW" or " you should really plan for a life after dancing" mostly just "don't let it change you or your life".
Ugh well that's my vent for today. haha
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Re:New "type" of dancer entering clubs
Girl, you can get trapped, no matter what your financial situation is just because it's great money. And racking up bills you can't afford happens to women of all jobs. I do think stripping is a trap just because you get used to the easy money.
And just because a girl has a nice car, doesn't mean she's not building a nice nest egg (like me!) Dancing is great because you can save and splurge.