Sensual cinema, erotic entertainment
Exotic dance exposes more than meets eye
Alexandra Nicolas
Issue date: 4/13/07 Section: A Closer Look
Chris Rock got it wrong; there are clear heels in college.
Even with her job working 72 hours a week with the mentally handicapped, it doesn't bring in quite enough for Missouri Southern student Melissa Kahris (not her real name), an exotic dancer at a partial-nudity dance club.
"I've never really been shy standing on a stage half-naked," she said.
Working under a stage name, Kahris works late hours Friday and Saturday nights and usually ends her shift with roughly $200-$600 per night.
"I know it's morally wrong, but where else can I make that much in a weekend?" Kahris said.
Dancers arrive at the club and change into the outfit of their choice, wearing anything from what resembles a lime green swimsuit to fishnets and lace. Over the course of the night, girls perform on stage for tips from customers, work the crowd and do special VIP dances.
"You make most of your money on the stage, I think I make more when I wear black or white," Kahris said.
Girls then take the money they earn on the stage or the floor and deposit in a drop box. At the end of each night performers receive a percentage of their earnings.
When performers aren't on stage, they work the club floor to sell dances under the protective eye of the club bouncer.
"You have to really get out there and hustle yourself if you want to make money." Kahris said, "Some girls will sit and talk to a guy all night without ever offering him a dance."
However, money is not the only thing gained through exotic dance.
Pole dancing and stripping are gaining popularity as exercise through videos and classes across the nation.
"I've never been in shape this good." said Southern student Whitney Brown (not her real name). "Even when I stop dancing, I'm gonna get a pole put in my house so I never have to go to the gym."
Though Kahris said the pole isn't the place where she makes the most money, she enjoys the work in spite of the pain.
"You hit that pole hard and you get huge bruises all over your legs," she said
In spite of the money, Kahris says she doesn't plan to dance forever. She maintains that she thinks it's morally wrong and has other plans for her future.
"I'm sure someday I'll settle down and I'll have to tell my husband, 'Yeah, I used to take off my clothes and shake my ass for cash,'" she said.
Life as an exotic dancer hasn't been easy for Kahris. She said her mother, after finding out what she was doing, once waited outside the club until closing time to yell at her.
With all that can be gained from a career as an exotic dancer, Kahris said she has gotten more from the experience than bruises and a steady income.
"You don't take shit from anybody," she said, "and you learn not to judge people."
Even with her job working 72 hours a week with the mentally handicapped, it doesn't bring in quite enough for Missouri Southern student Melissa Kahris (not her real name), an exotic dancer at a partial-nudity dance club.
"I've never really been shy standing on a stage half-naked," she said.
Working under a stage name, Kahris works late hours Friday and Saturday nights and usually ends her shift with roughly $200-$600 per night.
"I know it's morally wrong, but where else can I make that much in a weekend?" Kahris said.
Dancers arrive at the club and change into the outfit of their choice, wearing anything from what resembles a lime green swimsuit to fishnets and lace. Over the course of the night, girls perform on stage for tips from customers, work the crowd and do special VIP dances.
"You make most of your money on the stage, I think I make more when I wear black or white," Kahris said.
Girls then take the money they earn on the stage or the floor and deposit in a drop box. At the end of each night performers receive a percentage of their earnings.
When performers aren't on stage, they work the club floor to sell dances under the protective eye of the club bouncer.
"You have to really get out there and hustle yourself if you want to make money." Kahris said, "Some girls will sit and talk to a guy all night without ever offering him a dance."
However, money is not the only thing gained through exotic dance.
Pole dancing and stripping are gaining popularity as exercise through videos and classes across the nation.
"I've never been in shape this good." said Southern student Whitney Brown (not her real name). "Even when I stop dancing, I'm gonna get a pole put in my house so I never have to go to the gym."
Though Kahris said the pole isn't the place where she makes the most money, she enjoys the work in spite of the pain.
"You hit that pole hard and you get huge bruises all over your legs," she said
In spite of the money, Kahris says she doesn't plan to dance forever. She maintains that she thinks it's morally wrong and has other plans for her future.
"I'm sure someday I'll settle down and I'll have to tell my husband, 'Yeah, I used to take off my clothes and shake my ass for cash,'" she said.
Life as an exotic dancer hasn't been easy for Kahris. She said her mother, after finding out what she was doing, once waited outside the club until closing time to yell at her.
With all that can be gained from a career as an exotic dancer, Kahris said she has gotten more from the experience than bruises and a steady income.
"You don't take shit from anybody," she said, "and you learn not to judge people."
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