Escorting vs Stripping - Which is harder?

[MandalayBay 575]

So a few weeks ago my significant other and I went to watch the exotic dancers at the Brass Rail in Toronto.

 

A very aggressive dancer (looking for a $20 dance) sat down with us and was trying to convince us to hire her for a dance. We weren't interested and she wouldn't leave, so I asked her a few questions about her industry.

 

Did you know the girls at the Brass Rail in Toronto are only paid $10 per dance. This is what she told me! They make their money doing private dances at $20 per song. Knowing this makes me realize why they are so aggressive. This particular night the place wasn't full of customers and the girls were combing the place and asking us if we wanted a dance literally every 2 minutes.

 

So although many may believe that stripping would be easier (even classier) than escorting, I disagree now that I know what I know.

 

When I was escorting I got paid $300 per hour guaranteed (sometimes topped up by a tip or gift) and had the opportunity to get to intimately know some truly incredible men. It was fun 80% of the time.

 

I think escorting is much easier than stripping is.

 

I'm curious about the thoughts of others are regarding this topic.

[JuliaOttawa 131]

Nevermind :)

[antlerman 17064]

Very interesting topic......

 

I would agree that you could really not compare the two occupations.

It is like comparing who has a more dangerous career...a fireman...or a policeman.....

[MandalayBay 575]

I do agree with the idea of tipping and compensating ladies while at a strip club. It is just not my style (or my beau's) to accept private dances when we are there together. My preference is to tip while they are dancing on the stage.

 

I had no idea that some dancers had to pay to be there. In my opinion, that is awful. It infuriates me that strip club owners get away with only paying $10 per show (or charging women to be there to work) and make a bloody fortune charging $10 per beer in places like the Brass Rail. I believe that is taking advantage of the dancers and that bothers me. I always thought exotic dancers were paid around $100 per dance and the private dances were a bonus.

 

I believe exotic dancing is a difficult job and the girls work so incredibly hard. I'm not sure I could ever do it (if I had the body for it) ... but that's just me.

[JuliaOttawa 131]

I had no idea that some dancers had to pay to be there. In my opinion, that is awful. It infuriates me that strip club owners get away with only paying $10 per show (or charging women to be there to work) and make a bloody fortune charging $10 per beer in places like the Brass Rail. I believe that is taking advantage of the dancers and that bothers me. I always thought exotic dancers were paid around $100 per dance and the private dances were a bonus.

It personally does not infuriate me that we pay house fees. By the way, 95%+ dancers in North America and 100% of Ottawa dancers pay each night to work. We are independent contractors and enjoy many benefits as a result. I've worked in Thunder Bay where the pay was $200/night for 4 stage shows and I much prefer paying to work. Here are a few reasons:

 

-I own my business. I don't work for someone.

 

-When we pay housefees, there is MUCH greater flexibility in scheduling. I get to show up when I want, work however many days I want, take breaks whenever I want. When you are paid by the club and "on schedule" you have to work when you are scheduled and when they tell you to.

 

-I can do whatever I want onstage. When they don't pay you, they can't tell you what to do. When I worked in Thunder Bay, they were much stricter about your shows, costumes, music, etc. Most dancers have to purchase new outfits to work there.

 

-Money is power. When I'm paying to work there, I have greater control over my environment. For example, when I give staff money, they know they have to treat me well or else I won't pay them, or I will pay them less.

 

I could keep going but I think you get the idea. I am happy to pay to work, and I don't want to go back to a shift pay club. One of my favourite things about dancing is that I own my own business and that I don't work for anyone but myself.

[Ariane Valmont 332]

I think the answer to that question depends a lot on your personality.

 

Myself, I'm someone rather shy and reserved in public. I'm at my best and most at ease when I am in an intimate context with one person (or two, sometimes ;)). Also, I value human contacts a lot and I like to establish a connection with people. Finally, I'm a very sexual person and I enjoy sharing my love of eroticism with men. For all those reasons, I feel super comfortable as an escort but stripping would be difficult.

 

That being said, for someone else, it could be the complete opposite! I'm certain that a lot of strippers could never see themselves as escorts.

[carly6969 105]

So a few weeks ago my significant other and I went to watch the exotic dancers at the Brass Rail in Toronto.

 

A very aggressive dancer (looking for a $20 dance) sat down with us and was trying to convince us to hire her for a dance. We weren't interested and she wouldn't leave, so I asked her a few questions about her industry.

 

Did you know the girls at the Brass Rail in Toronto are only paid $10 per dance. This is what she told me! They make their money doing private dances at $20 per song. Knowing this makes me realize why they are so aggressive. This particular night the place wasn't full of customers and the girls were combing the place and asking us if we wanted a dance literally every 2 minutes.

 

So although many may believe that stripping would be easier (even classier) than escorting, I disagree now that I know what I know.

 

When I was escorting I got paid $300 per hour guaranteed (sometimes topped up by a tip or gift) and had the opportunity to get to intimately know some truly incredible men. It was fun 80% of the time.

 

I think escorting is much easier than stripping is.

 

I'm curious about the thoughts of others are regarding this topic.

 

When I was a dancer, (many moons ago), I was paid $600 a week after all deductions, (SOCAN fees, restaurant tab etc..). At the time it was good money but it was not the easiest or most glamorous of jobs. Sometimes, especially in the smaller towns on the circuit the rooms were horrible, (dingy, cold and in one instance only half finished). You were expected to do 5 shifts of 3 dances each time. I went on at 12 noon, 3 pm, 6pm, 9pm and midnight. It was about 15 minutes each set. Crawling around on stage floors eventually ruined my knees and I had to stop. (the day I was dancing and really sharp pains started creeping up my legs, I knew it was over). There was a lot of travelling, being gone from home for anywhere from 2 weeks to a month at a time, and if you weren't into the "party scene", which I wasn't, it could sometimes get pretty lonely just sitting in your room by yourself waiting for the next set or going to the restaurant by yourself and having everyone in town who was eating there, know what you were doing and whisper about you at their tables. :oops: Still, I loved dancing, I loved music, and I got turned on by knowing that I could turn men on. It made me feel empowered and confident and really gave me a self confidence "boost" at a time when I really needed it. There were good and bad times......

 

As an escort, some days are better than others, just like any job. Sometimes you're tired or it's a been a long week, or the client is not the most pleasant of people and you really have to focus and motivate yourself. Maybe it's very late or perhaps the night before you had a client that was a litle rougher than you're used to or you were really busy and your foofoo needs a break. (Yes, it's true.....right ladies?, come on now...... :wink:). Other days it's great. The clients are wonderful, time management is running smoothly, everything is clicking along.....I still feel empowered and turned on by knowing that I can still turn men on years later.

 

Both professions have their pros and cons, relative to the business they are in. Both have good and bad days. Being a dancer you don't have to be "intimate" with the clients. You get up, you dance, you do your thing, you leave. There is no "one on one", it is a bar full of people staring at you and that can be a little unnerving sometimes. As an escort, you don't have hundreds staring at you all at once but you do have to get intimate and one on one with your client. Therefore a different level of realtionship is built with the dancer\client than between an escort\client. Some may prefer being an escort instead, because they don't want to be stared at by hundreds all at once and prefer the intimate one on one experience. Some prefer dancing because of the relative anonymity of it all. Being an escort you can set your own hours unlike a dancer who is relegated to a schedule, but on the other side of the coin, most dancers are done by midnight, escorts can work all night long. It's almost like "6 of one, half dozen of the other" type thing.

 

I think all in all, both jobs, although in the same business, with a lot of the same basic fundamentals are also very different from each other and it can be hard to compare the two. (Same but different you know? Kind of like football and hockey....both sports, both with conditioning etc.....but both are played completely differently).

 

As for which is "classier", I believe that "class" has to do with how you conduct yourself, not what you actually do for a living. I've seen classy escorts and dancers, and not classy lawyers, bankers etc...). There are aspects of both jobs which are seedy, (and this includes some of the girls), but there is also a part that is erotic, fun, sensual and daring and if done right, like anything can be ragingly successful and, if you're like me, a real boost to the sex drive....:69:. As a disclaimer....the above is only MO and bases solely on my experiences only. Oh....BTW......I'm carly6969 and I'm new......:-)

[MandalayBay 575]

JulieOttawa ... thanks for sharing your insight.

 

I am fascinated, but still believe the bar owners such as the owner of the Brass Rail (who makes damn good money selling beers at $10 each) should be more fairly compensating the dancers there. It really bothers me as I think an exotic dancer should be paid for her work. It also very much bothers me that you have to pay the club for working.

 

I understand that you enjoy the freedom as a result of being self employed. But I am an idealist in believing that you should have the best of both worlds in that you should be paid well, respected AND enjoy the freedom of self employment.

 

I read somewhere that the mod previously worked as management for an exotic dancer club. I am very curious about his thoughts on this topic as well having come from the management side of this area.

[cat 262460]

Miss Mandalay, I think this is an excellent thread. The two professions simply very different. Strip clubs are not an easy business to run, and while there is money made, I?m sure it?s not as much as everyone thinks. I have tremendous admiration and appreciation for exotic dancers. They put it out there, every night. I would rather have a tooth pulled than dance naked on a stage. For me the only thing that is harder than dancing naked on stage is having pictures taken.

The industry has changed over the years, and as independent contractors the dancers have more control over their careers which I think is a good thing if they are hustlers. Those that are not business minded are better as employees. Much like our business, those that are willing to work hard and take full responsibility for the time they spend become independents. Those that simply want to show up, work and go home have agencies to work for. There will always be people that simply cannot work for someone else. They have too much drive and ambition to wait for success. Others are willing to put in their time and HAVE A LIFE! Lol! It all depends on what is important to you. You could not pay me to do what dancers do, not because I am above it, but because it scares the living s**t out of me. I love to go and watch them, it takes moxy to do what they do.

 

Cat

[Grass_Hopper 18263]

I tried to strip more then once, and always get in trouble because I get on my knees...

I think that strippers are way more in shape then me (I tried to hang on a pole, upside down... Never again!!!) but in the other hand, I can't figure a real stripper dealing with a BBBJ or pearl necklace...

Also, the attitude is way more different... A stripper has to deal with the image to make her money... Be prettier, more petite, best breast...

Thank God, I'm an escort! I believe in my skills, and maybe, be able to deal with some situation a stripper can't.

 

At the end, I think both are as easy if you are meant to be in the industry...

[JuliaOttawa 131]

JulieOttawa ... thanks for sharing your insight.

 

I am fascinated, but still believe the bar owners such as the owner of the Brass Rail (who makes damn good money selling beers at $10 each) should be more fairly compensating the dancers there. It really bothers me as I think an exotic dancer should be paid for her work. It also very much bothers me that you have to pay the club for working.

 

I understand that you enjoy the freedom as a result of being self employed. But I am an idealist in believing that you should have the best of both worlds in that you should be paid well, respected AND enjoy the freedom of self employment.

 

I read somewhere that the mod previously worked as management for an exotic dancer club. I am very curious about his thoughts on this topic as well having come from the management side of this area.

I am paid very well :) I make a lot of money dancing. If I wasn't making a lot of money, I would be complaining about the tipouts. But $55/night is absolutely worth it. It's a fair exchange, in my view.

[Carrie Moon 68826]

I'm not built for stripping.. I have tried pole dancing and I'm way too tall.. so that I almost touch the top of the pole.. and then with high heeled shoes on I can be up to 6'6"!!! That's minor compared to the hard work it is crawling on that floor without kneepads..

The other issue I originally had with whether to be a stripper or escort was smoking in the clubs which is moot now.. and dealing with drunkass clients.. forget it!

The one time I tried stripping in LA I experienced the cattiness of some of the girls working there and of course drug addicts.. not my scene.. but I had to try it just once to say I did it.

I'm so glad I tried escorting before trying stripping to put myself thru post-grad school. I love my job!!!

[Guest gagagaga]

i am in the process of lobbying the government of canada for research funds in order to fully investigate both options. I feel I need approx 4.5 million dollars, a jet and 5 years to complete my research of both occupations inside and out. Anyone wishing to donate funds to my study can pm me here.

 

thank you

[Alexa Cummings 878]

I have experience in both areas..

 

As some of you know when I go to toronto I go and dance and then work in the day as an escort...

 

I have found that depending on the club it can be a nice time working and you can make a lot in one night or it can be the complete opposite...

 

However having said that it all depends on how long you have been there for...

 

Yes you will find catty women who try and give you a hard time but I mean that is what competition is all about...Ive found when I first started dancing I had to figure out who to talk and who not to...In the end all was fine but your coming into a club where ladies have their regulars who come see them all the time and then your trying to take that away from them...Its much different when you are an escort and you are individual and you dont have to be surrounded by 20-40 Ladies a night and compete to try and see who can make the most..

 

When it comes to the fee I dont mind at all paying it. Ive paid anywhere from 35 to 60 depending on where I was including everyones fee...Some clubs you have to pay 10 everytime you take a gentleman to the back and some you dont..

 

Every club is different. But at the same time even though yes there are drunk men there the bouncers dont tolerate b.s going on with the ladies so you always have someone to protect you verses working as an escort you are alone and have the fear everytime you meet a new guy that something could go wrong...Even if you have a reference no matter what there is always a chance...

 

But at the end of the day I do not think you can really compare the two because some ladies dance because they do not wish to do full service and they find that the money that they get is enough and that works for them where as others find that they need to do extras in the club to make it better at the end of the night...Same as when your an escort..Some ladies things at a discounted rate to make more money and some have higher set prices and do less or more it all depends on the lady...

 

But no matter what both occupations strippers and escorts are working very hard at the end of the day and I can say from experiencing both sides of the industry that yes they are different..Sometimes it might be annoying us asking you if you want a dance but you have to remember that you are coming to our work environment and we are looking to please you and try to make the best of it so we are just doing our job...Just like when we get phone calls...Both have their ups and downs...But if you know what your doing you will do well.

[Andee 220524]

Not ever having danced, but having frequented clubs since the early 80's, all I can say is I commend any woman who can strap on high platform shoes and strut her stuff in front of a roomful of men. And then to have to "hustle" to make tips, to me that is way to much work. All I can say is, I believe escorting and dancing are worlds apart in many ways.

 

Even if I was younger and fitter, I think am more "built" for escorting.

 

This is an interesting thread. Thanks for input from some of the ladies who are giving us first-hand insight of what it's like to actually work as a dancer.