An Introduction to Professional Dancing

These recommendations are from Sweet T’s webinar ”So You Think You Can Dance? with Sweet T” held on January 16, 2025. Members can view the entire webinar at this link. 

Sweet T talks about her personal experience (which is not representative of everyone’s experience) training pole, working in several clubs in the US, and continuing to train at the studio after becoming a club dancer.

Sweet T was living in PR when one of her friends gifted her a pole. Around this time, P Valley came out and provided Sweet T further encouragement to get into pole dancing. Due to the pandemic, Sweet T moved back to her hometown area and continued to pursue pole. After getting let go from a traditional desk job, Sweet T decided to try to get work at a club.

The information in this blog comes from Sweet T’s lived experience that she shared with IPIA and was paid for her time.

Coming in Pre-trained vs Learning on the Job

You don’t always have to be a trained pole dancer to get a job at a club. 

Some clubs will let you learn on the job, whether it is exploring on the pole during dayshift or one of the regulars teaching new dancers some moves. There is an expectation that if one dancer helps you out, you return the favor at some point. Other clubs will want you to come in knowing some moves on the pole.

Ultimately, your hireability is based largely on your face and body. As yourself, do you meet the aesthetic the club is promoting? If not, accept that rejection and look for other clubs.

Be prepared for competition with other dancers.

In the studio we are there to uplift and cheer for each other, but when you get into a club there can be a scarcity mindset. There are only so many customers with so much money and everyone has bills to pay. While friendships aren’t impossible in the club, it won’t necessarily be the same warm and welcoming environment you’re used to in the pole studio.

Know What You’re Signing Up For

Just like there are many styles of pole in practice, there are many kinds of dancers in SW.

You don’t need to be in a club to be a stripper, you can create your own events and be hired by private clients. When getting hired by private clients, make sure you have a security plan in place as you often go somewhere the client is comfortable and it may be a place where you are totally unfamiliar..

Sweet T also outlines that stripper, pr*stitute, pole dancer, floor dancer, and VIP girl are all very different jobs. She warns that clients will test your boundaries in all these roles, but especially in VIP. What happens in VIP varies from club to club (and there may be different laws in different jurisdictions too), so know what you are comfortable with and what you’re willing to do.

Stay Safe

Clubs will all have security, they are there to keep the club safe, not necessarily to keep you safe. 

Some clubs will see the dancers as the talent that draws in customers and will keep you safe above all else; other clubs put the club above all else and aren’t necessarily on your side. Rely on your network, if you know folks who have danced at a certain club, ask them their impressions and do as much vetting as you can before you apply to a club.

Laws and Licensing

Once you get work at a club, be prepared to spend money before you make it. 

Most clubs have a “tip-in” which varies from club to club. There is no standard for tip-in so you may be asked to tip-in more if you are a newer dancer, an out of town dancer, or arrive later in the evening.

Clubs may also have you fill out a lot of employment paperwork. In the US, dancers are usually paid as independent contractors. This removes a layer of liability from the club. Independent contractors fill out 1099s and don’t have taxes automatically deducted from their pay. At the end of the year, you’ll have to make sure your accounting matches the club’s accounting and you pay the appropriate amount of taxes. > Need help with that? Check out IPIA’s partner TitsNTaxes.

Some jurisdictions require a license or permit to be an adult entertainer. For example, Atlanta, GA requires each adult performer to have their own licence. Other jurisdictions only require the establishment to have a license. Sweet T shared that in North Carolina each county requires you get a license for that county.

Laws are not consistently enforced across clubs across a country or even across a state or other jurisdiction. This is another situation where you need to evaluate your personal risk tolerance.

Body and Soul

Remember, your hireability as a dancer doesn’t depend solely on your skill. It also depends on your face and body and if that fits what the club patrons find attractive. That said, be prepared for people to make comments on your looks, weight, appearance, and skill level. Backhanded comments and “negging” are meant to undermine your self confidence.

The younger you are the more people will try to push surgical options on you. Only pursue surgical enhancements if it’s something you want. You will never be able to please everyone so focus on pleasing yourself. These suggestions will mostly come from clients and management, but surgery is not necessary to make a living as a dancer.

Conclusion

There is a lot to consider when starting a career as a stripper, pole dancer, or SW or any kind.

These tips from Sweet T can help new dancers navigating the space of working in clubs. Every club is going to have a different culture and a different vibe, and every jurisdiction is going to have different laws that are applied inconsistently across spaces. Getting a good network is going to be a life saver when it comes to navigating the complex world of professional dancing.