Paid To Dance: Stripping Past & Present is a comprehensive insight into the stripping industry, from its origins to its modern day evolution. Everyday women share stories of working in gentleman’s clubs, paying their way through university, funding travel and even escaping homelessness and crime. Parents and partners offer intriguing perspectives of their loved one’s occupation, and a manager shares his experiences overseeing the operations of a real gentleman’s club.
Paid To Dance looks inside the trials and tribulations of exotic dancers throughout history into the present day, and explores a livelihood that is often rewarding and always challenging.
Layla
Before I started dancing, I was skipping school and was into the family business of cooking and selling drugs. I was eighteen and under heat from the police at the time. I was only going to dance for a few months, to be able to get back to my hometown in Central Queensland.
My end goal was to have enough money to set myself up to go back to school there. I wanted to try again to complete my education and live a normal life.
The first time I went on stage I was hammered; I had two shots of tequila and totally winged it. The girls that I worked with told me to keep eye contact with them. Don’t look at the men, just look at the girls and I wouldn’t be so terrified. They were right, and I nailed it.
My first lap dance experience was a double up with a French girl for two young German customers. They were very nice. I was shaking like a leaf so one of the men just undressed me and had me sit on his lap, hugging me while I shook and put myself in my happy place.
The best shift I ever worked was when I went to Darwin. I was on my game and happy, and I made $2,000 all up including tips. It was ridiculous. On my worst shift ever I made nothing, and that happened to me a couple of times. It’s all about the mind set. When I missed my family and friends or was homesick I made nothing. When I was happy I made lots of money.
Kate Kelsen 