Editing Stripper (section)

{{short description|Striptease performer}}
{{distinguish|sex worker}}
{{about|the striptease performer|the race horse called Exotic Dancer|Exotic Dancer (horse)|other uses}}
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{{Globalize|1=article|2=USA|date=January 2022}}
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{{Infobox Occupation
| name               = Stripper
| image              = Exotic Dancer Crouch with Tips.jpg
| caption            = A stripper performing with tips she has received (Miami, 2009)
| official_names     = Exotic dancer, [[erotic dancer]], dancer
| type               = [[Performing arts]], [[sex industry]]
| activity_sector    = [[Strip clubs]], [[exhibitions]], [[festivals]], competitions, [[busking]]
| competencies       = [[Striptease]], [[pole dancing]], [[cage dancing]], [[lap dancing]]
| employment_field   = [[Adult entertainment]]
| related_occupation = [[Nude photography|Nude modeling]], [[pornography]]
}}

A '''stripper''' or '''exotic dancer''' is a person whose occupation involves performing [[striptease]] in a public adult entertainment venue such as a [[strip club]]. At times, a stripper may be hired to perform at private events.

Modern forms of stripping minimize the interaction of strippers with customers, reducing the importance of the ''tease'' in the performance in favor of speed of undress (the ''strip'').<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uqd25KYuLiwC&pg=PA37|title=Stripping, Sex, and Popular Culture|first=Catherine M.|last=Roach|date=1 November 2007|publisher=Berg|isbn=9781845201289|page=37|via=Google Books}}</ref> Not all strippers are comfortable dancing topless or fully nude,<ref>{{cite book |last=Barton |first=Bernadette |title=Stripped: inside the lives of exotic dancers |publisher=New York University Press |year=2006 |isbn=9780814799338 |location=New York}} [https://books.google.com/books?id=Cg5CU_UP06UC Details.]</ref> but in general, full nudity is common where not [[legal status of striptease|prohibited by law]]. The integration of the [[pole dance|burlesque pole]] as a frequently used [[prop]] has shifted the emphasis in the performance toward a more acrobatic, [[pornography|explicit]] form of expression compared to the slow-developing burlesque style. Most strippers work in strip clubs. A '''house dancer''' works for a particular club or [[franchising|franchise]], while a '''feature dancer''' typically has her own [[celebrity]], touring a club circuit and making appearances. Strippers are often not direct employees of clubs but instead perform as [[independent contractor]]s.

Before the 1970s, strippers in Western cultures were almost invariably female, performing to male audiences, usually in strip clubs. At the same time, strippers of all genders were dancing in underground clubs or as part of a theatre experience. Since the 1970s, mainstream stripping has adopted a greater gender diversity and male strippers have become an established form of entertainment for female audiences. Their performances are usually fully choreographed, involving dance routines and costumes. Certain male and female strippers also perform for [[LGBT]] audiences as well as for all genders in [[Bisexuality|bisexual]] contexts.<ref name="What Does A Male Stripper Do?">{{cite web | last = Carrier | first = Brandon | title = What does a male stripper do? (blog) | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120724050928/http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/426100/what-does-a-male-stripper-do.html | archive-date = 24 July 2012 | url = http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/426100/what-does-a-male-stripper-do.html | website = articleonlinedirectory.com | publisher = Article Online Directory |access-date=11 March 2015}}</ref><ref name="The Naked Truth about Male Stripping">{{cite news | last = Egan | first = Danielle | title = The naked truth about male stripping | url = https://thetyee.ca/Life/2006/01/06/NakedTruthStripping/ | work = [[The Tyee]] | location = Canada | date = 6 January 2006 | access-date = 11 March 2015}}</ref>