Editing Stripper (section)

==Work environment==
Strippers perform striptease for a number of reasons, predominantly to make money. The [[physical attractiveness]], [[sex appeal]] and techniques of the dancer determines the business the stripper tends to generate. In some localities, strippers are required to obtain permits to work in adult entertainment.<ref name="ALC 24K 2009">{{cite news |last=Matteucci |first=Megan |date=22 October 2009 |title=Police: Strip club offered drugs, sex |url=http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/police-strip-club-offered-170255.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120806062930/http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/police-strip-club-offered-170255.html |archive-date=6 August 2012 |access-date=13 August 2010 |work=[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]]}}</ref> Most of the time dancers have to audition to get the job.<ref>{{Cite web |last=T |first=Lily |date=2019-05-17 |title=So you want to be a stripper—Part 1 : Welcome to the International Pole Convention |url=https://poleconvention.com/general/so-you-want-to-be-a-stripper-part-1/ |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=:: Welcome to the International Pole Convention  |language=en-US}}</ref> Once a dancer has secured the job the formal training is minimal, primarily on the job and provided by more senior dancers. Dancers learn a set of rules, such as never leave money unattended; never leave the club with a customer; and never refuse a [[table dance]].{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}

Touching strippers is not permitted in many localities; few dancers and clubs allow touching of dancers during private dances. If permitted, during a lap dance the dancer may dance sitting in the customer's lap, clothed or topless.<ref name="Bremer 2005">{{citation | last = Bremer | first = Susan | contribution = The grind | editor-last1 = Egan | editor-first1 = Danielle | editor-last2 = Frank | editor-first2 = Katherine | editor-last3 = Johnson | editor-first3 = Merri | title = Flesh for fantasy: producing and consuming exotic dance | pages = 35–52 | publisher = Thunder's Mouth Press. Distributed by Publishers Group West | location = New York | year = 2006 | isbn = 9781560257219 | postscript = .}}</ref> In parts of the US, there are laws forbidding the exposure of female nipples, which the dancers must cover with [[pasties]].<ref name="VicTimes 2008"/> The common practice of hiring strippers as contractors rather than full-time employees often leads to job insecurity, unstable pay and a lack of health benefits. Strippers are also sometimes required to pay fees to the club for renting their stage.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}}

===In strip clubs===
Strippers most commonly work as providers of live entertainment in strip clubs. House dancers work for a particular club or [[franchising|franchise]], while feature dancers usually have [[celebrity]] status, touring a club circuit and making live appearances. [[Pornographic film actor|Porn stars]] often become feature dancers to earn extra income and build their fan base. High-profile adult film performers such as [[Jenna Haze]] and Teagan Presley have participated in feature shows throughout the US, as did now-retired stars such as [[Jenna Jameson]]. These dancers are not usually direct employees of the club but instead perform as independent contractors for a predetermined house fee.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018 |title=Your Rights |url=https://wadusa.org/know-your-rights/your-rights/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240514170647/https://wadusa.org/know-your-rights/your-rights/ |archive-date=2024-05-14 |access-date=2024-05-14 |website=We Are Dancers |language=en}}</ref>

====Stage performance====
Most clubs have a dancer rotation where each dancer in turn will perform for one or more songs in a fixed sequence, which repeats during a shift. More informal clubs will have dancers take turns when a stage becomes empty or have a free flow of entertainers, where they can wander off and on stage at their own will. Feature entertainers have set times for their performance, and are not usually part of the rotation. If a [[DJ]] is present, they will [[emcee]] the rotation, advertise the feature entertainers performance and typically announce the dancer(s) on stage and possibly whom to expect in future sets.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Adult Clubs — The United States Disc Jockey Association USDJA - DJ Insurance, Education, Networking |url=https://www.usdja.org/dj-education-adult-nightclubs-strip-clubs |access-date=2024-10-21 |website=The United States Disc Jockey Association |language=en-US}}</ref>

====Tip collection====
During each set of one or more songs, the performer will dance on stage in exchange for tips. Dancers collect [[tip (gratuity)|tip]]s from customers either while on stage or after the dancer has finished a stage show and is mingling with the audience. A customary tip (where customers can do so at the stage) is a dollar [[paper currency|bill]] folded lengthwise and placed in the dancer's [[garter (stockings)|garter]] from the ''tip rail''. Other common tip methods are to insert the dollar into the stripper's cleavage from the hand or mouth, or to simply place it or toss it onto the stage. Tipping during a stage performance is prohibited by some clubs due to restrictions in local ordinance or past incidents on the premises. Each club and dancer will have individual tolerance levels for customer interaction including tipping. Some clubs will have multiple stages on the premises that dancers will move between, but typically the dancer would collect for her time on the main stage during a rotation. Tips can also be collected during private dances.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Wendroff|first=Darren|title=Strip-Club Etiquette|journal= [[Men's Health]] |date=September 2004|volume=19|issue=7|page=86| url = http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/14174771/strip-club-etiquette |access-date=10 May 2013}}{{dead link|date=November 2020|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

====Private dance====
Where legal (or legal restrictions are ignored), dancers may offer additional services such as lap dances or a trip to the champagne room for a set fee rather than a tip. This fee will typically include a set fee for the room, for a set amount of time. Private dances in the main club areas most often take the form of [[table dance]]s, [[lap dance|lap and couch dances]], and bed dances among others. An ''air dance'' is a particular form of private dance where little to no contact between the dancer and customer occurs. This class of dance spans the different categories above, and some dancers can perform air dances when more contact-heavy forms of dance were expected and paid for.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}}

Table dances are distinguished from other forms of dances in that they can be performed where the customer is seated on the main floor. Table dances also refer to a form of minimal touch private dance where the performer is physically located on a small table in front of the customer(s). Table dances should not be confused with table stages, where the stripper is at or above eye level on a platform surrounded by chairs and usually enough table surface for customers to place drinks and tip money. These stages are configured for close viewing of the striptease and are known for dancers lowering themselves from the stage onto customers during their set.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}}

Lap dances can be (and are) performed in all manner of seating, ranging from plain stools and kitchen-grade chairs to plush leather armchairs. They can also be performed with the customer standing in these designated areas. A service provided by many clubs is for a customer to be placed on stage with one or more dancers for a public lap dance. Occasions for this type of performance are [[bachelor parties]] and birthdays in the club among others. Bed dances are designed for the customer to be lying down with the entertainer(s) positioned on top of them. Bed dances are the least common of the three, and in many clubs, these are a more expensive option than a lap dance because of the novelty and increased level of contact between customer and service provider.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}}

A ''champagne room'' (also called a ''champagne lounge'' or ''champagne court'') is a specialized VIP Room service offered by gentleman's clubs where a customer can purchase time (usually in half-hour increments) with an exotic dancer in a private room on the premises. Depending on the quality of the club, the room, which is away from the hustle and bustle of the main club, is well decorated and usually has its own bar. Clubs sell [[champagne (wine)|champagne]] by the glass or by the bottle for both the dancer and the customer.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}}

===Other locations===
Strippers can be contracted for performances outside the strip club environment. Some strippers will only strip for private engagements and do not have a regular affiliation with a strip club.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}}

Adult industry trade shows often have strippers working, though many of them are affiliated with individual companies and not necessarily [[freelancers]]. There are also exhibitions, festivals, and competitions where independent strippers perform. [[Nudes-A-Poppin']] was a popular festival scheduled annually which features both female and male dancers competing in erotic dance.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}}

====Bachelor and bachelorette parties====
{{Main|Bachelor party|Bachelorette party}}
A [[bachelor party]] may involve activities beyond the usual party and social-gathering ingredients, such as going to a strip club or hiring a stripper to perform in a private setting like a home or hotel. In some traditions, there are [[hazing]]-like tests and pranks at the future groom's expense. These pranks can involve a stripper if the entertainer is willing. Some women also participate in a similar party to be held for the bride-to-be. This is known as a [[bachelorette party]] or Hen party.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}}

====Private parties====
Private parties are popular events for which to hire strippers. There are many [[entertainment]] businesses that have strippers contracted for private performances. Some of these companies have a national presence, with strippers contracted in multiple states and some who work regionally over a multi-state area. Strippers will also do side work and handle their own [[gentlemen's agreement|agreement]]s and [[payment]] arrangements. Written agreements are atypical in this type of transaction unless a formal, registered business is involved. They could also travel over significant (i.e. flight required) distances for private events and appointments, most of the time passing the cost of travel and [[lodging|accommodation]]s onto the customer. Patrons at the clubs in which the strippers work are a primary source of [[customer]]s for their work outside the club. Much like activities inside the club, different dancers have different comfort levels for services they will provide during a private party.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}}