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Pole instructor audition…at a strip club??????
I saw an ad on Craigslist for a studio in the area looking for pole instructors, I checked out their website and I liked it so I emailed them and they called me to set up an interview. They were also hiring for Zumba instructors so we set up a time for me to come to their studio until she realized I was auditioning for pole, then she said "oh if you're doing pole I'm actually going to have you meet me somewhere else" she proceeded to give me the name and address of the place I could meet her for my audition. I thought it was a little weird they were having me go somewhere else so when we got off the phone I googled this place and turns out it's a frickin strip club!!! I have NO PROBLEM with clubs/strippers/etc but I am really confused about why they would have me audition to instruct pole classes at a strip club? I am familiar with all the big name clubs we have here and I had never heard of this place before which makes me think it's a hole in the wall type place and I do not want to be dancing there, the reviews I was reading about the place several guys wrote to go there for extras, AHHHH!!! I absolutely do not want to put myself in that environment even if it's just for a pole audition, it's not in a good neighborhood and I just feel really uncomfortable with the whole situation. Even if they don't ask me to take my top off I have a feeling I will we warding off unwanted attention from men considering it's a strip club…and the pole would be out in the open so everyone in the bar would be seeing my "audition" which I am also not comfortable with. What do you guys think I should do? I am going to email her and tell her I won't be going to the audition anymore (it was supposed to be this thursday) because I'm not comfortable doing an audition outside their studio, and also asking why I even have to do an audition that's not in their studio, that just seems really strange to me. My biggest dilemma is if I should ask them if we can do an interview in their studio or just tell them I'm not interested altogether? This all just seems shady to me and I am not going to put myself in an unsafe position I don't need a job that badly…plus it just seems weird!!! What should I do?!?!?
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26 Replies
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call her back =) ask her why they're doing it there…
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Is it possible that the studio doesn't have their poles up yet? If the studio does seem legit maybe you can just explain your concerns and see if there is some other neutral spot they could hold the auditions – otherwise if it feels wrong – it probably is.
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I hope it's just that they don't have their poles up yet, but I'd be leary of someone who would ask an instructor to audition at a strip club in a bad neighborhood. I think you should politely ask why and let them know you don't like the neighborhood and feel as though it could be a bad situation.
Why can't they look at a video of you as an audition? If I see that they are executing their fundamentals well then I would want to audition them to teach, not to perform for me – but I would have them prepare a mini class for me so I can see how they teach.
No matter what, keep yourself safe. We need Glitter in one piece safe and sound!!!!!!
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I totally agree with the above…if it doesn't feel right, then do everything you can to make it feel better! We don't want anything happening to you!
I would call (or e-mail) her back and ask why she's holding those kinds of things at a strip club, and perhaps discuss the logistics of what they want. Do they want someone who can get that kind of crowd going? Do they want someone who can teach pole? Do they just not have their poles up and found a place that would allow them to "rent" for free?
See if you can deal with this with a level head (although I know this is freaky!) and see if you can be optimistic…maybe it's something totally innocent. And, maybe the bar won't even be open while you're dancing? https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_safesex.gif Take care, and let us know what happens, eh?
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Thanks everyone for your responses! I emailed her and tried my best not to come off as a jerk but I basically said I was uncomfortable auditioning at that particular bar so I want to cancel my interview, and I also asked why they were holding the audition at that particular place. It's marketed as a bar but it's definitely a strip club but I didn't say anything about it being in a bad neighborhood or anything like that, I just wanted to focus on my being uncomfortable about the setting, I also made it a point to tell her I wasn't comfortable dancing in front of anyone except her and the other instructors…isn't that how it usually works?! Last week I applied for an instructor position and before the interview I came to find out they weren't looking for instructors they were looking for girls to dance on poles on stages and then "mingle with the crowd and sell drinks" umm that is not a pole instructor position lol. Last spring I spoke with a studio that wanted to hire me after just one phone conversation and didn't even ask to see me dance so i turned them down because I was sketched out that they would hire me without even auditioning me……then I had the debacle where that studio kept saying they wanted me to teach but then hired a girl that looked like a barbie doll stripper (aka total opposite of me) behind my back and had her start teaching the classes instead!!! There's some force that obviously doesn't want me to teach!!!!!!!!!!
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I think it does sound shady, but there could be a slim possibility that the bar maybe wouldn't be open at the time that you would be auditioning? If the studio doesn't have their poles up and IF the club is closed at the audition time it could totally be legit.
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For years the company I teach pole with didn't have a fixed studio in my particular city. We had semi-removable poles that we'd put up in a local hotel function area, and we also taught out of various gyms (semi-removable poles again) and yes, strip clubs – outside of their 'working hours'.
Is it possible she's hiring for a mobile instructor, and this is one of the venues she subcontracts out to? I think you should just be clear on what the position entails and go from there.
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I took pole lessons for a bit at a strip club. They were always held when the club was closed to the public. Not the best lessons I have ever taken but I always learn something from every experience lol.
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Glitter, I'm sure you didn;t sound like a jerk. And even if she takes it that way, it's better to be a safe jerk than not. Please update us when she replies.
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I emailed her earlier today and she hasn't responded, she was very quick to get back to me before though so I'm assuming she's read it and is deciding how to/if she should respond sooo we'll see what happens i guess….the audition was for 4pm so i would think the club would be open during that time, its a bar/restaurant kinda place as well
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4 PM on a Thursday? It sounds like they tried to pick a time when the club would not be busy at all. I've worked at several clubs, and at 4 PM on a Thursday, I would have to say that there's a good possibility that the only people watching you will be the one giving the audition and maybe one or two girls and a manager who open. And honestly, they may not even watch you. If there are one or two customers, those one or two girls will be all over them, I assure you!
Not that I'm encouraging you to go! If you don't feel safe, then don't go, definitely! Your safety is the most important issue here. Just letting you know that from my experience, they did pick a time when you would be less likely to be bombarded with the male gaze. 😉
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as a studio owner, i wouldnt do auditions in a strip club
if they do ask that, it means they have no studio, so its not really a serious job…. then you should launch your own mobile classes instead of letting someone else making money with you
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Glitterhips, I don't like the sound of this at all https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_batman.gif please be careful https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_flower.gif
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Or….here's another thought. You'll love this Glitter. Maybe they are auditioning you at the club because they literally want you to train their strippers to do real pole moves so they can generate more business. Most of the young girls who come into clubs to get jobs don't have any actual pole experience and it's "on the job" training. The really good ones get together for practices before work, etc. Maybe they are trying to invest in the talent they have and the girls they are trying to get. Having an on-site pole instructor might help them get a higher calibre of talent. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif
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Hey willowbreath & glitterhips – I thought of that, too, and was going to write the same thing. but then I thought, wait a minute, I have never heard of a strip club paying someone to train their girls! Maybe a nice club, but this place sounded kinda low class…
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