-
No (former) strippers allowed in my studio competition :(
Hey folks,
I just found this site and what a blessing I did! I've been training at a local studio for the past 6 months and they're preparing for their annual pole competition. I've been really excited for trying out and seeing how far I could go when I read through the rules and regulations and saw that any current or former exotic dancers are barred from entering. I danced professionally for years, and now only work once every few months (when I really need to pay my car insurance!), and I feel really sad and disappointed that I can't compete. I'm not "out" to anyone at my studio as an exotic dancer, except for a few others that I know have also stripped.
I do understand the desire to keep aerobic pole dancing and strips clubs separate, in fact the two parts of my life couldn't be more different (I do one for money and one for fun!). However, I wonder if it's worth bringing it up to my instructor that I think it's unfair or if that will just make trouble for me in the long run. Has anyone else dealt with this?
I love my instructors and fellow students and I don't want to upset the studio, but I just feel like if they knew I danced professionally it might change their view of strippers and see that we're not all nuts, on drugs, etc. and they might reconsider the clause. There's already way more language in the rules and regulations that deal with behaving properly and representing the studio well than on the stripping part. I'm okay at pole dancing (getting better!), but it's not as if I have an unfair advantage over the other amazing dancers at the studio.
I don't know, what do folks think? I just feel sad and left out right now. Am I being too sensitive?
Thanks!
-
60 Replies
-
I’ve never dealt with this kind of situation but I happen to agree with you in that it’s unfair to have current or former strippers compete. As long as the competitor isn’t parading her naughty bits in front of the crowd while performing, I don’t see much of an issue.
-
It’s unfair to not allow them to compete, I meant.
-
My question is how would they know if you don’t tell them?
-
Thanks Tasha!
HellOnHeels: I guess I would just feel bad about lying. Also if they were ever to find out (my fellow students go to A LOT of strip clubs) it would be grounds for stripping me of any even a small title I might get. Not that I really think I have any chance of winning, but on the off chance.
-
Me personally i wouldn’t tell them, its no ones biz but I’ve been retired for a few years… I think its a bs rule and probably wouldn’t be in a studio like that, because that seems judgmental…like you said e are not all crazy drug addicted mental cases
-
I am really confused how being a stripper or ex strippers gives one an advantage? It is not like you are trained to be an exotic dancer and what a majority do is wrong anyways. They have to relearn from ground zero when they take classes. I would pose this question to the instructor. It does not seem fair or logic based and it is discriminates, after all pole dancing is composed of women who are supposed to be accepting of sexuality and their bodies. The only reasoning I can think of is they think someone will have an edge.
-
Clubs have competitions to that’s another option
-
HellonHeelsNH…I am not trying to upset anyone by saying this but stripping competition and pole competition are two completely different elements. If she wants to be taken seriously in the pole world (plans to compete) it would be hard if she competed in stripping/exotic dance competitions.
-
I under stand that hence “another option” maybe casual speaking of the ladies who are world competitors now when they started as exotic dancers
-
They do have Pole competitions in strip clubs that are not “stripping competitions” too
-
I appreciate all of the advice, thank you!
I may just ask my primary instructor and see what she says. If I didn't have to sign a piece of paper saying I wasn't at any time an exotic dancer I might just keep it to myself, but that just always worries me.
-
I'm in the same situation. I danced in college, before I got into serious pole, and was always perfectly open about my history. Then I got barred from a studio competition. The reason the studio gave me for the "no strippers" rule was the the contest was for amateurs so they barred anyone who had ever made money pole dancing including instructors. I pointed out that being a stripper does not mean you have competition pole experience or any advantage at all, a lot of clubs don't even have poles. They refused to bend. I left the studio over it.
It deeply upsets me that this rule exists anywhere, and not because it excludes me. I think its hypocritical. We claim to be a supportive sisterhood striving towards the common goals of artistry and acceptance, yet we ostracize and stigmatize those who have a past we don't "approve" of all while shouting that pole dancers shouldn't be stigmatized for their lifestyle. We shouldn't have to hide that we're pole dancers to the rest of the world, and we certainly shouldn't have to hide that we were strippers to our pole family. If we want to differentiate pole from stripping, then we shouldn't exclude strippers any more than we do singers or guitarists: pole is a sport, different from all entertainment-based performance.
I don't have any real advice for you other than to make your case and hope they see reason. But I also see the risk in that, if they don't allow you to compete, are you willing to stay somewhere where you know you are not held as an equal?
-
I've known of studios that actually won't let students take classes if they've been exotic dancers. This is discrimination. Can businesses actually refuse clients like this? I don't think they can and I've often wondered how this studio gets away with this operation. I would never deny someone coming to my classes for any reason unless they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol and posing a danger to themselves or others. Luckily I haven't had to experience asking a student not to attend a class for this reason. I think for competitions, the fact one has been an exotic dancer is irrelevant.
-
As a dancer with professional experience, YOU might have some wonderful things to share with the studio as far as dance technique! I think it is wrong for them to ban exotic dancers. I think that since you love this studio and it's people so much, you should talk to them and find out the reasons why they chose to make such a rule. I cannot think of any legitimate reason to exclude exotic dancers. I used to dance in strip clubs and the girls I take pole classes with now have no experience in strip clubs and they are FAR FAR better pole dancers than I am!
If their issue is with unfair advantages, you might ask your studio if they ban ex-professional ballet dancers, or ex-professional jazz/contemporary dancers… would they ban a former gymnast from competing??? I believe that a former gymnast would have an advantage over most pole dancers.
-
Kobajo84 brings up a valid discussion point. Can we disallow someone's participation in our business?
The answer is, surprisingly, a business can discriminate on many things. While its not generally considered good practice, our constitutional guarantee of "freedom of association" which is derived from our freedom to assemble, guaranteed by the first amendment, allows for businesses to discriminate on a surprising number of criteria with the notable exception being race.
You can establish an insurance agency for declared members of a particular religion, you could have a store in which only women are allowed, you could have a restaurant that only serves patrons over a certain age and you can most definitely disallow exotic dancers from coming to your studio.
There are of course notable exceptions to this rule regarding things like employment, housing and essential services but in general you can decide who you want in your establishment.
Log in to reply.