Anyone who drives outside of Madison into other parts of Wisconsin knows strip clubs line the highways — Silk Exotic Gentlemen’s Club, Adult Entertainment Club, Cruisin’ Chubbys … the list goes on.
Despite a clear prevalence of strip clubs and their dancers, people remain convinced that only uneducated, unhappy drug addicts and sex workers take off their clothes for money. But this stereotype rings false in the face of many strippers who enjoy their job, attend university and even claim feminist ideologies while dancing for cash.
Unhappy workers exist in any profession. While the dangers of misogyny and manipulation in sex work are real and sometimes severe, dancers often find clubs that empower and respect them. Many strippers feel liberated by newfound confidence in their bodies. The opportunity to choose to objectify oneself and get paid for it excites many and leads them into the world of stripping.
Of course, such a hot-button career choice offers a multitude of risks. Customers can be rude, aggressive and even violent. Strip clubs owned by people who care little about their workers often host poor conditions and unhappy dancers.
A good strip club should be clean and well-maintained, with dancers in control of their work and bouncers prepared to protect them from customers who cross the line. While plenty of people have no interest in strip clubs, respect toward dancers is still of the utmost importance.
Striptease
Whether or not stripping seems like a lucrative job choice, bringing the sensuality and slow suspense of stripping into the bedroom can be incredibly hot. Used as foreplay or an isolated sexy event, a striptease gets blood flowing in all the right places. Anyone can do a striptease — no body shape, gender identity or sexuality is excluded from the opportunity to feel hot and confident while taking off clothes. While Channing Tatum’s moves in “Magic Mike” and “Magic Mike XXL” are impressive, intricate dance moves aren’t required to get hot.
Though the end game is nudity, consider carefully what clothes to start off with. Dressing in layers offers the opportunity to strip for longer, but any clothing item with complicated fastenings or straps is out of the question. Every article of clothing to be removed should be played with beforehand; twirl the hem of those Hanes or slide a nightgown up and down the body before finally slipping out. Mile-high stilettos might look hot, but if they’re too uncomfortable, ditch them and go with bare feet or bunny slippers.
To set the stage, dim the lights and toss scarves over lamps for a softer atmosphere. Arrange a chair for the audience to sit back and watch the show. Set the chair far back enough to just be out of their reach, but not so far that it’s awkward. Crank up some tunes with a strong beat, but not too fast. Anything that brings out a mischievous vixen vibe (“S&M” by Rihanna) can easily set the pace for a striptease.
Sometimes stepping into the spotlight can be nerve-wracking, so practice it in front of a mirror to boost confidence. Doing mini-stripteases with a partner during sexy time can also reveal how easy and hot stripping can feel. No need to feel super serious about the striptease, either. Laughter is sexy, and stripping is hardly a somber activity.
Walk slowly and seductively; enjoy being watched. Pay attention to where the hands lie — dragging the fingertips across the neck, collarbone and other sexy parts draws attention to them. Utilize eye contact by meeting their gaze every so often throughout the striptease to convey confidence. To make the striptease more dynamic, feel free to lie down, sit on a chair and stand over the audience so they get all the best angles.
Letting go of insecurities and hang-ups about bodies can be difficult during a striptease. More than anything, stripping should be an act of self-love — love for our sexuality, love for the way we move, love for relishing in the beauty of our bodies.
Step proudly out of that silk nightie, own a sexy striptease and show the world what beauty really means.
