Strip dancer is all worn out
2003-09-05 10:09
Cape Town - A strip club dancer has revealed her lonely life to Kaapse Son because she has had enough.
Mitzi (not her real name) says the hours are long, and there are constant hassles with guests, who leave you physically and emotionally drained. And she has no private life to speak of.
She says at the joint where she used to work there was one girl who had sex with customers during private lap dances.
"We know when it happens. Then four songs are played instead of two." (The men pay a certain rate per song.)
"And management knows about it but does nothing. Nor will they. She brings customers here."
Dancers pay R500 a week to work. What they earn for table dancing (R100) and lap dancing (R150) goes into their own pockets. By the end of the month they've usually earned between R15 000 and R20 000.
Jealousy, gossip
Mitzi says she once earned R50 000 in a record month. Her house, its contents and her car are examples of her wealth. "With some girls the money goes up their noses. I can be proud of what I've got today. Some people have nothing."
But it's a huge sacrifice. "It's spiritually and emotionally very draining. Then there's the jealousy and gossip among the girls."
Not to mention long hours and steep fines. If you arrive a minute late you have to cough up. "On one occasion I was one minute late and the fine was R200. That's about the smallest fine."
She says some men who come there are nothing more than pigs. Especially once the alcohol kicks in. "It's bad enough taking your clothes off in front of a bunch of guys. When they try to be funny and touch where they're not supposed to, you just feel like a slut. They think we're cheap.
"I'm not cheap. I come from a decent home where good values count. But I couldn't find work. I'm forced to do this. For a lot of girls dancing is the only way out if there's no money coming in."
Mitzi is Afrikaans. That's why she's sorry to say it's usually Afrikaans men who can't behave themselves. "They should ask themselves how they would feel - parading naked in front of a bunch of women." - Kaapse Son