A house dancer is typically what you think of when you hear the word “stripper.” House dancers are the bread and butter of the strip club industry: no club could survive without them! House dancers are independent contractors who pay the club a house (sometimes also called stage) fee. People who are not familiar with the industry are sometimes shocked to hear that the dancers have to PAY to work, rather than GET paid to take their clothes off. However, this business arrangement is no different than a hairstylist renting a chair from an upscale salon, or a business owner renting office space. In this case, the house dancer is renting the stage, chairs, and VIP lounge space in order to conduct her performances. She is responsible for collecting her money from the customers and filing the appropriate tax return.
A feature dancer is someone who travels the country and is contracted by the club to provide 3 stage shows a night for 3-4 nights. The feature performer is someone who is famous enough to draw a large crowd into the club. Most often feature dancers are porn stars. Sometimes their contract states that they cannot sell lapdances in the club, but they can sell their DVDs, posters and polaroid pictures. Other times you may find the feature dancer sells lapdances for an expensive premium so that she does not take money away from the house dancers who are working that night. The club typically pays for the feature dancer’s transportation and lodging in addition to her performance fee.
Feature dancing sounds like a much better deal right? You get paid and you can sell more expensive dances!! Well, in order to become a feature entertainer it is necessary to be famous. Remember…the reason clubs book feature dancers is because they hope her fame will draw new customers into the club to see her live. If you don’t want to do porn, there are other methods to break into feature dancing. Poledancing and Regional Showgirl Competitions are one way to earn titles like Miss Nude Idaho or Best Newcomer 2010. Other feature dancers like Kylea Killeen have a background in burlesque dancing. Some of the girls from Rock of Love have been able to build a feature name for themselves just from being on that Reality Show.
Both positions have their pros and cons. House dancers have the freedom to choose when and where to work, if they want to be part time or full time, and can more easily keep their stripping career a secret. Feature dancers are more professionally focused and have made the commitment to be in the industry for the long term. Since their face is on DVDs and other promotional materials, it is harder for a feature dancer to hide her profession.
Keep in mind that feature dancers are represented by an agency who negotiates their rates and performance schedules with clubs. There are several agencies, and the most reputable ones I have worked with are Continental and A-list. They even have a feature school for dancers who are interested in becoming feature dancers.