A stripper or exotic dancer is a person whose occupation involves performing striptease in a public adult entertainment venue such as a strip club. At times, a stripper may be hired to perform at private events. Modern forms of stripping minimize the interaction of strippers with customers, reducing the importance of the tease in the performance in favor of speed of undress the strip. The integration of the burlesque pole as a frequently used prop has shifted the emphasis in the performance toward a more acrobatic, explicit form of expression compared to the slow-developing burlesque style.
Most strippers work in strip clubs. A house dancer works for a particular club or franchise , while a feature dancer typically has her own celebrity , touring a club circuit and making appearances. Strippers are often not direct employees of clubs but instead perform as independent contractors.
Before the s, strippers in Western cultures were almost invariably female, performing to male audiences, usually in strip clubs. At the same time, strippers of all genders were dancing in underground clubs or as part of a theatre experience. Since the s, mainstream stripping has adopted a greater gender diversity and male strippers have become an established form of entertainment for female audiences. Their performances are usually fully choreographed, involving dance routines and costumes.
Certain male and female strippers also perform for LGBT audiences as well as for all genders in bisexual contexts. Strippers perform striptease for a number of reasons, predominantly to make money. The physical attractiveness , sex appeal and techniques of the dancer determines the business the stripper tends to generate. In some localities, strippers are required to obtain permits to work in adult entertainment.
Dancers learn a set of rules, such as never leave money unattended; never leave the club with a customer; and never refuse a table dance. Touching strippers is not permitted in many localities; few dancers and clubs allow touching of dancers during private dances. If permitted, during a lap dance the dancer may dance sitting in the customer's lap, clothed or topless.
