Devon Hunter

Perhaps this isn’t the case where you live? But I’m working throughout Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. I can speak only from my own experience…

I know several gorgeous dancers of color. Some are Latino, one is Asian, and the remaining are African American. Most of the Latinos do very well, and so does the Asian. I frequently hear complaints from those who are Black, or some mix thereof. I cannot speak for them or from their perspective, but what I can do is voice frustration for them. (If you are a Black dancer, or if you know one, please consider writing a blog entry for the site on this subject.)

Before I continue, let me say this: If you are one of my beautiful Black brothers in the art, you should consider very carefully the venues you choose. I know career dancers who are Black, and who do very well; however, until we as a culture mature enough to see beauty as it is, you are likely to run into a passive form of racism at predominantly White clubs (”I’m not racist. I’m just not attracted to Black guys.” Ergo, I won’t tip them.). It’s impossible to force people to budge on preference, so you’ll need a strategy in mind for placing yourself amongst people who will appreciate you. As a person of color I’m sure it is frustrating to be fetishized, but as a dancer/business man you have to perform where you can make the most money.

I’m trying to make an ugly truth known to a wider base of patrons. I go into this entry knowing that it is a minefield, especially since I’m from the South. But I am not trying to discourage anyone, and I am not trying to offend anyone (likely, that will happen whether I try or not). What I do want to do is bring attention to the fact that most Black dancers work hard. The sad truth is that it’s because they have to. I’ve seen it first hand far too much - the White dancers who just stand there like (poorly rendered and often arrogant) sculptures and get money literally thrown at them, while the Black dancers putting on a fucking show come off with a tiny fraction of the same… It’s not right.

I am not going to tell people whom they should fantasize about, nor am I going to lecture people about racism. Both tirades would be ridiculous at best. What I can do is remind patrons that everyone has bills to pay, and that everyone is hurt by rejection/invisibility/marginalization. Yes, you as a patron are there to exercise your right to dawdle over the dancers you like. But please consider the entertainment value of what you are seeing. Regardless of which dancers make you hot, are there any that simply command respect just because their skills are amazing? Would it kill you to tip a brotha for being off the chain?

One of the frustrations in this career is that what you make isn’t necessarily connected to how much you work out, whether or not you’re nice, and being a good performer. You are at the mercy of Whim. Whim is the god of moodswings. We aren’t rewarded or compensated on a regular, consistent basis for anything other than the benefiscence of Whim. Speaking as someone who has had bad nights and knows how frustrating they can be, please consider interacting not just with the dancers who make you think “Mmmm!,” but also with those who make you think “Ahhh!”

Dear Devon,

You are a genius.  Your life and you living it as reflected in your blog is ART.  Thank you so much for sharing this art with the world, even though I am not, perhaps, your target audience.

Sincerely,
Jennifer* 

*Explorer of the Farthest Reaches of The Internet, Lover of Men, Maleness, and Man-love in all its permutations.

Dear Jennifer,

I am sitting here stunned at your email. This is one of the kindest notes anyone has ever sent me from the blog. If you are not my “target audience,” it is only because you already recognize that everyone has a story, it isn’t because you’re female. All are welcome.

Go forward with love in your new year.

xo
Devon

 
It really isn’t enough for me to say this to Jennifer. It is (to me, anyway) my responsibility to more clearly identify my “target audience,” which is much wider than I’d originally thought: Women, who make up the greatest portion of adult entertainment, are definitely welcome here (and so are other women who aren’t in “the biz”).

Currently there is a tab at the top of this page that says “About.” I think that I will be updating that to “Mission” and using it as a space to more precisely define what it is I hope to accomplish through this blog. I invite you, my fabulous readers of all backgounds, to visit that page once the change has been made from “About” to “Mission.” I am also changing “Dancers” to “Directory.” If you would like to consider being featured on this site as a professional adult entertainer, or if you would like to submit posts, please visit the Directory.

Sometimes I’m asked what a person needs to do in order to become an exotic dancer. Here are 10 tips to help you along in your process:

1) Research: It is difficult in small or mid-sized cities to even find a venue for male dancers. You may have to drive considerable distances. For example, in Charlotte, NC there are nearly 20 titties bars but only one broken down dump for male dancers. For this reason, not because I’m ashamed to dance in the city where I live, I travel 100-200 miles in all directions along a circuit.

2) Character: What is your stage name? Who is your club persona? It is generally very important to create a separate world for yourself that you keep separated from your everyday life. Your dance life and your day life should not overlap. This helps to preserve the fantasy you have surrounded yourself with, and it protects your personal life from intrusion.

3) Interview: Once you find a place you’ll need to connect with the owner/manager or dance captain/entertainment director. That person will want to know what you look like before you get on stage. It helps to have pictures, so that you can email them. Pictures, while they don’t have to be fancy, should look professional as much as possible. Speak politely and with the best grammar you can. Don’t be pretentious, but don’t be ignorant, rude, or ghetto either.

4) Audition: This can go so many ways. Whether the manager wants you to dance in front of a regular crowd, model for him/her in his/her office, audition during day hours when the bar is closed, or watch how you interact with patrons, you must act mature and responsible. You do not want to establish from the beginning a reputation for being anything but clean, friendly, and reliable. Tip: Do not wear cheap or everyday underwear to your audition. You need a uniform for this job, just like any other. Avoid the horribly crafted, tackily designed, and cheaply tailored crap you’ll find at adult toy stores. The underwear there is cliché and ugly. I suggest going to Skiviez and investing in 3-5 pairs of underwear that look crisp, stylish, and sexy. Expect to pay $15-$30 per pair. You have to spend money to make money. Wear clean socks without holes (in case you have to take your NICE shoes off while stripping down), and make sure your shoes flatter the shape of your legs. Narrow Nike armbands on your upper arms are a sporty accent, as well as a handy place to keep tips. Leather arm bands, gauntlets, metallic arm bands, and other arm jewelry are nice additions later, once you’ve made some money and want to upgrade your outfits.

5) Practice: If you’re not used to dancing at all or to being the center of attention, you’ll need to practice. Stand in front of a mirror naked and get used to seeing yourself. Don’t be afraid to ask the more experienced dancers who move well for advice. If you’re hugely muscled and lack range of motion (you need to stretch more) it would be best to invent sexy, statuesque poses that show off your body, rather than do typical body building poses. If you can’t dance well, you can at least become a living piece of art. Most patrons do not enjoy simple flexing and arrogant posing.

6) Network: Talk to dancers. Pick their brains. Ask them which clubs are available and worth the trouble. Make as many friends and as few enemies as possible. Don’t put up with bullshit, but avoid creating drama. Treat this like you would any other professional situation and you will last much longer.

7) Adapt: Look at what other dancers do that you like. Learn from their mistakes. Be objective about your outfits. Just because you think you’re cute in something doesn’t mean you are. Be willing to create several looks that are not similar to each other. Reinventing yourself keeps you fresher, longer. Replace clothing that is shabby. Grungy underwear is the best way to develop a bad reputation really quickly.

8 ) Know Thyself: Avoid doing anything that will cause you guilt, grief, pain, sorrow, regret, or embarrassment. Everyone has different limits and different weaknesses/temptations, so this means something specific to every individual. If you cannot do your work sober, or if you cannot do it without feeling obliged to make justifications/excuses or the need to tell lies, you should not do it at all. That applies to anyone – telemarketers, lawyers, politicians, police officers… if you cannot do your job without it causing you duress, or without it making you feel the need to be intoxicated or medicated, you should find a different line of work. I got out of education to be an exotic dancer, because my students, administrators, and colleagues made me so angry so often that I developed a drinking habit to “relax.” It was time to move on to something else… I have ZERO regrets.

9) Take breaks: You will need to take vacations. You can get tired of anything, but this work in particular will wear you out. When it feels like too much effort or frustration to go to the club or to get to the booking/event, you need to take some time away. Adult entertainment can be a long-term career, but you have to respect your need to be left alone from time to time.

10) Responsibility: It is so important to take care of your daytime life and all its demands. You should be working yourself out of poverty, not into it. Avoid wasting or misappropriating your money. Pay your bills. Act like an adult. If your day life is chaotic, this desperation will spill over into your job, and patrons will smell it on you, causing many ill effects: Some will avoid you, fearing drama; others will sniff out your anxiety and use it to their own advantage in some sordid way; and worst of all, you will be in a position to make compromises you wouldn’t normally consider. Handle your business.