It’s always a little questionable whether a retiring dancer is actually going to retire. Things change after they hang up the heels. They may find themselves in a situation again where they need to start dancing again. Hearing the name of a “retired” dancer called to stage can generate a surprisingly emotional response in me.
If it’s a dancer I didn’t like, it will put my teeth on edge. It’s like sitting in class the first day of school and discovering the kid you really hate is going to be sitting next to you this year. Going to a strip club is an emotional experience. It can be lust, friendship, affection, acceptance, or any other one. You don’t walk out of strip clubs with anything (except a lighter wallet). You go there for the experience. Sometimes it’s a negative emotion. I’ll watch the stage to see if the dreaded dancer has returned. Fortunately there are only a few dancer I’ve ever really hated.
Seeing a dancer return is almost always a good thing. It’s sort of like accidentally running into a friend you haven’t talked to in a while. There is a gloomy side to it as well. When most dancers retire they are moving on in their life to something new. Usually, it’s a new career, relationship or something like that. If she's dancing again something has probably gone wrong. The relationship didn’t work or the new job didn’t pan out. It’s not a sign of failure, but it’s probably not what she wanted to do again.
When you hear the dancer’s name called and somebody completely new walks on stage, it’s sometimes a sad thing for me. A new dancer taking over a name is kind of the official end of the old dancer’s tenure at the club. You are not going to see this person again. You’ve just lost a friend. Sometimes a dancer will give you an e-mail address or something like that. It’s difficult to maintain a relationship outside the club. I suppose that this is another sign you’ve been a customer at strip clubs too long when just hearing a name can affect your evening. Sometimes it just a name, sometimes it more. Your only connection to the person is just a made up name. When you lose the name, you lose the person.
Your description of how you feel when that dancer you don't like is called to stage is *exactly* how I feel when I hear her voice in the dressing room.
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you mean. I've been lucky enough to make friends with many of the dancer's who have called me one of their regulars. When they retire, it's kind of a bittersweet feeling. Glad they are moving on to bigger and better things, and sad for the loss of being able to see and talk with them. As far as the Dancer that returns who you were glad went away the first time goes, it is in my nature to give them a second chance. Maybe the reality check of the real world makes them a better person, and someone I'm willing to spend time and money on. maybe.lol As always good job on blog.
ReplyDeleteoh I definitely know the feeling of being excited someone is retiring and then faking a smile when the return - they always return - the ones you don't want to return, that is
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