Dirty Dancing An Ethnography of Lap Dancing

Based on ethnographic research conducted in 'Starlets', a lap-dancing club in the North of England, this book delves into what is often seen as the 'deviant', and 'stigmatized' world of lap-dancing. As well as the relationships between dancers, the author offers a unique insider's account of lap-dancing club culture, having worked as a lap-dancer both prior to, and during, the study. The book tells a fascinating tale of the author's experiences working as a lap dancer and the insights this has provided. This book projects a textured picture of working, socializing and living as a lap-dancer by following the dancer from the beginning of her career, to her eventual exit; providing a fluid and comprehensive examination of the occupation of lap-dancing. As well as building on the popular themes of 'dancer motivation', 'dancer exploitation/empowerment' and risk already embedded in existing literature, this book also offers completely new insight into this industry by drawing attention to the occupational subculture of which lap-dancers at 'Starlets' were found to be a part. This book is recommended for anyone studying or researching in this field.

Part I: Introducing the Ethnography: Working and Researching in a 'deviant' Occupation  1. My Story  2. Research Motivation, Significance and Approach  3. The Dancing-ethnographer  4. Conceptualizing Lap-dancing   Part II: Lap-dancing and the Night-time Economy  5. Commercializing Lap-dancing  6. Legislating on and Regulating Lap-dancing  Part III: Rules, Contracts and Players  7. Rules, Rotas and Contracts  8. Dancers' Earnings  9. The Lap-dance  10. The Sit-down  11. The Stage Show  12. Starlets' Main Players  Part IV: Introducing Starlets: a Lap-dancing Club Setting  13. The Heart of the Action: Starlets  14. The Changing Room  15. The Managers' Office  16. The Main Floor  17. The Main Stage  18. Dance Reception  19. Conclusion  Part V: Karen's Story, Part 1  20. Starting Out  21. Becoming a Dancer  22. Entry Routes  23. The Complexity of Dancer Motivation  24. Getting in: the Audition   Part VI: Karen's Story, Part 2  25. Working at Starlets  26. Learning to Lap-dance: an Apprenticeship  27. The Apprenticeship  28. New and Under Scrutiny  29. Forming Relationships with other Dancers  30. Making Adjustments  31. The Tacit Rules  32. Developing Dancing Skills  Part VII: Experiencing Lap-dancing  33. The Cynical Performance  34. Social and Emotional Rituals  35. The Experience of Stigma  36. Feeling the Strain of Lap-dancing  Part VIII: Being Established  37. Old-school Privileges  38. Maintenance of the Tacit Rules  39. Re-establishing Status  40. The meaning of Status  Part IX: Karen's Story, Part 3  41. Leaving Starlets  42. Saying Goodbye  43. Exit Routes  44. Dismissal  45. Returning to Starlets  Part X: Lap-dancing - Complex and Contradictory  46. Power and Resistance  47. Worker Exploitation  48. Dancer Morality  49. The Future? What future?  50. Epilogue: the Last Dance ...