Las Vegas Strippers and Exotic Dancers

by Leah Bailly | Aug 5 2008

If you tell someone that you live in Las Vegas as a young professional woman, you inevitably fend off raised eyebrows and stern looks. "Well as long as you aren't one of them 'ee-rotic' dancers," my grandfather chuckled when I described my new cosmopolitan residence. The notion that every attractive woman in Las Vegas is a stripper, or at least a topless waitress, dogs most young women who call Sin City home. But with over 130 "gentlemen's clubs," employing an estimated 10,000 dancers, Vegas is swarming with hot, fit, professional... er, performers.

Known in the business as slingers, grinders, peelers or in sophisticated circles, "ecdysiasts," Las Vegas strippers are among the highest paid in the world. Most women working as "independent contractors" for local strip clubs boast $500 an hour in tips, some nearing $600,000 a year. Financial planners and investment advisors consider exotic dancers among the largest upwardly mobile demographic in Vegas; a stripper in Las Vegas owns her own house, drives a luxury car and invests in more than just costumes and silicone.

Skin City Roots

So how did Las Vegas historically grow into "Skin City"? While constructing the Boulder Dam in the 1930s, liquor-starved workers would flock to Fremont Street every payday for their dose of poker and penny slots. Most would indulge in the Red Light district's many free "lounge acts," featuring burlesque-style dancers in elaborate costumes. As the Ziegfeld girls of Hollywood gained popularity through WWII, larger Las Vegas clubs and Strip resorts incorporated their own "showgirl" numbers between headlining singers. Soon, the dancers were as popular as the main acts and the showgirls moved from lounges to ballroom stages, where lines of can-can girls would erupt into grand finales. Hundreds of statuesque performers in sequins and feathers glittered all over the stages, attracting huge crowds.

Then, in 1957, the famous Harold Minsky blew the top right off. Despite glaring national criticism, in an effort to shock critics and draw even larger audiences, the famous "Minsky's Follies" launched the topless revue at the Desert Inn. Breasts were revealed! Audiences were stunned, but ticket sales skyrocketed. Soon, all the huge Strip casinos would design their own topless showgirl bonanzas. In 1958, the Stardust introduced "Lido de Paris," a Parisian-inspired dance show complete with bare-breasted beauties. The Tropicana still runs their topless showgirl revue, the "Folies Bergere," a feather and sequin vaudeville-inspired act that still draws 40,000 spectators a month.

As the 1960s revealed larger crowds and hungrier audiences, the smaller Las Vegas venues returned to burlesque as a means to entertain male audiences. Combining comedy, song and partial nudity, the Silver Slipper introduced Las Vegas to "The Wonderful World of Burlesque," featuring such performers as the Barry Ashton Girls and starlet Marina Maubert. Feathers, pianos, tap shoes and removable tops were features of every burlesque number. Most performers were Vegas pin-up girls, spotted around town on billboards and advertisements for resorts. Even then, dancers made very healthy wages, sometimes 10 times the tips a cocktail waitress or housekeeper could earn in a single weekend.

Take it All Off

As the 1970s pressed on, the desire for more intimate, fully nude shows returned and pioneer exotic dancing venues sprouted up everywhere. The Palomino Club, a North Las Vegas relic and Las Vegas' oldest strip club, was one of the only locales to allow liquor consumption and fully nude dancers.

The original classy Vegas joint featured a thrust stage and premium booze, a world away from the dive joints on Fremont. The nightly amateur competitions were hosted for years by Vegas hero "Top Banana" Bob Mitchell, who encouraged newcomer girls and audience members to participate. Such classic acts as Nurse! Nurse! and Teacher! Teacher! were said to have been conceived at the original Palomino Club.

Like most "adult entertainment" venues, the Palomino Club has been mired in controversy. From murder charges to racketeering, the Palomino's various owners have been charged with everything from plugging bullets into employees to bribing taxi drivers. Now considered one of the seedier joints in town, the Palomino has been replaced by Spearmint Rhino and Treasures for classy, gentleman's entertainment. Sapphire is considered the world's largest gentlemen's club, and such establishments as Scores (the sports-themed strip club) admit to grossing more nightly than most bars see in a year.

Back to the Future

So what makes Las Vegas the most thriving adult entertainment industry in the world today? From the topless revue to the full monty lap dance, Vegas dancers are revered for their athletic skill and top-tier plastic surgeons. Las Vegas tourists number over 40 million a year and spend millions on "Skin City" exploits, particularly on cover charges and tips for exotic dancers. The industry has responded, transforming the "tittie" houses of the 1980s into the high class "gentlemen's clubs" of today. Vegas houses the largest strip clubs in the world: triple story, 70,000-square-foot warehouses with multiple stages, skyboxes and bars. Women removing clothing while dancing has become a multimillion dollar industry, complete with the International Exotic Dancer's Expo and awards show, hosted every August at the Mandalay Bay.

So next time you're in Vegas, be sure to respect the local entertainment. The best Vegas venues are 24 hours, include widescreen visuals on the action and offer private lap dances, all for a price. Most large Vegas clubs offer VIP and bachelor party packages, including private stages, bottle service and limo service to and from the club. But remember, the industry is respected, reputable and wealthy. The stripper you're eyeing most likely makes twice the money you do, and in Las Vegas, she's "Skin City" royalty.

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