Exotic dancers work in close contact with DJ’s. In clubs where there is no DJ, it may be the bar manager or owner, or even the bartender. But there is usually one or two people depending on the shift who are keeping track of our schedule. Head bartenders, DJ’s and management have the authority to mete out fines and take other disciplinary actions (e.g. firing dancers).
A strip club DJ is actually an MC. The only traditional DJ responsibilities he has are programming dancer’s CDs and playing music between sets. Most of his job is dealing with dancers.
The DJ is responsible for announcing the performers, building up the crowd, and being on the microphone all night. It is his or her responsibility to get the dancers on and off stage on time and ensure that everyone in the line-up is doing their shows. The DJ usually deals with show changes, trades, and screw-ups. He issues fines for late shows, and keeps the running of the stage out of the manager’s hands.
If you are lucky, the DJ is fun to hang out with, supportive of having a positive atmosphere, and encourages patrons to tip you. If you are not lucky, well – you’ll have to find another way to stay positive for your shows.
If your closest coworker is on a power trip, you need to tread carefully. He can get you blacklisted by the club or agency. He can cancel shows when the club is slow if you don’t tip to his satisfaction. If you have to rebel, make sure you have a backup plan.
The DJ has the added power of controlling your lighting and music. So try to get along well with him, even if you are putting on an award-winning performance to do it. Less conflict equals better lighting. 🙂
Tipping your DJ
In B.C. and Manitoba most girls tip at the end of the week, or if they get tips on stage they’ll toss a few dollars to the DJ.
In Alberta, DJs expect to be tipped after every show, and they expect around 10% of your stage tips.
In Ontario and Quebec you generally tip if you get tipped. However, the features should always tip their DJ.