‘U deserve more then ones ur so pretty.’
This Tennessee dancer recounts her first night auditioning at a dance club and how much money she made. However, the profits almost came with a big cost—a fight with another dancer.
While counting hundreds of $1 bills, Vicki (@ickyvicki43) gives all the details of the night’s shift. She explains that it was her first time doing a night shift and that she arrived at 7pm and left at 4am. Her gains? Two hundred and thirty-six dollars from floor tips.
Stepping on Toes
Vicki says another dancer approached her with an idea about a man who was sitting in front of the stage.
“We should go, like, both go and talk to him,” she says the other dancer suggested.
“I was like, you know what, [expletive]? Like, let’s see, you know, what happens. I’m just gonna take anything I can get,” Vicki says.
Vicki explains that they go over to chat with him, and he isn’t really giving Vicki much attention. As a result, she walks away and lets the other girl keep talking to him. She says the other dancer goes to the back at some point, and the man seems to now be interested in speaking to Vicki.
“Literally as soon as she walked away, that same guy from the railing came and walked up to me and spent money on me,” she says. “And I was like, oh, I’m peeping that he’s spending money on me and not her. And then a little bit more down the line, I’m talking to somebody, and this girl comes up to me, and she’s like, ‘Hey, I just want to let you know that what happened on stage was not cool. That’s called stepping on [expletive] toes.’”
Vicki says she told the woman to let her know if she ever does anything like that again because she’s new to the game and doesn’t know all the rules.
“The last thing I want is issues with women,” Vicki says.
The video has over 16,900 views and 1,000 likes as of this writing. Viewers in the comments section weigh in and say she did nothing wrong, while others ask for advice about how to get into the business.
‘She Just Thinks She Can Play Cause You’re New’
“Okay so as an experienced dancer you did nothing wrong,” one viewer reassures, adding, “she asked you to come to him together it’s not your fault that a customer came to you after she was done talking to him I’ve had that happen multiple times, I seen this dude that was at a girls stage and then he came talking to me and basically told me that he wasn’t that into her she was just the only one he seen on stage and he ended up switching his vip from her to me without me asking him to.”
“This is my fear,” a second says. “It’s just an extra level of girl rules and even if you follow them, they’ll still take it out on you … I’m terrified cuz I start dancing next month.”
“Grl there’s always gonna b issues just stand ur ground and what u did was sweet,” another adds, referencing Vicki’s decision to tip the woman she had a conflict with when she later went on stage.
How Much Do Dancers Actually Make a Night?
Is Vicki’s cashout within the typical margins for a dancer? Well, it depends. Profits can vary due to multiple reasons. A Business Insider article details some of these reasons.
- Weather: Sunny days might mean people are outside enjoying the fresh air. But it might also put people in the spending mood. Whereas rainy nights can scare clientele away as folks opt to stay cozy at home.
- Costume: Your look affects how much money you might make that day. More effort into how you look sets you apart from the rest and makes you more tips.
- Luck: Sometimes, it’s just about finding the right person and striking up the right conversation with them. One dancer recalls making $500 from a 20-minute conversation about neuroscience with a guy.
Unfortunately, dancers can also lose money if they don’t make many tips and need to pay a high house fee.
In a place like Atlanta, perhaps the exotic dancing capital of the country, an average night for a dancer can generate anywhere between $1,000 and $1,500, and an excellent night anywhere between $2,000 and $3,000.
AllHipHop has reached out to Vicki for comment via TikTok direct message and comment for further information. This article will be updated if she responds.
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