Dance Essay -- essays research papers

It has been observed by a pensive and inquisitive mind that most people in this world view their surroundings as though they were merely glancing at the cover of a glossy magazine while hurriedly exiting a supermarket: people tend to look quickly, figure out the general concept of the magazine issue, and then proceed to neatly tuck away the memory of that magazine cover in their mind as they trot on down the check out isle. They never pick up the journal, never thoroughly read the articles contained within that shiny bit of paper, never really understand what is going on inside of it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This depiction of the overwhelming tendency of individuals to formulate opinions of people, places and things solely based on a casual observance of their outward appearance stirred up great emotion in my heart. I am a 21 year old woman who has put herself through college by working as an entertainer at an upscale Chicago gentleman’s club. I realized recently that I myself was only superficially aware of what it truly means to patronize or to be employed by a gentleman’s club. Of course, I was aware of the fact that on the most basic level, a pricey gentleman’s club provides a wealthy and extravagant individual with a venue where he can comfortably indulge in the finest champagnes and scotches while basking in the bubbly personalities and beautiful bodies of paid entertainers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I decided to study the inner workings of a gentleman’s club and to write about the effect that working in such an environment would have on women employed by such a club. As I delved deeper into my research, I realized that I could not fairly describe the effect that working in the adult entertainment industry would have on women because I didn’t fully understand the service that was actually being provided by â€Å"entertainers.† Simply put, we entertainers make our living by receiving money from men in exchange for spending time with them, and usually in exchange for stripping off our clothes for them. But what else are we really selling that would inspire a man who is not allowed to touch us (therefore gaining no physical pleasure from the woman whom he commissions to dance for him) to pay in excess of four hundred dollars an hour for our company ? What exactly are exotic dancers selling ? Through extensive research, I have come to realize that s... ...tertainment industry. It has also given me a new sense of what exotic dancers are actually â€Å"selling† at work. Sadly, they are selling far more than a quick exotic dance: many times, they are selling their values and their self respect as well. I have deviated in my thinking that exotic dancing was a positive experience for most women. Clearly, the research that I have studied has given me adequate reason to believe that dancing is damaging to the mental health of many women. Despite such evidence, I myself feel that I am one of the lucky few who has been able to use her occupation to greatly benefit her life. By dancing, I have been able to finance my education, to live on my own and to set up my work schedule in such a way that I am able to put a great effort into my studies. Realistically speaking, it is doubtful that I would have had the means to accomplish all the things that I have had I not chosen to dance. Although I have never been â€Å"caught up† in the negative spiral that so many young women find themselves trapped in, I definitely have become more sensitive to the plight of many young women who develop emotional problems as they work in the adult entertainment industry.