Travelling to dance

Why dancers travel

Different cities pay differently, and the same dancer can earn double or half depending on where she is. Some travel seasonally to follow conventions, holidays or pay cycles in industry towns; some go where the licensing is easier; some just need a change of room. Travelling is a normal part of the job. It is also where dancers are most exposed, because nobody knows you and you do not know the ground.

Before you book anything

Call the club first. Ask whether they are taking travelling dancers, whether they need a licence or permit, how house fees and tip-out work, which shifts are open, and whether they have housing or know of any. Ask a dancer who has worked there too; the forums on VestaModels exist partly for this. A club's answer and a dancer's answer are often different, and you want both.

Licences and permits vary enormously. Some cities require a dancer permit that takes days or weeks and may involve a background check and a fee; some clubs will not let you on the floor until it is in hand. Check the current rules for that city specifically. Arriving without the paperwork can mean a week of hotel costs with no shifts.

Count the real cost before you go:

• Travel there and back.
• Housing, including deposits, and whether dancer housing has rules you can live with.
• Licence fees and house fees for the whole run.
• Food, taxis, incidentals.
• The nights you will not earn: arrival, licence day, your first slow night learning the room.

If the number only works if every night is big, do not go yet.

Housing

Dancer housing attached to a club can be cheap and convenient, and it can be miserable; it varies by club. Ask what the rules are, how many people share, whether it is managed and whether leaving early costs you. Short-term rentals give you more control and more cost. Never stay with a customer, however generous, and never tell customers where you are staying.

The first night in a new club

Treat it as a first night anywhere. Learn the rules, the layout and the security signals before your first dance. Find the house mom or the longest-serving dancer and listen. Do not compete with the locals on day one; find your corner of the room. Watch how money moves in that club. Some rooms are all private dances, some are stage-heavy, some live on drink sales. Earn modestly and learn fast.

Add your dates to your schedule by venue before you arrive, so people who follow you in that city see you coming on the Dancers page there. If the club does not have a venue page yet, naming it creates one. Keep your home city and your housing off every post, and do the same safety work about getting back each night that you would do at home.