Hi guys.

I am a MFA acting student at NYU.. going on my final year. I have been go-go dancing for about a year to pay the tuition, bills, etc. I also work for a catering company, and I tutor young children.

I just wonder if continuing to dance is a smart career move. I mean, it's a good job in terms of the schedule. I do it on my own time, Fridays & Saturday nights. It pays well, and I can go to auditions whenever I want.

I wonder if I should continue to dance... ??? I don't think there's anything wrong with it. I basically get paid to dance on bars in go-go clothes i.e. stockings, mini-shorts, tube-top, etc. I am not a stripper. I don't dance topless. I don't give out lapdances. I don't have sex (duh). No drugs, not even alcohol. I dance at major nightclubs. I'm under very close watch by the bodyguards, so I'm always safe.

However, I wonder if this job will ever come back to bite me in the a**. People will obviously find out in the future( if my career ever takes off,) and they might judge me. I don't think they really have a reason to judge, but this line of work brings with it a lot of misconceptions. And people are rather close-minded.

I don't mind being known categorized as "bad" girl in the Megan Fox or Rihanna sense of the term... I'm worried about being labeled as a slutty, trashy, good-for-nothing, ex-sex-worker... and being pulvarized by the male-centered entertainment industry.

That's a tough one. Firstly , would people find out if you didn't tell them? I know if I read that a well known actress used to be a go-go dancer it wouldn't bother me at all but as you say not everyone is as open minded.
I'd like to say live your life by your own rules.The reality is that people who'll think you're a ''slutty,trashy,ex-sex worker'' are not people you should be worried about impressing but in this business maybe you have to be more careful.
Nude pictures/sex tapes used to be the end of a career but not so much now so maybe the moral compass is shifting? The only things I'm aware of that would really hurt a career are a past in adult movies, prostitution and funny enough I once had a conversation with a former- Chippendale who told me that his past career was a major hurdle which I thought was a little surprising.

This sounds like my thread way back a year ago.... check it out.

http://bbs.backstage.com/eve/f...50104921/m/440105471

Which is different from the go-go dancing field.

Go-go dancing is fine IMO.

I agree with Miss Stone. If you're not taking your clothes off, there's nothing to be concerned about IMO.

Even if you were taking your clothes off, there's no real concern as long as you DON'T DO IT ON CAMERA.

Going ON CAMERA is where you get bit in the ass.

In this day and age, everyone is on camera, somewhere. If you are concerned at all, stop doing it, whether you keep your clothes on or not. However, no one is judging you, so if you are comfortable with it, do it. But if you do "make it big" you need to ask yourself if you can handle the awkwardness of it. Become a waitress at those places you dance in. It's an honest job that you never have to be ashamed of, IMO.

I think you're safe. You're not a stripper. You're more like an entertainment dancer I used to see at the clubs in NY dancing in cages. It doesn't sound like you go around asking for dollar bills.
I'd categorize your dancing to be more in the line of professional dancing.