How to Audition at a Strip Club

Co-authored by Hannah Madden

Last Updated: November 25, 2024 Approved

Stripping or exotic dancing is a lucrative business where you can make a lot of money in a single night. In order to get hired at a club, you’ll need to go through an audition process to see if you’re a good fit. If you’ve never auditioned at a strip club before, it can seem intimidating to walk into one and jump up on stage. However, as long as you feel confident and sexy in your moves, you can audition with your head held high to potentially start working that same night.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Practicing at Home

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Try out the outfit you want to wear to your audition. For women, you may want to put on a skintight dress with a thong underneath and high heels. For men, try a thong with some hot pants and a tight tank top. Make sure that the outfit is easy to take off and that you can do it sensually while dancing.^{[1]
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- Try to pick an outfit that doesn’t have a lot of zippers or buttons so it’s easy to pull on and off.
2
Grind, twerk, and roll your body to nail a routine. You don’t have to be the best dancer out there to become a stripper. Watch yourself in the mirror and practice dancing sensually for 3 to 5 minutes at a time. You can grind your hips, twerk, roll your body, and practice leg lifts to look sexy and confident.^{[2]
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- For women strippers, the most important part of the routine is looking seductive. For male strippers, it’s a little bit more about being powerful and confident.
- Try looking up videos on YouTube to see what kind of moves you can do.
3
Practice your routine to different kinds of music. When you audition, you probably won’t be able to choose your own music. Try doing your routine to a few different songs with different tempos so you’re ready to adjust your moves when you get there.^{[3]
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- Try searching “club music” online to find a good mix to practice to.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Starting the Audition Process

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Apply for a business license if you need one. Some counties require exotic dancers to get business licenses before you can start working. If your area requires it, visit your local business licensing center and submit your ID and fingerprints to pass a background check. Once you pass, you can fill out the necessary paperwork to get your business license.^{[4]
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- To find out if you need a business license, search “exotic dancer license + your county.”
2
Go to the strip club to check it out. Before you even think of auditioning, you should head to the strip club as a customer to see what it’s like. Take a look at the dancers: are they wearing classy dresses that they then strip off, or do they start with almost nothing on? Is the club more high end, or do they cater to everyone? Take note of the vibe and clientele to see if it’s right for you.^{[5]
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- You can also try to gauge if you have the right “look.” Some clubs prefer their strippers to be toned and muscular, while others prefer a more natural look. Anyone can be a stripper, so if it’s not the right club for you, just look somewhere else!
- Checking out the strip club is also a good way to see how safe the club is. If you notice things that you’re uncomfortable with, like customers groping the dancers or bouncers not advocating for the dancers’ safety, you can choose somewhere else to audition.
3
Call the club to see if / when they’re auditioning. Once you find the strip club that you’d like to work for, call them up to see if they’re holding auditions and when you can come in. Some clubs have audition days every week, while others only hold auditions if they need dancers.^{[6]
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- You can search for strip clubs near you by googling “local strip clubs,” or you can search for ones further away to avoid running into people that you know.
- You can also ask the club owner what their audition process is like and what you’ll need to bring with you on the day of your audition.
4
Audition early so you can work the same night. The best part about strip clubs is that if you get hired, you can probably start working the same night. Try to go into your audition at the soonest available time so that you can do your audition, paperwork, and club tour before the club closes.^{[7]
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- If you go in too late, you could miss out on making money that very night.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Packing a Bag

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Bring high heels with you on the day of the audition. You don’t have to wear your heels to the club, but you should come prepared with some high heels to change into. Try to go for heels that are at least 6 inches (15 cm) tall if you’re just starting out, and go up to 7 or 8 inches (18 or 20 cm) heels if you feel comfortable enough.^{[8]
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- You can find cheap high heels online if you don’t have a pair already.
- Make sure you’ve practiced walking and dancing in your heels before your audition.
- If you’re auditioning for a male strip club, you don’t need to wear heels. You can just dance barefoot on stage.
2
Wear a thong and pack a few extra. During your audition, you may not be asked to strip all the way down. Make sure you’re wearing a thong that covers your genitalia in the front, and pack a few extra pairs in different colors or styles just in case.^{[9]
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- Once you get hired at the club, you can ask the owner or the house mom about the typical attire.
3
Pack figure-hugging clothes. For women, you may want to wear a short, skin tight dress. For men, you might want to put on hot pants and a tight tank top. Make sure your clothing is easy to remove and that you’ve practiced taking it on and off during your dance routine.^{[10]
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- If you aren’t sure what to wear, visit your local costume shop and pick up something sparkly that makes you feel sexy. The more confident you feel, the better you’ll look!
4
Do your hair and makeup to look the part. You don’t have to go all out, but you should put some effort into your appearance. Put on a full face of makeup, style your hair, and make sure you look confident and put together before your audition.^{[11]
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- You can bring makeup with you to touch up your look, but you should have on a good base layer already.
5
Pack your ID in case you get hired. It might seem like a no brainer, but if you do get hired, the club manager will probably want to get your paperwork started right then. Make sure you have your ID with you, and be prepared to fill out any paperwork so you can start working.^{[12]
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- Different clubs have different age restrictions, but most won’t hire you unless you’re over the age of 21.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Nailing the Audition

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1
Change into your outfit backstage. You don’t need to show up with your full dancing outfit on, so you can pack the outer layer in a bag ahead of time. Once you’re told you can audition, you’ll be shown where the backstage area is and where you can change into your clothes. You can leave your street clothes and your wallet / phone in the backstage area.^{[13]
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- Usually, the house mom will show you where to change and where the stage is. The house mom is the person who is in charge of all of the dancers, and she’s the one you can talk to if you have any questions or concerns.
2
Check to see how much clothing you should strip off. Some clubs don’t want you to get fully naked during an audition, while others do. Before you start, check with the house mom or manager to see how far they want you to go. If they’d like you to strip all the way and you feel comfortable doing so, go for it!^{[14]
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- Stripping down all the way shows confidence. If they ask you to get fully naked and you don’t, you may not get hired. However, you should only go as far as you are comfortable.
3
Show off a dance routine that lasts about 1 to 2 minutes. Most clubs will ask you to show off your stuff on one of the side stages. Make sure you’ve practiced a routine and that you perform it with confidence no matter who’s watching. Chances are, you won’t be able to pick the music, so don’t be afraid to improv a little!^{[15]
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- You can twerk, grind, do body rolls, and slowly strip off your clothes. The most important part of this routine is being confident, so don’t be shy.
- Most auditions last anywhere from 1 to 3 minutes, but it depends on the club.
4
Dance sensually and with confidence. As you do your audition with the routine you practiced at home, focus on making eye contact with the club manager and whoever’s watching. If you feel confident enough, you can use the pole. Otherwise, focus on rolling your body, grinding on the floor, and twerking to show off your assets.^{[16]
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- Even if you’ve never danced before, the most important thing is confidence. You can show up with zero dance moves and not know what to do on stage and get hired simply because you look great and act comfortable in your own skin.
- During your audition, you don’t need to interact with the customers, but you can make eye contact and flirt with them if you’d like to.
5
Be prepared to work the same night. If you get hired, there’s a high chance that the manager will want you to start working that very night. If you can’t, you probably won’t get hired, so be sure you mark out free time after your audition in case they ask you to work.^{[17]
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- Some clubs will waive the house fees for you on your first shift, but you should bring a little cash with you just in case. House fees are the fees you are required to pay to the club staff as part of your job. These fees will often come directly out of your tips, and the amount is different for every club.
- If you audition pretty late at night, you might not be able to work the same night since the paperwork and club tours tend to take about an hour.
- If you don’t get hired, that’s okay too. Check out a different club nearby and try auditioning somewhere else.

Community Q&A

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Question

If I have not danced at a club before, will they teach me?

Community Answer

Yes, they will. Ask at the interview for more details.

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Question

Can you just work in a strip club by being naked and looking cute and not dancing?

Community Answer

Sadly not! You have to be able to dance, pole dancing often just comes to you eventually but is never required.

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Question

Do I have to take off all of my clothes and let people touch me?

Community Answer

Some clubs will allow such, but might not. You would need to ask the club before auditioning, to decide whether or not that is something you can handle.

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Tips

If you haven’t danced on a pole before, you don’t have to try any crazy moves just yet.

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Having confidence is the best way to get hired, even if you aren’t the best dancer yet!

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Warnings

Avoid putting on body lotion before your audition, as it can make the pole and stage slippery.

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Always practice dancing and walking in your heels before your audition to avoid injury.

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If the club feels sketchy, you don’t have to stay and audition.

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