ABSTRACT
Erotic dance has been commercialized in the form of 'lap-dancing', and is now, both in the UK and globally, becoming a significant feature of the night-time economy. Part of the contractual process of becoming a lap-dancer at Starlets, following a successful audition, involves dancers signing an 'employment' contract, which is drawn up by the club; this is standardized across the chain of which Starlets is part. To clarify some of the terminology referred to in the dancer contracts used at Starlets: the 'business' of the dancers refers to the generation of their income through private. In addition to house fees, dancers were contracted to adhere to a number of house rules. House rules were created in order to guide a dancer's conduct in the lap-dancing club. The lap-dance, also referred to as the private dance, is one of the primary ways in which dancers earned money in Starlets.
