Thread: Found this on Craigslist

BELLY DANCER & BOUNCER WANTED FOR QUEENS LOUNGE

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Date: 2008-01-20, 6:41AM EST


Dancers needed for Queens lounge. Various styles of dance is preferred including salsa, merengue, etc. are a plus. All dancers are encouraged to apply. Please call 000-000-0000 or email _ _ _@_ _ _ for an appt. which are sched. on friday's. Other times available upon request. Experience is preferred but not necessary. If you have a resume outlining your talents and experience please email it or bring it with you to your interview. All dancers be prepared with a 1-2 min. dance routine and please bring 1 clear photo of yourself doesn't have to be professional just clear. Part-time and Full-time positions available. Serious replies only need respond.

All interviews will begin on Friday at 7:00pm on 1-25-08 at the following location: _ _ & _ _ Queens Blvd. at the _ _ _ _ Restauraunt walk upstairs to the 1st floor. Please call 000-000-0000 to schedule alternate time or directions.

Sorry I'm unable to return each individual phone call/message the response was overwhelming. Thanks for your interest.

Hmmm, they want bellydance, salsa, merengue, AND bouncing ability? They're going to have a tough time filling that position!

Thats a nice WTF thought for the week!

That thing about experience not being necessary MIGHT be okay if what the person intended was "you don't have to have been hired before at a place like mine but you do need to demonstrate good dance technique and performing skills".

I can see how, for example, a university student majoring in dance plus belly dance training might possess sufficient skill and performance experience in student productions to apply for such a job even if she hasn't held a paying dance job before.

At least, I hope that's what the "no experience required" statement means!

Also--'full time positions available'?!

It's kind of like saying:

"Prestigious ballet company looking for Swan Lake cast. Experience a plus, but not necessary. Please enclose a picture of yourself in a tutu and pointe shoes."

Scary.

Similar story: I met with a nightclub owner not long ago about a prospective gig. Just as I laid out my professional terms and conditions, he got a rather disgusted look on his face and asked: "Now why should I pay you $150 when customers get up and dance on the table here FOR FREE?"



Call it bellydance burnout, but I'm quite sick of the bellydancer-as-moving-wallpaper attitude that many prospective employers have.

~Maiya

I'm with Shira on this one. My first thought was to give them the benefit of the doubt - maybe they meant no experience dancing in a restaurant. They're holding auditions, so that implies they're looking for some dance ability.

Originally Posted by SatinWorship19

Just as I laid out my professional terms and conditions, he got a rather disgusted look on his face and asked: "Now why should I pay you $150 when customers get up and dance on the table here FOR FREE?"

... I'm quite sick of the bellydancer-as-moving-wallpaper attitude that many prospective employers have.
~Maiya

yeah, think of all the time money and effort we could have saved if we just went to our gigs in street clothes and no training!

ask the owner "then why are you hiring a dancer at all? just give some wanna be belly bunny a few drinks and hoist her booty up on the bar in her jeans..l;, " then when she leaves, make sure to charge her for the drinks.

Originally Posted by sabrinabellydancer

yeah, think of all the time money and effort we could have saved if we just went to our gigs in street clothes and no training!

ask the owner "then why are you hiring a dancer at all? just give some wanna be belly bunny a few drinks and hoist her booty up on the bar in her jeans..l;, " then when she leaves, make sure to charge her for the drinks.

Yes. I was keeping an eye out for any Belly Bunnies or Six-Week Wonders eavesdropping in the wings. Think of it: all the limelight and attention they are "entitled" to, with none of the expense of costumes or the hassle of going to workshops, and no risk of getting their asses handed to them by Suhaila or anybody with more prestige than their Six-Month-Wonder instructor.

For the club owner AND would-be Bunnies, the question is: why bother?

That being said, I've always thought it would be funny to get a friend to pose as a beginner and drop in on some Six Month Wonder's class and ask for guidance on becoming a professional dancer, and report back to me. I wonder what their advice would be....

I should make T-shirts with a tassel logo over each nipple area that says "Suzy Nippletassels Academy of Belly Dancing."

~Maiya

Originally Posted by SatinWorship19

I should make T-shirts with a tassel logo over each nipple area that says "Suzy Nippletassels Academy of Belly Dancing."

LMAO! I would TOTALLY buy that shirt!

Originally Posted by lilya

LMAO! I would TOTALLY buy that shirt!

Ohhhhhhhh man. I will have to tool around on Microsoft Paint at work tomorrow and come up with a suitable logo. Maybe on the back it could say "We'll Dance for Kefta Kebabs!"

Or it could say "UR jus jeluss! Dont Bee a h8r!!!1111!!!!!!111!!!!!!!"

OR "Hail the Queen!" with a picture of YouTube's very own Queen Cassie.

Ahhhhhhhhhh, making fun of Sparkleprincesses is JUST too much fun.

Originally Posted by SatinWorship19

It's kind of like saying:

"Prestigious ballet company looking for Swan Lake cast. Experience a plus, but not necessary. Please enclose a picture of yourself in a tutu and pointe shoes."

I don't think it's at all like saying that.
It's a restaurant/club, not a theater company. Perhaps it's not a very good restaurant, also.

Originally Posted by SatinWorship19

I should make T-shirts with a tassel logo over each nipple area that says "Suzy Nippletassels Academy of Belly Dancing."

~Maiya

..l;, i would totally buy one too!
oh, it could have real nipple tassels...sew pasties with tassels on the shirt for the platinum edition.

keep us posted. i'm interested to hear about the quality of dancers they hire.

Wow...the ad is just so very confusing...a belly dancer, a merengue dancer, a bouncer? I'm with daSage--not sure that's going to be easy to find. *wink*

What all the qualification about how no experience is necessary and the photos don't have to be professional and such tells me is that no, they are NOT looking for trained/professional dancers. They are looking, first and foremost for CHEAP "dancers". As in, "this gig doesn't pay well, but if you can move your body in some fashion (and we define that loosely) that'd be a plus." The target are young girls who have some minimal amount of dance experience or maybe even some reasonable dance training and big dreams of making it in dance (of what ever dance form) but no real path/way to make it happen/make a living at it right now. The target is the same as an ad for go-go dancers at a college-area night club. That's the vibe I'm getting anyway.

...I DO love the tassle t-shirt idea...not sure I'd ever actually wear one anywhere other than maybe a rehearsal (so the whole troupe could fall over laughing) but yeah, that's good silliness right there. :-)

Originally Posted by melania

I don't think it's at all like saying that.
It's a restaurant/club, not a theater company. Perhaps it's not a very good restaurant, also.

hahahaha that is really was I was trying to say, but I guess sarcasm doesn't always translate when I'm sleepy and incoherent late at night ..l;,

I don't mean an ounce of disrespect to those who pursue nightclub work--the classy gigs outweigh the sketchy ones, and not to mention, club gigs can be SO much fun! It's just a bit upsetting to see that we spend thousands of dollars on workshops, classes, DVDs, music, promo material and costumes and, in turn, some club/restaurant owners out there still legitimize us solely by how cheap our rates are, and how cute we look in bedlah.

It's great to see so many of us here on Bhuz working to change the standard!

hm, It's in my neighbourhood...I'm curious...will report back if I go.

Originally Posted by SatinWorship19

I don't mean an ounce of disrespect to those who pursue nightclub work--the classy gigs outweigh the sketchy ones, and not to mention, club gigs can be SO much fun! It's just a bit upsetting to see that we spend thousands of dollars on workshops, classes, DVDs, music, promo material and costumes and, in turn, some club/restaurant owners out there still legitimize us solely by how cheap our rates are, and how cute we look in bedlah.

It's great to see so many of us here on Bhuz working to change the standard!

In my area (to remain anonymous), there is such a glut of dancers--good and bad, and most of the restaurants hire the truly undertrained, who perform in a very obvious thrown together mess, and see themselves as stars. And then they decide they are going to teach when they can't do even basic steps fluidly, have no concept of what the music is or what is/isn't appropriate to do to it, i.e., their moves don't change whether it's fast/lively, taqsim, tcheftetelli, drums, play military zills till you want to puncture your own ear drums, etc. Totally frustrating! When it's authentic ME food/decor, I think the owners should care more, but as you said, they care more about cheap rates how "hot" the chickies are. And then there are the clubs that hire dancers who are willing to be more stripper than belly dancer cuz it brings in $$$. And sadly (and uber-frustrating) is that even the real dancers take those gigs for name recognition and because it pays. Kills me, cuz the real thing is SO beautiful and amazing. ..cr.:

There was an ad on Craigslist recently for a drag queen competition and they were looking for a Belly Dancer to perform for free. The wording was something like "I've spent all my money on this event, so I have nothing left to pay you with. But you can get in free and we'll buy you a couple of drinks." Ooooh, the generosity!

The best part was not only did they want someone to show up and perform that night, there were a couple of rehearsals involved as well. Thank you, but no thank you.

Whenever I see "no experience necessary" in an employment ad I think it almost always implies "we're not going to be paying you much".

Fionna

I tink da add juz riflext de ditarioretion of edukeyshon an lak of kleriti in raiting

Originally Posted by david

I tink da add juz riflext de ditarioretion of edukeyshon an lak of kleriti in raiting

LOL love the way you word it....little break from my testing...you cracked me up..l;,

Originally Posted by da Sage

Hmmm, they want bellydance, salsa, meringue, AND bouncing ability? They're going to have a tough time filling that position!

I actually know someone who could fill this position - at least the Belly Dance and bouncing. And yes, she's a very attractive woman. She's quite talented, if she doesn't already know Salsa and Meringue, she'd probably pick it up rather quickly. Shira, she's a mutual friend.

Well, Zorba, I have the bellydancing and bouncing thing down pat myself! ..l;, Where do I sign up?

Woooooooooooooooooo, zombie thread alert!!!

I wonder what became of this gig - and more importantly, what the lucky dancer wore to it.

Originally Posted by SatinWorship19

Woooooooooooooooooo, zombie thread alert!!!

I wonder what became of this gig - and more importantly, what the lucky dancer wore to it.

lol
this reminds me of a job a friend of mine and i "applied" for when we were 14/15 (can't remember)? it was at club where we would just be kind of like the hostesses, serving soft drinks and whatnot. nothing sketchy, the club was new and legit. well with that being said, we didn't get the job (if i remember correctly we just filled out basic info and they took headshots of us) and it wasn't a big deal. well when we went there to go to the club the girls they had hired i swear were ready for the playboy mansion!! they were grinding with the boys and "dancing" for the guests (aka, just shakin their a**es in front of the boys' faces). did i mention this was a TEEN club?!? we were so shocked and soooo happy we didn't get the job. we had no idea that's what the job entailed (either that or they were all willing to do that as an extra lol). needless to say we went only that one time and i think that club has been closed for a long time now

being a bellydancer now and seeing the ridiculous "offers" people have just makes me wanna cry.

Originally Posted by zfejzic

lol
this reminds me of a job a friend of mine and i "applied" for when we were 14/15 (can't remember)? it was at club where we would just be kind of like the hostesses, serving soft drinks and whatnot. nothing sketchy, the club was new and legit. well with that being said, we didn't get the job (if i remember correctly we just filled out basic info and they took headshots of us) and it wasn't a big deal. well when we went there to go to the club the girls they had hired i swear were ready for the playboy mansion!! they were grinding with the boys and "dancing" for the guests (aka, just shakin their a**es in front of the boys' faces). did i mention this was a TEEN club?!? we were so shocked and soooo happy we didn't get the job. we had no idea that's what the job entailed (either that or they were all willing to do that as an extra lol). needless to say we went only that one time and i think that club has been closed for a long time now

being a bellydancer now and seeing the ridiculous "offers" people have just makes me wanna cry.

Your story reminds me of the episode of South Park where the kids go to "Raisins," the kiddie equivalent of Hooters.

I am very, very disturbed now. Perhaps, we should send the guy from To Catch a Predator to this place to do a sting?

Originally Posted by SatinWorship19

Your story reminds me of the episode of South Park where the kids go to "Raisins," the kiddie equivalent of Hooters.

I am very, very disturbed now. Perhaps, we should send the guy from To Catch a Predator to this place to do a sting?

lol haha maybe we should but alas, that was many years ago and i'm pretty sure that club has closed down a lonng time ago. and i think the girls working there were at least 18, which doesn't make things better I know but in the eyes of the law they could be stripping for all they care and still have it be legal
altho i don't know if a strip club needs to have a special 'thing' of some sort to certify they're a strip club so they could be screwed over in that department considering that they sure as hell didn't advertise as one...stupid question, i know, but i know nothing of the stripping business lol

Originally Posted by da Sage

Hmmm, they want bellydance, salsa, merengue, AND bouncing ability? They're going to have a tough time filling that position!

lol.

That's right up my alley....I am a licensed security guard. But am in Australia ..l;,

Being not quite awake, I saw the header and thought that "Queens Club" had a whole 'nother connotation. Until I realized that it referred to a NYC borough, I had this picture of a bellydancing, bouncing drag queen with no experience. It quite amused me.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.