Kazakhstan strippers used to be ballet dancers and boxers, the professionals told Tengrinews.kz.
An average cost of one dance is 15 thousand tenge ($100) both for male and female striptease. The performance lasts for around 5 minutes. However, the dancers may ask for an additional pay, if conditions are unsatisfactory (e.g. if the room is small or the floor is slippery). In such case the dance may cost up to 25-30 thousand tenge ($160-200). But despite of the relatively high prices, stripping does not always turn out a profitable business.
Male dancer from Almaty with the stage name Grom told that strippers spend a lot of money on their appearance: “Gym, different cosmetics, sunbeds, beauty parlors. My hair cut costs 75 thousand tenge ($500). The expenses frequently exceed the profits.” The dancer added that a stripper’s success depends on him or her only. “It is necessary to always come up with something new, change performances, make new costumes and update music. We need to adjust to the people. Success comes when a person considers it his life, invests in it,”Grom said.
According to him, Asian mentality of Kazakhstan women does not complicate the dancers’ work. “Of course, we have to consider local mentality, views and traditions. A person who does his job putting some soul in it can understand how to make it not vulgar, but elegant and beautiful,” Grom said.
Dancer Romeo told that everyone comes from different striptease schools. “Some come from ballet, some even from boxing,” he said. Romeo confirmed that every professional stripper has to take care of himself: go to the gym, beauty parlors, take care of his nails and constantly work on his skills. According to him, strippers are of less demand in summer time. Most of the performances fall on March 8 (International Woman’s Day). This day they have to work all day long. In general, the dancers noted that striptease was not a very profitable business in Kazakhstan.