The North Star and the Feature Star.

When I first hit the circuit, I was a firecracker from Fort McMurray—raw, jagged, and carrying a chip on my shoulder the size of a Canadian winter. Coming out of that “rough-and-tumble” oil town, I felt like I had to have my guard up at all times. I moved with an aggressive, “prove-it” energy, a byproduct of the North that made me a technical powerhouse but a social icebox. My agents kept booking me alongside Blue Jean, a legendary feature of the era. Looking back, I see their strategy: they were trying to pair my “drill sergeant” intensity with her effortless grace, hoping some of her warmth would melt my icy exterior. I was a “brat” in the way only a talented rookie can be. I had the dance background, the flexibility, and the drive. I’d hit the stage and launch into a war of attrition with the pole—handstands snapping into violent splits, gravity-defying spins, and sheer athletic force. I’d leave the stage dripping in sweat, heart hammering against my ribs, expecting a standing ovation. Instead, I’d get a smattering of polite claps and a few stray dollars.

The Mystery of the Plaid Shirt

Then, Blue Jean would glide out. She wasn’t wearing thousands of dollars in Swarovski crystals or elaborate feathers. She wore a simple red-and-white plaid shirt, knotted at the waist, and frayed denim cut-offs. She didn’t even touch the pole. She just… walked. And the room exploded. It was infuriating. I’d watch from the wings, my “Resting Bitch Face” firmly in place, thinking, How? They were throwing money like it was confetti. They were begging for encores. She had them leaning over the stage, captivated by a woman who was barely breaking a sweat while I was out there doing Cirque du Soleil maneuvers for pennies. Finally, the bratty armor cracked. I realized that if I wanted to be a “big wig” in this game, I had to stop competing and start learning. I approached her, feeling smaller than I liked to admit. “Can I pick your brain?” I asked, my voice lacking its usual edge. “How do you do it? I’m working myself to death out there and getting nothing. You walk out in a flannel shirt and own the room.” She didn’t gloat. She gave me a smile that felt like a warm hearth in a blizzard.”It’s simple, honey,” she whispered. “Eye contact and a smile. I make every man in that room feel like I am dancing for him, and only him. “I actually laughed. “No way. It’s not that easy. She just winked. “That’s the secret sauce. “

The Hardest Move of All

The next night, I was armed with the “secret,” but implementing it felt like trying to speak a foreign language. I went out for my first set, found a customer in the front row, and tried to lock eyes. I crumbled instantly. I was hit with a wave of paralyzing shyness I hadn’t expected. Looking at a person—really seeing them—was a thousand times harder than a handstand into a split. It felt too intimate, too vulnerable. My face felt stiff, my smile probably looked more like a snarl. I realized my “serious performer” persona was actually just a shield I used to hide behind. I had to get creative. I started playing a game with myself: I’d look at a customer and think of something hilarious—a memory, a joke, anything to trigger a genuine reflex. The moment I let out a real, spontaneous laugh and caught someone’s eye, the atmosphere in the club shifted. It was like a circuit had finally been completed. The customer beamed back, his posture relaxed, and he reached for his wallet. The connection was the currency.

The Game Changer

That realization changed everything. I stopped “performing” and started “courting.” I dedicated my entire first song to the audience—no tricks, no acrobatics, just eye contact and genuine smiles. I learned to weave through the crowd, acknowledging the person, not just the room. The results were astronomical. I could follow an aerialist who had just done a world-class routine, and by simply making the audience feel seen, I’d triple her tips. And the best part? When I finally did drop into a fancy spin or a power move, the roar from the crowd was deafening. Because now, they weren’t just watching a girl do a trick; they were cheering for a friend. I walked into that industry as a technician from the North, but Blue Jean taught me how to be a star.

In light of the many complaints and concerns coming from the feature community due to the lack of bookings, I thought I’d share a more in depth response. First off, yes, the economy has shifted and it has slowed things down a bit, however, this is the dynamic of our industry and it flows up and down and always has. That is a contributing factor for sure. But when I came down to the States 6 years ago, showgirls weren’t getting booked at all. Only a few would get bookings but they still had xxx adult film star credits. It was an adult film star monopoly when it came to feature bookings. I was actually told by other features that getting my visa would be a waste of money because I wouldn’t get booked as a no name showgirl in the U.S without any adult film credits……challenge accepted!

After receiving my approval for my work visa, I relocated down to Florida part time and awaited for the floodgates to open! I had both Danny, the agent from Centerfolds and Frank from Continental, tell me that there was a place for me and my crazy shows down here in the US and a lot of clubs would want me. At the time, Danny only had 3 bookings for me. So, I waited…and waited…and waited. I soon began to realize that my success would heavily rely on myself and what I could generate, not just from an agent. This was familiar territory for me, as I have booked all of my international tours and tours in Eastern Canada for the last decade. So, I had gone digging into my boxes, found every business card to every club manager/owner that I had been given to at different events over the 2 previous years and starting contacting them. I also signed on with Sinational Features, which wasn’t common at that time, as most features were exclusive to one agency. Yes, a no name showgirl who wa being unconventional with non-exclusivity and booking herself, as I said before, challenge accepted! Slowly but surely, bookings were coming in.

At each booking I went above and beyond with my shows, as I always had, whether there were 5 people or 100, you still get a full on, ’Janine Jericho,’ show. One club owner said that I was consistently great and that it wasn’t common. If the club was quiet, features would do a, ‘lazy’ show. But I learned back in Canada that when the club is quiet, is exactly when you really need bring it because that’s when management and the staff are watching. And my showprice doesn’t pro-rate to the crowd, it’s the same with each show, so, Ive always believed in giving my best every time. As a showgirl, I also had to build my following from the ground up. This included a push on social media for that city I was featuring in and walking around and meeting and greeting the customers who were in the club and giving them cards with my social media on it. Spending some time with them, so they’d be excited for when I came back and usually, they’d bring their friends in. Chatting and taking photos with the house dancers, inspiring them, giving a little guidance to those that asked for it and cross promotion on our social medias. This is how I grew my followings in Canada and Australia and knew it’d also work within the US. So, when I’d go back to a booking, it’d always be busy with more fans excited to me, which in turn, makes me even more excited to return. I had been rebooked at every booking I did for the following 6 years, minus the States that were closed during Covid.

It was a big effort to maintain a steady, back to back touring schedule and it was a combined effort of self generated bookings and working with the agents. It took me 5 months to figure it out but once I did, I had become one of the most booked feature showgirls consistently since coming down here, which was an amazing feat considering I was told that clubs didn’t book showgirls before I came to the U.S. Most clubs had been fed a thick diet of adult film stars, so, they weren’t interested in booking showgirls, who they claimed, didn’t have the same draw\following and the quality of shows were inconsistent from entertainer to entertainer. They said some showgirls were house dancers in a costume, why should they pay for that, especially when they have beautiful house dancers who were also great on the pole and PAYING THE CLUB to work there. They didn’t see the need for features. Even winning a major title or award didn’t seem to do much. I had seen many Miss Nude Worlds or Entertainer of the Year, with bleak touring schedules during their reign, when one would assume that such a huge title would guarantee a full year’s touring schedule. But I will add, other than the features complaining on not getting booked, there could be personal reasons for each entertainer and them choosing not to tour during their reign.

Another agent reached out to.me and said he was booking me into a club in Vegas called, Sapphire, and they were one of these chains that didn’t believe in booking showgirls.. He told me to blow them away and show them why they should book showgirls, and so I did! Bumblebee made an appearance and they still talk about it to this day! After that, they opened their minds and began booking more showgirls. Things for about 2.5 years had improved and showgirls started to get booked more and more frequently.

Later on, I found out that some of the club owners I had reached out to about booking me had contacted the clubs I had performed at previously to see how I was as a feature. It was those great reviews that helped tip the scale in my direction and solidify those bookings at clubs that had never heard of me before. All of that extra ground work at each booking was paying off in ways I didn’t even think of.

Here I am now and for the first time in 15 years, have blocked off touring for Jan-May, except for something special, like an international booking, event or personal favor. My other income avenues are doing very well and I love waking up in my own bed, in paradise, every day. Before moving, I’d be home for 3 days before I’d get eager about going back out on the road. I start iching to leave, having had enough downtime lol I guess I enjoyed the momentum and perhaps didn’t love being at home as much as I had thought. I am so comfortable in my new space that I don’t want to leave! I’ve even pushed my May bookings back. So, needless to say, my touring days are actually winding down…by choice. I’m at a point in my career where I’m turning work away.

For the entertainers out there struggling, I want you to know that you can overcome this and you can fill up your schedule but YOU are going to have to put in the work yourself, in the business side of things. If you’re relying on an agent or a club owner that has a chain of clubs to keep you booked, you’re going to get stuck. You’ll have huge gaps in your schedule. It’s like putting all of your eggs in one basket. Once that tour is done, then what? There are thousands of clubs nationwide that you can reach out to. You also need to put in some of your own leg work on building up your following and getting your name out there. If you’re relying solely on the club to advertise you, once again, you could get stuck with a soft weekend. I don’t think the industry is over saturated. There are thousands of clubs. I think that the ones currently booking features are being extremely selective. They don’t want entertainers that are drama, have attitudes, dont have an appealing online presence and are rude to the staff and house dancers, they don’t want basic, you need to be able to offer something different to their beautiful and talented house dancers, they want interactive, no drug use-even weed and minimal alcohol, professional and on time, not blaming the club for things within your control…of course these may sound like no brainers but really think of yourself and how you are with each of these.

The industry is shifting and we need to shift with it. If you’ve always struggled to get booked, there could be reasons for that and you need to really investigate all avenues and ask why you aren’t getting booked and look at those who are and see what they’re doing differently. There needs to be some accountability on your part as well, as it’s not always the agents. At the end of the day the GMs and club owners have final say on who they want.

Hi peeps! I’ve been nominated for Club Favourite Of them Year for the Ed Awards taking place at the Gentlemens Expo in New Orleans in August!!! Please go and vote for me!!

www.theedawards.com/register