When I was a rookie, the agents kept booking me with a huge feature of that time, Blue Jean. I was a bit of a brat, honestly, I came out of Fort McMurray, Alberta (the rough n tough, far Canadian north) with a huge chip on my shoulder, an attitude to match and a lot to prove. I feel like they were booking me with her in the hopes that I’d actually pay attention and learn a thing or two, or three lol some of those things would be to soften and humble. They saw a potential there but my brattiness was a deterrent I was a very good dancer, coming from a dance background and thought I was a lot better than I actually was LOL There’s a lot more involved in being a great entertainer opposed to having just good skills. I used to think, ” I should be the feature.” Yes, total bratty mentality in that regard but with drive and aspirations. So, I would be dancing my butt off, doing ALL the moves, handstands into splits, fancy spins, I really thought I was killing it! And I’d get some claps and shouts. Then Blue Jean would go on stage and get triple encores, money thrown everywhere and I just didn’t get it. How does she have them eating out of the palm of her hand like that and she doesn’t even touch the pole? She was wearing a red and white plaid shirt and cut off Jean shorts, so, not even a huge, embellished feature costume. Then after a few months, I finally broke down, realizing I didn’t know it all and still had a lot to learn, clearly, and I just asked her, “Can I pick your brain? I’m wondering, How do you do it? They go crazy for you as soon as you walk on stage. I feel like I’m working so hard and I get nothing.” She was so nice and sweet about it. She said, “Eye contact and smile. I make every man in the room feel like I’m dancing for only him.” I laughed and said, “No way, it’s not THAT easy.” She smiled and said, that’s the secret. So, my next stage show, I was ready and armed with this new feedback! I went out on stage, started dancing, looked at a customer in the eyes aaannddd felt so shy! I couldn’t do it. It was actually so hard for me! And smiiiileee…. omg, so hard. I couldn’t look at people and also, smile. I was so used to being a serious performer but really, probably looked more like a drill Sargent with my resting bitch face. So, I started to work on that. I would look at a customer and think of something funny to make me laugh, which, would lead into me smiling. Then, they would get excited, smile back and put money on the stage! I was like, “Wow, it really is that easy, once I get past this shyness. They don’t care about my handstands, they want to feel acknowledged.” It changed my whole show. So then, making eye contact and smiling is how I started my show. My first song would be spent courting the audience. This changed the game for me. I could go onstage after an entertainer doing amazing pole work or aerials and make triple the amount of tips just from that personal connection. And then, when I would do a fancy move, the audience would go even more crazy, even if 3 girls before me did the exact same move. That was the secret sause!
Another great piece of advice I received from Randy, my agent and huge mentor, pertained to Blue Jean, again, as well as Krissy Snow, another big feature of that era. I was competing in contests, making the finals but not placing. I was really taking it hard, beating myself up over losing. Randy said to me, “You know Blue Jean,” I said, “Of course! You book me with her every week!” He said, “She hasn’t won a contest yet, neither has Krissy Snow and both are two of the highest paid and most booked features out there. They’re so popular, they don’t need a title. Any title they could win would be a benefit to that title because of how much status and spotlight they had. Build a career so big that you don’t need a title. If you win a title, YOU will be giving that award a spotlight of recognition, not the other way around.” After that, Blue Jean, went on to win Miss Nude Canada but by then, it was as he said, she gave that title more recognition because she was already so big. Her career had greatly influenced and inspired my perception and shaped where I am today ✨️ There were a few others, like Lianna Cole but those 2 pieces of guidance completely changed my thinking and the trajectory of my career. I then started building a career so big that I didn’t need a contest title to get booked, I would get booked solely on who I was. This was also similar advice I was given from my music mentor, Bruce Levens, the owner of Greenhouse Studios, a well known recording studio that was home to such acts as Aerosmith, Bon Jovi and Nickel back, just to name a few. Bruce told me to strive to be bigger than my music. At the time I had an all girl group called, G-Force, that was recording and rehearsing at the studio. When he said be bigger than your music, it reminded me of be bigger than any title you can win. And that is how my career has been. I don’t win a ton of contests but will be the most talked about show and have cemented 14 years of a stacked booked schedule around the world. And for me, guaranteed paychecks and touring internationally is the best accolade anyone could attain because that sustainability is next level. Many features struggle to keep relevant with a steady booking schedule for 2-3 years before things start to fade out, let alone almost 15 years. So, I have profound gratitude for the mentors I had early on who shifted my mindset and helped me to have total vision, instead of just tunnel vision of where my career could go and how to get there.
April 26, 2024 | Categories: Uncategorized | Comments Off on Blue Jean, baby
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 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.
March 18, 2024 | Categories: Uncategorized | Comments Off on Features and Getting Booked
I wanted to share my back story as a duo and trio performer, but I need to go waaaaay back to my very first week of dancing. In Western Canada,. All dancers would be considered ‘showgirls’ and get paid for all of their stages, which is quite different from everywhere else in the world, where entertainers pay the club to work there. It’s called a ‘house fee’, along with mandatory tip outs to all of the staff. It was a great incentive to develop your shows and invest in costumes, as the better you became, the higher your showprice could be, and one could even move onto, ‘Feature Status.’ Each contract was Mon-Sat, with between 18-36 shows for the week, so between 3-6 shows per day. And then you would move to another club on the circuit the following week. At the time, the Vancouver area had over 50 clubs to circulate around from week to week.
During my first week ever, I was a bit frazzled as I had the last show of the night which meant I’d miss the last bus going home. Yes, baby dancer at 18 and moved from small town Alberta to the big city of Vancouver, trying to make it. No vehicle yet, just the bus and skytrain. (Imagine lugging around those hockey bags full of costumes on public transit!) There was this beautiful, bubbly blonde that overheard me trying to swap my last show and asked what was wrong. I explained to her that I was going to miss my bus and I lived over an hour away. She asked which city I lived in. I replied, “New West,” she said, “Me, too! I can wait for you and give you a ride.” Then she asked me where I lived in New West and I said, “Knox Street.” She exclaimed, “What?!!! Me, too! Which building do you live in?” I laughed thinking there’s no way…..319 Know street. She squealed, “Omgggg! Me, too!! So you know Peter and Nancy, the landlords? Wait a minute, do you have a little baby? Now I remember seeing you in the lobby! oh wow, we live in the same building!”
I did start to remember meeting her in the lobby one day with our landlord. But she wasn’t a glamourpuss, she was in her pjs and slippers, in total civilian comfy mode, so it took a minute to recognize her. I never would’ve guessed that girl in the lobby, who looked like the girl next door could transform into such a blonde bombshell that looked like she just walked out of a Playboy Magazine. From that moment on, we were joined at the hips. We would get booked together each week and clubs loved it. Then we were asked if we wanted to compete in the World Duo Championships at Monty’s, in Victoria, BC. What’s a duo Championship? It’s a contest where 2 entertainers put together a show. Well, we were all fired up-heck ya! So, we started to think of what we had that could go together , to keep costs down and not having to buy matching costumes and settled on a dog and cat show. I had a cat costume, and she had a dog. well, it was actually a reindeer, but we could make it look like a dog LOL Reflecting back, this concept was hilarious. The agents gave us the name, ‘Jailbait,’ for obvious reasons, we were both underage at the time.
We really didn’t know what we were doing, so, we created some props, like a fire hydrant (Don’t ask) and came up with some choreography that I knew from being a dancer and then the music mix to match the theme.
When we started watching the different duos performing, we were in awe! Duos were a big deal back then and many were touring acts that had spectacular shows with their owns lighting systems and pyrotechnics. Wheels to Neil were considered the contenders and Twice As Nice also has a solid reputation for performance. We actually made it to the finals and then won Audience Favorite!! But who wouldn’t love two 18 years old blondes bouncing around a stage acting ridiculous in a sexy kinda way/!!
After that, we were hooked. We both knew that we could create some really amazing shows like the big feature acts that we saw. So, we kept getting booked together every week, practiced and created and practiced and created. Living in the same building made it easy for us to get together after work to create our shows. We also decided that we needed a name change and came up with the name, the Natural Blonde Thrillers, a spin off from the movie, Natural Born Killers, which was huge hit at that time. We would watch dance videos after work to learn new dance moves and would watch and learn how to do cheerleader lifts. And then we started with our themes. There were 2 shows that we started creating: a cowboy theme and an army theme. There were ‘duo nights’ that you could sign up for on Thursday nights, so, we tried to book into those as often as possible. As we performed at the duo nights, clubs started to see our potential and it wasn’t too long until we were getting booked as an actual duo act. with our solo shows as well. And then the next contest, the West Coast Duo Championship, was happening. None of those bigger, established names were competing, so we really felt like we had it in the bag. Well, we ended up with 3rd place and were DEVASTATED. We were being booked and all of that hard work and ended with 3rd-WTH?! A lesson learned on being overconfident. Other entertainers who were featuring at the time took top spots and many said that they wouldn’t allow a couple of rookies to win over them. I will also add that our show was great, but it wasn’t exceptional. Though we were booked as a duo, we would be in a co-feature spot but still hadn’t solidified THE feature spot. And back then, you had to pay your dues! It usually would be a few years before an entertainer moved up to feature status. It was impressive to be a co-feature in your first year of dancing.
Well, that only fueled our Fire. We started to create an army show and really thought about every detail. We decided to start off with our voices singing an army song, that we pre recorded at a studio and then went into performing a skit. We sang that classic army song as we marched on stage and had pyrotechnics going off. I was the Sargeant, and she was the cadet. After a few, “Left Right Lefts, I’d say, “Accompany halt!” She falls into me acting like a Clusty army brat. I then would say, ” Accompany Halt! Attention! Are you playing games with me girl? Get down on your knees and give me 20….LICKS! 1, 2…3….oooh make it 50!” We thought it was funny, sexy and different. Everything was unfolding, song by song. We went with old classic army tv shows theme songs for the intro, F-Troop and Hogan’s Heros, keeping it recognizable and playful, then moved into, ‘We Will Rock You,’ by Queen and that’s when shit got real! Choreography to each beat! The cheerleading lifts to each beat. ‘War, What Is It Good For’ Followed by, ‘Love Is a Battlefield,’ where I become a doctor who needs to revive my fallen cadet with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and a full physical *wink wink* We ended the show with song, ‘Toy Soldiers’ and got all messy with a water show. We felt it in our bones that THIS was the one. This is a winner. Next up: the Ultimate Duo Championships!
This one was going to be a tough one. Some of the biggest features were pairing up to go for gold. The two that we considered our biggest rivals were Shannon Tate and Elizabeth Arden. They both had many contest titles, like, Miss Nude BC, one of the biggest titles you could win at that time and they were favored. “Who do these two rookies think they are……” that was a common statement amongst many, throughout the contest. Back when I started dancing, there was a pecking order and being a rookie, you were supposed to be seen, not heard. Those experienced dancers could be vicious. But I came out of northern Alberta oil country, we were like Vikings, so, I had a chip on my shoulder, something to prove and wasn’t intimidated by that BS. We didn’t let any of it bother us. We kept our eye on the prize. We had so much fun creating this show that we didn’t care. I guess we’ll just show them who we KNOW we are. Well, we made the final! At the end of our show we had a standing ovation and a double encore!! As they were calling the 2nd Runners up, we were so nervous but nope, not us, which means, we still have a chance! Then they announced the 1st Runners up, I could feel my heart beating in my throat…”Be Seeing You Twice, Shannon Tate and Elizabeth Arden,” omggg.. did we just win?!!! And the 1st place winners for the Ultimate Duo Championships are. . the Natural Blonde Thrillers!” What??!!! We did it?!!! This is where I learned, be so good they can’t ignore you. Do a show so spectacular, you can’t not win. If you don’t win, it’s too obvious that it was rigged and then the contest devalues itself. Because honestly, I believe, those 2 top features were supposed to win.
That was one of my happiest moments on stage! Kind of in shock but also, owning it and feeling like it was so earned. The Natural Blonde Thrillers went on to win every duo competition after that across Canada, 2-3 times over. Our winning streak was unbeatable. There was even one contest at the Caddy Shack, the West Coast Duo Championship, where some funny business happened during our show. We went on last and during our 3rd song, the music stopped The dj came over and said that the speakers blew and our show was over, to get off the stage. Fuck that! The show must go on! The dj came to the stage once more and yelled, “Your shows over!” And I said, “No it’s not! Hey everyone, we want you to sing for the next 5 mins, Heyyyyyy we want some psssssY”!! And the audience started laughing and singing, “Heeeyyyyy, we want some pussy!!”
Then they started pounding on the tables and chanting that for the next 5 mins so we could finish our show. We ended with a standing ovation and….we took first place!! There was another duo act that agent wanted to promote at that time and….Industry people may have been sick of us winning everything, that’s why I think that happened with our show. They weren’t expecting us to continue on, which won over the audience even more. For that performance, we were bikers, dressed in all black pvc, helmets on and did choreography with handlebars that had a big headlight on them. We made it look like we were driving around the stage. It was hot!
After that, my agent, Randy, said we should consider adding a trio partner. He kept booking us with another cute, blondie, Indica and we all got along, so, posed the question, can we do this? Do we want to do this? Why not?!!! So, we incorporated, Indica into our shows, taught her our routines and went on to win the World Trio Championships at Monty’s, the place where it all began.
SO….here I am, many years later and it has come full circle; I’ve just won the Nightmoves Duo/Trio Grand Championships with my current partners, Justice and Hayla Faye, together we are, ‘Fire & Ice.’!!
During Covid was when my idea to bring back the duo act emerged. At the time, I was mentoring a newcomer and during one of our sessions, I asked her if I could pick her up and throw her around. She was excited and said to go for it! So, I did some of those old cheerleading lifts I knew, and we nailed it. Then the thought came to mind…I hadn’t seen any duos in well over a decade, why not bring something different to this era, back to the stage BUT with upgrades in skill, like acro?!! I had seen some videos of people doing acro and found it to be a beautiful flow that demonstrates strength, balance, connection and flow. Having 2 women performing this on stage would be amazing! and just by a serendipitous moment, that man I saw in those acro videos happened to be at the gas station at the same time as my then partner and she asked him if he’d teach us acro…of course he would! And I was right about the demand for something new! Club owners and audiences loooooved it! I was able to sell the idea of my duo act and solidify a tour during the least likely of times, during the pandemic. It brought lightness to a time of uncertainty and frustration. It really did save my heart and soul. With the pandemic, I lost 3 years of what would have been my best tour and bookings to date with extremely lucrative contracts in the U.S., Australia and Canada. I wasn’t even sure if we would have an industry, let alone, features, after the pandemic, because the entertainment industry was hit so hard. I lost a lot at that time.
But the acro community in St. Pete saved my soul. This also never would’ve happened if I wasn’t forced to stop touring, so there were blessings inside of such a dark time. I would never have met all of those amazing people, created meaningful friendships and created shows that went on to shift the industry. With the success of my duo, other duos started to emerge. I then asked a contest promoter about putting together a duo contest and they went for it! The first ever, DUO COMPETITION, in the US! We competed and walked away with a deserved, 3rd place. Because we were the only touring duo act and had been together so long, we were seen as a contender. But our show fell flat. We buckled under the pressure and didn’t earn that first-place prize. The other duos killed it! They actually made me so happy and proud for bringing their ‘A’ game and making a great effort to put on an awesome show. They were outstanding and for most of them, it was their first time on stage together! It was amazing to watch these high caliber women come together to create something so exciting and inspirational. The contest promoter said that was the best contest they’ve held. That for the first time, people were glued to their seats, whereas at other awards shows, the feature shows were like an intermission where people would get up and start talking to each other, use the bathroom, get drinks, etc. Though we didn’t win, I still felt like a champion with what I was able to create.
Then for the following year, I posed the question, “How about a duo-TRIO competition?!!” They replied, “Can you find that many entertainers?” “ABSOLUTELY!! I will!!” I giggled with excitement.
And so here we are, the Nightmoves Duo/Trio Competition 2023! I just revel in this resurgence of the Duo -Trios that I was able to ignite and breathe life back into.
Who would’ve thought that this is where I’d be and what I’d be doing….still playing on stage. Passion in action! Upcoming blog will be the story on how I created the resurgence of the duo and trios.
Photos of Fire & Ice Trio Champions followed by the Natural Blonde Thrillers
November 8, 2023 | Categories: Diary of a Dancer | Comments Off on My Journey of the Duo & Trio Acts
My light sabers for my Star Wars show have been quite a spectacle more times that I can count.
There was this one time when my light saber must’ve shifted in my hockey bag when being placed into my Uber and kept humming the entire drive. It sounded like a vibrator! I was dying in the back seat! Finally, the Uber driver turned down the radio and said, “Do you hear something?” I burst of laughing and said, “Yes, it’s my light saber.” He started laughing and replied, “Light saber?” Giggling back trying to talk, I said, “Yep! From Star Wars, you know? The Force is strong during this Uber drive!”
My light sabers have also turned on in the airport line up waiting to check in. I just pretended to not hear the hum for a few minutes to see people’s reactions…that was my entertainment for the morning. Then I walked up to the counter, opened my bag, whipped out my light saber and turned it off.
When crossing the border once going into the U.S., the customs officers came in after searching my car and told me that I could get into trouble for having lethal weapons. I started laughing and said, “You found my light sabers!” The officer said, “Yes, they turned on as we were moving stuff around.” ? At least they had a sense of humor about it!
I had just performed in NYC at the infamous venue, Sapphire! THIS was an axperience I’ve had on my all time bucket list as a feature entertainer. The Big Apple, along with Las Vegas, for me, are a performers dream and it didn’t disappoint. Sapphire is located in Manhattan and my accomodation was a swanky, boutique hotel just off of Park Avenue. I was giddy flying into the city and just as excited as my Uber driver was making his way throught the traffic to my hotel. Being in New York also stirred up so much memories and emotions from when I was teenager and an aspiring model.
Growing up in what was then, small town Fort McMurray, I had aspirations to model. Well, my main aspiration was to be a popstar lol But at 12, I had started doing local fashion shows and the odd modeling gig, like being the cover model for a local photography studio located in the mall. At 13, I started going to, ‘Young Ladies Modelling School’, which was the first and only school of its kind and founded and taught by Yvonne Deprees. I actually had to quit air cadets and basketball to go these classes, as they were all on the same days…which was a tough decision to make BUT with the modeling school, there was an opportunity to be one of girls selected to go to a modeling convention in New York City at the end of the year….THIS is what sealed the deal for me! I wanted New York City.
Myself and my best friend, Kara, who looked like Brooke Shields, attended the school together for the school year. She actually had the look and the height but I had the work ethic. And then it came down to the selections for N.Y. and it was a small list, I believe 7-8 models were choosen and I was one of them! However, my celebrating was cut short when one of the chaparones had to cancel, leaving not enough chaparones for the trip. Because I was the last girl selected, I would be the one cut from the group. I was DEVASTATED! My world just feel apart as you can imagine any teen girl’s dreams being broken. My parents felt terrible and asked Yvonne if there was anyway to make an exception and she said that if my mother came, that would be enough chaparones for the trip. My family didn’t have enough money to cover the expenses of having my mother come with me, so my dad reached out to a few family members with no avail and then decided to sell his truck so that we could afford for my mother to come with me. Even just remembering back to this moment as an adult, makes me emotional. It sure is a different type of gratitute. I didn’t fully comprehend back then just how much of a sacrifice he was making for me but I sure do now. Profound gratitude. This gesture though, wasn’t just about a parent making a huge sacrifice but aslo showing me how much they believed in me and my dreams and to never give up.
So, off to New York we went! And it was AMAZING! I got to dance in a talent search (dancing was my main passion) and wowed the judges, however, was still uncomfortable with my body, so wore a bulky t-shirt over top of my dancewear, which costed me marks, They said if I just wore my dance outfit, I would’ve won. But boobs were coming in! I wasn’t comfortable with the girls yet lol However, I was selected to do a Coke commercial and partake in high fashion, fashion show, which was a big deal because I’m short. No one was expecting me to get it but I had the perfect walk and presence. So many memories with my mom like, seeing the Statue Of Liberty, walking through Central Park and having people try to sell us watches out of suitcases! That was crazy to us small town folk!
As I was waiting for my limo to come pick me up from my hotel, I couldn’t help but feel so happy in that moment as now, here I am, as an adult, waiting for my limo, in my swanky hotel about to headline at a venue in Manhattan. Well dad, I’m not a millionaire…yet, ther’s still time lol buuuuut here I am living my dream that started with an aspiration as a young girl, with two parents that taught her to always follow her dreams and that she could be anything and do anything she ever wanted. No limits.
And Sapphire was absolutely outstanding! The staff was exceptional, the club itself and the audience were outstanding. I had a successful performance and was told on the spot they’d rebook me not only at that one venue again but also the other two that they have in N.Y. Bumblebee stole the show! They said they hadn’t seen a feature of my calibre of show in a long time. And quite honestly, I was worried about doing my transformer. Bumblebee is so over the top, that whenever I’m in a new venue, especially one as highly regarded as Sapphire, it concerns me that people won’t ‘Get it.’ They might be expecting something more burlesquey style. I then reminded myself that BROADWAY was just down the street and if anyone would appreciate this scale of a show, it would be the New Yorkers….and they did!!
I have a few videos from this trip up on my IG @diaryofashowgirl_janinejericho
March 29, 2020 | Categories: Diary of a Dancer | Comments Off on NYC The Realization Of A Dream
“Instead of killing them with kindness, torture them with success” – David Goggins
Recently I’ve had 2 dancers who were dealing with negative, spiteful attitudes from other dancers within the industry, reach out to me for guidance on how to deal with these things. Both ladies are awesome entertainers with some successes under their belts, one in particular, is a rising star and slaying the Exotic dance scene. Very popular with audiences, winning awards and loved by some industry heavy weights. The bullying began once she started winning contests and was booked for her first feature week. In one instance, when she walked into a changeroom there was a comment written in permanent marker on the wall saying, “So and so is an escort and is sleeping with the agents.” She also had other people making degrading comments about her while she was within earshot in the changeroom…you know, HIGH SCHOOL SHIT! lol When we worked together, she said, “You know Janine, I try to be nice to everyone and treat everyone with kindness but it just doesn’t matter. Should I stop making such an effort to be kind? Is it always like this? Is it really this lonely at the top?”
I giggled and replied, “Welcome to the big girls club! You are now on a different playing field and are ruffling some feathers. Congratulations! This is not a bad thing. You are achieving success, and some people will feel threated by that but NEVER let that change you, being kind and a great performer is GOLD in this industry. Don’t allow them to make you jaded. It doesn’t matter how nice you are to everyone you will still be the villain in somebody’s story, so just be the hero in your own. Don’t stop being kind but don’t be afraid to create a boundary when one is needed. And NO, it’s not lonely at the top if you bring ‘your people’ with you. Your vibe attracts your tribe. Be clear with what kind of people you want to surround yourself with and you will connect with them. And sometimes, the toxic shitheads will maneuver their way into your circle-moths are attracted to light. But when the first red flag appears-LISTEN! And don’t ever beat yourself up for trusting the wrong the person and having rose colored glasses. Those qualities are tremendous and rare, just dust yourself off, cut the ties and move on.”
The best thing about success being the sweetest revenge, is that once you are having success, you are so damn happy that you don’t even give those negative Nancys a 2nd thought. They may have fueled your motivation in the beginning, giving you something to prove but then, are no longer are on your mind….but you are on theirs, as they watch your socials like a hawk. at one point, those haters might even start turning into your biggest fans. You won’t even be in a place where you spare a thought about them but there probably isn’t a day that goes by that they don’t think about you. How powerful is that. That’s why success is the sweetest revenge. And when I do hear the odd garbage talk about me by someone, my response is, “So what. Awesome! Good to know that they still think of me and I’m so relevant to them. Who are they again?” It has zero weight on how I feel and most certainly doesn’t penetrate my self worth or my ‘Awesomeness’ armor.
I have said more often then not, “I don’t get bitter, I get better and better then colossal!” For me, when someone is gossiping, I’m not really paying attention about who they are gossiping about but why and where are they on their journey to be spewing such stuff. Sometimes people need to feel popular, approved of, special or they just aren’t in a happy place. Happy, successful people don’t go around hating on others and trying to destroy them, they are too busy being happy and successful!
Online is such an easy place for cyber bullying to take place, I call them keyboard warriors. There was an incident where an entertainer I had adored and vouched for down here in the US, who used a lame excuse to create a hate train of online comments and bullying towards another dancer, that was completely unprovoked and unwarranted. As I watched this unfold, I was appalled and so disappointed. I decided to sleep on how I was going to deal with this episode. I really, REALLY wanted to stay out of the drama….but this dancer that was being ganged up on is someone I’ve mentored AND I just don’t agree with this bullshit behavior! As a mentor and veteran, I felt like I needed to lead by example and do something about this. It is fortunate that the dancer attacked is my girl and we’ve had many talks about dealing with people and situations like this and that she is so strong. If this were a woman who wasn’t so strong and/or struggled at all emotionally/mentally, the consequences to such bullying could be fatal. I myself, have gotten into it with people online and the one thing I’ve learned is that you can never argue with someone irrational and committed to their way of thinking about you. You can’t argue with crazy! Waste of time. So instead of jumping on the hate train newsfeed, where I’d probably just go back and forth with a lot of the minions of the attacker (there was an entertainer that did stick up and say something on that feed and that’s exactly what happened), I decided to post on my own social media my disdain for such acts and then went out of my way to help elevate that entertainer’s career by landing her an Australian Feature Tour, which isn’t easy to come by. Not going to engage with the peanut gallery and waste my valuable time, instead, I uplift and help elevate this dancer’s career even more. This entertainer went on to win a big award in the US after this. Yay, success!
In my interview with Peeled, the documentary, they asked me if since Vayda’s death, had I noticed a change within the industry. Vayda Kiss, was one of the most sweetest souls you’d ever meet and was an amazing entertainer. Though I don’t know her full story as to what lead her to take her own life, I do know that she dealt with some bullying from other dancers. Not saying it was the reason but I’m sure it didn’t ease the pain she clearly was going through. I actually hesitated for a minute. I had a flash of the ‘mean girls’ clique. But then thought of this industry 10-15 years ago, opposed to now and the truth is, the sisterhood is stronger and continuing to build and grow. When I look at the ladies in the industry right now, there are so many kindred spirits, so helpful, genuine. In my last few contests, you wouldn’t believe that we were competing against eachother because all the ladies are helping eachother with their shows. My answer to that question was, “Yes, there has been a change within the industry since her death. The sisterhood IS stronger and I believed that dancers such as myself, have been catalysts and leading by example” I do feel that I am continuously beating this drum of uniting women and building eachother up, not tearing eachother down. I even coined the hashtag #yesyouCANsitwithus demonstrating inclusion opposed to exclusion.
Yes, there are still going to be some ripples in the pond with people who don’t get along but it is way better now than when I first started dancing! Boy, the stories I have! And I will share! When I first started dancing, it was cut throat, it was a, “Fuck around and find out,” mentality.
I’ve also heard someone gossiping about another dancer, saying the same old same old: slept her way to the top. Bahaha! I think these types of things are often said about successful women. They need to sleep with someone to get ahead and/or some sort of accusation to discredit their character. Typical things said about women in hopes of destroying their reputation. I don’t take anyone’s word for it, ever. I need to see the video footage with my own eyeballs. Actually, with most accusations, I need to see it to believe it. There needs to be a, ‘For sure this person said or did this.’
You can’t sleep with the public and in the entertainment industry, it’s all about cultivating a fan base. If a feature is successful, being booked consistently, winning contests in different organizations, has a high showprice, invited to headline events…that comes from HER. And if she has a connection with a man in our biz, who the f$%^ cares?!!! That’s their business. He is not going to make her career. Maaaaybe a dancer has won a contest or an award from being involved with the right man at the right time but that doesn’t guarantee a successful, sustainable, CAREER. That’s going to come from her. There are entertainers who have won titles and still weren’t booked.
So, for the ladies out there feeling the heat from the peanut gallery, move through it and then move up from it, flying so high those opinions have no weight with you. Allow them to fan your flames. Fly so high that when you do look down, they just look like ants. You can laugh and add onto those rumors about yourself, keep them focused on you. No such thing as bad publicity. Keep talking shit, you’re making me famous! When there was another entertainer slagging me on Instagram, my followers increased by 200! I didn;t care what she was saying, I thought it was awesome that her fans were becoming mine!
Keep reaching, keep focused, keep happy, keep kind, keep humble and keep believing in your dreams. You will be the one living them, just don’t get distracted by the haters, that’s exactly what they want.
Long time! lol With the upsurge of maintaining my social media I have been quite distracted from writing my blog, but now I’m back! Where do I even begin?!! My last blog about, ‘Winding Down,’ is almost comical now. In my last interview I was asked about a cut off time, do I have one or just going to play it by ear….it seems my career has a mind of its own! So I am just going allow it to continue to soar as high as it can go and not be concerned with a cut off. Before I felt a bit rushed to hang up the stilettoes. I was ready to settle down with a man I had been involved with for 9 years, even started selling my shows {this is when you know a showgirl is for real about quitting-selling her shows} but things completely went sideways with that. That chapter of my life is book material, not blog material LOL But I can honestly say that this career has saved my soul from that experience.
As you read in my previous blog, momentum had completely picked up. I went down to Denver to compete in a contest I really wasn’t up for and ended up with huge success both on and off the stage. I was then offered a two week contract in Australia that rolled into a 3 month tour, came home from that tour and was invited to compete at the EDI’S, one of the most prestigious contests in the U.S. and walked away with 2nd place. Then was nominated for International Showgirl of the Year. I lost that one buuuuuut two American agents who always believed in me said that there was a place for me in the U.S. and to go for my visa. It was huge financial risk, that was my hesitation. I believe there is only one other dancer ever, who was approved to work in the US. The visa is very hard to obtain. Most people in the Canadian industry said not to try, I would never get it. But with the support of my agents and my lawyer, I decided what the heck?!! I’m going for it! And….I got it!! So now, I’ve been touring the U.S. for a year and a half and it has been the best part of my featuring career yet! This is what I’ve worked so hard for and exactly where I wanted to be. Example: On Friday I’m performing in New York City and then Saturday in Peoria, Illinois! Rockstar touring schedule with all of the perks!
I have also relocated to Florida and sometimes use South Carolina as a hub as well. I’m booked almost every weekend, so having Mon-Wed off leaves me options on where to spend it. I’m in full tour mode, so settle into quaint, little Airbnbs along the way has also given me the opportunity to see America, which in itself, has been amazing. I will eventually buy a place once I know where I want to be but my schedule isn’t slowing down yet and I am going to enjoy and fully utilize every experience touring gives me. Each week, new people, new venue, new energy…I love it! Some people might not adapt to living out of a suitcase but I do. Could be that I was settled in the civilian world for a while, so I now have a greater appreciation for this career now. My 2020 schedule is almost full with touring the US, going back to Australia for a second time, as I was just there to ring in the New Year and a few Canadian dates.
One of the best quotes I’ve heard was by Lady Gaga, “Some women choose to follow men, and some women choose to follow their dreams. If you’re wondering which way to go, remember that your career will never wake up and tell you that it doesn’t love you anymore.”
I feel so incredibly blessed with how things happened. There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t feel honored to be here. I feel like I dodged a bullet. This career caught me when I was falling and then gave me wings to soar to heights I never could’ve imagine.
March 4, 2020 | Categories: Diary of a Dancer | Comments Off on Recap
Hey Friends! You can check out my publication in Wild Vixens Magazine now! If you download a hard copy, I will personally autograph it for you whenever I’m in your city performing.
You can upload a digital version or order a hard copy here: https://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/1732212?__r=444404
March 4, 2020 | Categories: Diary of a Dancer | Comments Off on Wild Vixens Mag Followed My Shows At the Nightmoves Event
Hot off the press!! I just had an interview with Rochelle Chetwynd, owner of Showgirls International and who writes for Strip Magazine!! I loved some of the questions she asked in this one
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