Nightclub dancer's plight: 'we are not prostitutes'

FEMALE dancers have come out guns blazing, saying they are tired of being mistaken for prostitutes by revellers who patronise nightspots where they perform.

The dancers, most from popular dance groups said revellers need to appreciate that they are not hookers and should not be treated as such.

A Shosholoza dance group member, Maureen Tshabangu, who has been in the business for 10 years said although she enjoys entertaining people, it is a tormenting ordeal to deal with revellers who treat them as prostitutes.

For the better part of her career, Tshabangu has had to turn down many men who offer her money for sex.

"It's upsetting for someone to think that you're a prostitute just because they see you dancing at a nightclub. I've had to politely turn down these bizarre offers for the past 10 years, keeping my cool and explaining to patrons that I'm not what they take me for," Tshabangu said.

Though it affected her during her first years as a dancer, Tshabangu grew to appreciate that she had to maintain a professional attitude towards revellers.

"My family knows and appreciates the nature of my job. Once I hit the club, I focus on my job description and always view myself as an individual who deserves to be respected."

Another dancer from Ziyawa dance group Barbra Ngwenya echoed similar sentiments.

"I've come across several male revellers who approach me for sexual favours in exchange for money.

The problem is that if male revellers see you at a bar they assume that you're there for prostitution, which is not the case. As a professional dancer this makes me feel bad," said Ngwenya.

Famous stripper and pole dancer Zoey however said some dancers were to blame because of the way they handle themselves after shows.

"Sometimes it's not revellers' fault as some of these strippers/dancers, instead of going home, head straight to hotels where they are spotted by some revellers. As a result, the revellers assume that they will be there for prostitution," Zoey said.

"My crew and I make sure we head straight home after performances."

She however said dancers needed to work together to avoid such labels.

"As dancers we've to work together so we teach each other important things about our trade. That's the only way we can show people that we firmly stand by what we do and not on how they judge us."

Another Shosholoza dance group member, Cleopatra Khumalo, said most revellers needed to be schooled as they do not take dancing as a profession due to the various stereotypes.

"Some people don't view dancing as a profession at all. What more if one is dancing at a nightclub? The misconception gets way muddy. People who understand that dancing is a profession can never mistake us for prostitutes, it's only those who don't understand what we do who mistake us for prostitutes," Khumalo said.