An initiatory journey to strip clubs

Everyone seeks their destiny.

The paths we take to find ourselves are filled with choices, accomplishments, and challenges.

I've always been driven by the pursuit of beauty, inspired by the aesthetics of sensuality, and fascinated by self-expression through art. Everything seems to come together in the energy of movement. Seeking, creating, and bringing beauty into everything is what nourishes the essence and magic of life.

My main source of exploration is the human material. Our relationship with our bodies needs to be regularly questioned and revisited to be reborn. It must be both honored and free from taboos; it should be able to move between different states, expand, and return to its origin. It shapes itself through history like dough kneaded with strength and love.

When the body becomes an artistic medium

The show must go on !

My first steps into the artistic and public performance of dance, in other words, shows, began in the years 2016-2017. A dancer friend introduced me to this extravagant world, which I have never left since. During this period, I danced, modelled, and posed in fantastical costumes to entertain crowds at private and public events – I'll soon share photos and unique stories from these performances. I also participated in two exotic pole dance competitions. These experiences transform the body into a tool for work, performance, and wonder.

Finally, regarding pole dance, I would add that it is a mesmerizing and extraordinary artistic sport because it generates a strong sensual and emotional charge. This practice is sometimes still misunderstood, judged, and associated with sultry strip clubs and the unchanging image of the woman-object. This ultra-sexualized, alluring, potentially fatal woman. A pleasure island accessible for a price; a wonderful power that doesn't truly belong to her anymore, a woman serving the desires and whims of men. This is what striptease and its clubs evoke. It undoubtedly resonated similarly in my mind, and it's a reality, but only a partial one. Only a total immersion allows for a full understanding, to fully embrace a role and play its game. Behaving according to agreed or tacit standards, norms, and rules of an environment is the only way to form your own opinion. Since self-surpassing and discovering the world of pole dance appeared to be the driving force of my journey, it seemed essential to me to infiltrate strip clubs and collect life-changing insights from them.

But... Where did this (crazy) idea come from?

The discovery of pole dance.

An absolute fanatic of gym workouts for several years, I appreciated the physical results but noticed gaps in the development of my body's functional and emotional intelligence. It felt like there was a void in the real and natural expression of my deep nature. At the gym, I repeated mechanical, and non-functional movements, and even though I was always developing new exercises, it wasn't enough for my body to feel complete and my soul to vibrate.

I started doing some research online and discovered pole dance, a sport so little known at the time. I was amazed to find a new world full of promises; an exploration of power and sensuality. A world where art and creativity opened up infinite possibilities. I was captivated by the incredible dance heels with their colourful, glittery designs; they sparkled brightly in my mind. It was time to take action!

So, I decided to enrol in a few pole dance classes to start, but the teaching seemed of poor quality and the atmosphere was not very welcoming. So, being the autodidact that I am, I decided I would learn it on my own, just like I did with gym workouts. Sometime later, I received my pole and my pole dance heels! This was what I wanted: to explore my femininity with a spicy, artistic, and unique touch. I saw it express itself through the erotic symbolism of the heel. I imagined it extending infinitely in the aesthetic of a leg beautified by the sparkle and colour of the shoe. I envisioned it unfolding within me, projecting the image of the professional dancer I was becoming onto my mental screen.

The pole dance adventure could begin! It took the form of a profession in 2018 after I obtained a pole dance instructor diploma. It was a true revelation to share the best of myself in the service of others' growth. I felt in my element, in a virtuous profession capable of developing the body, mind, and artistic spirit. Unfortunately, pole dance was still not very widespread in Tel Aviv at that time, so clients were rare. I was looking for ways to make money through pole dance and guess what...

My strip tour in Europe!

2019, the turning point.

So, at the end of February 2019, I set out to explore beauty, dance, and performance through various strip clubs in Paris, Geneva, and London.

I wanted to join high-end clubs with a good reputation and European culture. I planned to leave for two weeks and start with a club in Paris, but my taste for adventure pushed me to extend my journey for more than three months.

Intense, intoxicating, inspiring, and of course exhausting, this challenge kept me on my toes and brimming with energy six days a week.

The adventure began with the (slightly crazy) bet of being hired at the Pink Paradise in Paris after an on-site audition. Living in Tel Aviv, I couldn't deny the risk of failure, yet my decision to explore this world was unwavering. I had contacted the club to try to gauge my chances of being hired, but the response was clear: "We hire our dancers on-site, during an audition in front of the club staff." Despite my fears and fear of the unknown, I felt capable of facing the situation, passing the audition, and winning my bet. The experience was positively received by my loved ones, whose support was invaluable. Having my sister there that day was a real blessing; a virtuoso of makeup and fashion, the makeover session was as exhilarating as it was comforting. The shared energy of enthusiasm and joy with my sister played an important role in the success that was to come. I will always remember the day of the audition, when my sister and I saw the club's iconic logo, walked towards the entrance, filled with excitement and apprehension... (I invite you to read my article on my first steps at Pink Paradise if you haven't already!)

I love those moments when turning back is no longer an option, where thoughts no longer have a place, and only action matters in the pursuit of self-transcendence. It is precisely in these moments that life reveals its secrets.

I will tell you...

Without detours or taboos.

After about three weeks at Pink Paradise, I set off for Geneva to explore other horizons at places like Aigle Noir and Sensi Strip Club. Then I flew to the Sophisticat in London. Finally, I ended the adventure with a second stay at Sensi in Geneva. I will tell you about the very unique experience at Aigle Noir, a moment between heaven and underground, but rich in lessons and memorable memories. As if the best is always reserved for the end, I will tell you about the rest of my journey at Sensi, which remains my favourite club in a city I loved. I felt an incredible energy there, even though I was physically exhausted after more than two months of wild dancing every night from 9 PM until early morning.

I will tell you how I held on, how I did everything to stay in shape, and how I learned everything by trying, observing, and imagining...

What my lifestyle was like, the good choices, and the mistakes that such a lifestyle doesn't forgive. I will tell you what it feels like when you do a striptease, when the contact with a client is different from others, when work becomes a playground, or when a client asks you to follow him to his hotel.

I have seen and heard everything that is not said, everything whispered in the ear or hidden in private rooms. I have learned so much that many of these things still lie dormant in the veils of my memory. I will tell you everything gradually, inspired by the context in which these writings come to me.

To be continued,

Sophie Atlan (SoExotic)