Playground-in Ballard (Seattle, Washington)
I have more personalized to dancers information that is available by joining the union. (Strippersareworkers) There are also more conversations that we have after one person presents either their experiences or the contracts of the clubs themselves. With this club, there is one stage and both of the poles as of 5/1/2025 are static. This may impact some dancers’ stages if they are more inclined to pole tricks on the spinning pole. There are mirrors that allow everyone to be seen in the reflection of the stage. There are two ways on and off the stage.
Locker room was an upstairs area that had steep stairs with a turn into the main area of the club. There were limited lockers and lack of privacy (no door to the locker room). The people who I did get to speak with were all very kind and they are actively hiring. The girl before me did get hired.
The dance areas are a long couch that extends along a wall and parallel to it are small private rooms. It reminds me of the more dive clubs in Portland, Oregon. The waitress at the club when I was there was so kind, and we talked about the industry changes over the past 10 years. We talked about how men all have their particular way of enjoying the club. I love that we were able to connect about the deletion of some of the sites that used to exist before FOSTA / Sesta. We talked about how covid changed the market and how it’s harder to get people out of their homes and into the clubs.
This club may be small but was the home club to many dancers beginning of their journey in the industry. It makes it hard to process the changes or lack their of. Please know that my interviews, reviews, and audition reviews are only based upon my own experience. Clubs are very much going to hire who they believe will make money. It definitely affects the hiring process for any dancers who are alternative, not traditionally “attractive”, or what have you. These business decisions are not a reflection of your worth as a performer!
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The decision to be Publicly Known
I have had the worries of my name being released for ten years. It is one of every entertainers, vloggers, or streamers worst fear to have a privacy invasion like this. I had kept my name offline until hate forums had released it maliciously. It was hard to process in 2020 but so far largely has had little consequences for my in person life. I am of the few that can say that and know that those who released it have and will try to stalk me in the future. I learned however that my name is nothing more than an intro. I often go by Liminal or by Winona. So, when the Seattle Times had asked myself and another dancer to use our first names for an article; I was hesitant. I knew that reclaiming my image and association to name. I am able to be one of the few on this story because others were not able to. I already had bit that bullet years ago.
The opportunity to work with someone like the Seattle Times is opening my world up to a lot of eyes. I choose to put this publication under my legal last name. It is something that I have feared being said allowed in rooms that I am not that person in. I am more than what a name can contain and I wish to show you all of my journeys within this industry, traveling, and learning how to better show up for my community by interviewing them to hear their stories.