Dancer Archive
Thread: Guide: Making A Living as a Dancer
The biggest concern for any entertainer - dancer or musician - is making enough money to keep going. There are costumes to buy, instruments, house maintenance, and so forth, with no reliable source of income. Before I start addressing income, let me visit the issue of expenses first.
As a dancer, you don't have any item requirements to do your job. No weapons, no kits or harvesters - those are all optional based on your alternate pursuits. To dance, all you have to have is an outfit. But that outfit can be very important and, ultimately, expensive.
In the dancer profession, costumes are not a luxury, they are the tools of our trade. We are all about image and visual illusion. The more carefully you craft your image the better-known you will be, and coincidentally the more tips you will see. That image includes costuming but more importantly it is the personna you project in your work.
Starting out, you can get by with some hot pants and a dress blouse, but if you are serious about this I suggest that you start making friends with tailors wherever you can find them. That means being gracious, advertising for them without being asked, and patronizing their shops when you have the cash for another outfit. Tailors and Dancers are symbiotic - their goods help us, our visibility helps them.
I'm not urging you to demand free clothing. That would be presumptuous. But I will tell you that I do get free clothing at times simply because I've networked with some very good tailors who appreciate the business I send their way, and they know if I'm seen wearing their latest hot-pink robe, the word will be spread to other players.
As for tips -- the first thing I'd urge is that you NEVER use a macro asking for tips during your performances. While this may get some results, it will also put off some customers and can be self-defeating. It's far better to use the more subtle approach with comments like "I hope you enjoy the healing we provide!" or "Please make yourselves at home and enjoy our performance". That gives the patrons a less-pressured sense of being in charge of their own decision to tip and reminds them that you are providing a service. Some dancers feel it's their right to ask for tips - and that's their choice but this can be a controversial issue. I've been in groups where people were /kicked for spamming for tips. If you simply must, please use discretion.
Lesson One in Dancing is that many players never tip. That's just a fact of life. Don't let it bother you. You can manage without them, and pushing them will only make you look less socially graceful, harming your image. Your focus should be on those who do tip.
If you are earnest about gathering money, there are two pretty reliable methods: One is to do entertainer gig missions for your local guild. In these, you will be given a waypoint outside the door of a cantina or theatre. Go inside, dance continuously without stopping until you get the mission reward message. There's no negatives to deleting a mission that takes you somewhere you don't want to go, so feel free to delete until you find one that's nearby.
The second method is to establish yourself as a familiar face at a busy cantina. There are cantinas in almost every town in the galaxy - but picking an empty one will mean you don't advance in healing skill as quickly (which depends on being /watched) and it will mean you won't see as many tips. On the other end of the extremes are those spots where large groups of entertainers congregate to practice and have fun. On Chilastra server, Theed is known for this - but while the Dancing xp is insane here, you will rarely ever see a tip. There aren't that many customers and the competition is too stiff.
It would be far better for you to find a smaller cantina somewhere such as Kaadara, Moenia, Mos Eisley or Bestine - where there is a steady stream of adventurers needing heals and not too much competition for tips. In these places, be a regular face, make friends, try to establish a pleasant reputation with the customers. It will eventually pay off.
This may take some exploring. I found a small cantina on an out-of-the-way moon where entertainers hardly ever go but higher level adventurers frequently do. The sight of an entertainer is appreciated so much there that the size of the tips more than made up for the few number of them.
Once I reached Master Dancer and opened alternate revenue streams, I could afford the costs of interplanetary travel - I now tend to rotate my appearances among 2 or 3 cantinas, making sure I turn up in each one a couple of times per week. It's part of my strategy for building as wide a network as possible.
Now, back to costuming for a moment. You do not need to have the most revealing flesh wrap or exotic leotard to get the job done. The secret to getting good tips is to talk to the customers -- project a friendly, welcoming warmth, show interest in their experiences and let them know you're there for THEM. I have a set of brightly colored formal gowns I will sometimes wear in addition to a Grand Healer's Robe (love the cowl-up look) and the usual hot pants, flesh wraps, bikinis, etc. I rotate these costumes regularly, so as to always present a visually interesting look. I will even use the Smokebomb effect as a screen to quickly change clothes during a dance. It takes some dexterity on your part and hopefully no lag, but the effect is very nice.
You can stand out by being CLASSY rather than TRASHY. Soliciting for lap dances is generally frowned upon by other dancers unless you happen to get hired for one of the recently rising private 'Gentlemen's Clubs'. Furthermore, you cannot ever be sure of the age of a customer. Soliciting for virtual sex could not only jeopardize your game account with SOE but it might also involve you in legal trouble if a protective parent sees you coming on to their 10 year old kid.
I've heard stories of dancers getting as much as 2,000c for a lap dance, but quite honestly I think those are rarities. Don't think it's the only way you can accumulate cash. It's not.
The real secret to succeeding as a dancer lies in building networks of friends - tailors, other dancers and patrons are all important.
* Tailors can provide the costumes you need, sometimes free or at reduced rates.
* Other dancers spread the word about upcoming job openings. I've been paid some nice cash to dance at weddings, and I got it because the PA included some dancers I'd worked with. It pays to know people. If you work in one regular group, give yourselves a name and do synchronized dances to draw attention to yourselves.
* Patrons will include artisans and adventurers who are trying to build PA towns - usually featuring their own private cantina. If you're a regular face and they feel comfortable with you, you might just get a job offer for a private cantina. The advantage there is a controlled environment, stipulated working conditions and a more intimate atmosphere. It doesn't have to be a 'strip club' to work very well.
All this takes time, of course. You won't ever really be rich just by dancing, but running delivery or destroy missions will take time away from raising your dancing skills. It's a tough decision - my suggestion is to put Dancing first and foremost and let the missions wait until you've reached your goal.
In closing, maybe the real secret to dancing is to enjoy it. If you're having fun and the music and interaction make you smile, it will show in the way you deal with your customers. A friendly, smiling dancer is one hundred times more likely to be tipped than one who never speaks.
A quick tip for entertainers, on Lok we need dancers/musicians 'badly'. The one's that are there are usualy other adventurers who have novice ent. Everyone on Lok is loaded with creds, have lots of wounds and a great place for performers to make a lot of creds and xp during the busy times.
It was Lok I was referring to.Of course, once the word spreads it won't be as intimate anymore.
Of course, once the word spreads it won't be as intimate anymore.
Sinda Blackstar
Won't be as Intimate anymore? Ma cherie amore...i'll always treasure the special time we had while the place was only ours. The joy of your hips, the touch of your lips...how you used to giggle when my ass would wiggle. Ahh...memories....
*sniffs* so long intimate Lok.
I just want to back up the point about costumes. It's *really* not necessary to run out and by a revealing fleshwrap as soon as you can afford it. Since I am working on the tailor tree myself, I don't wear any clothing I cannot make (I get too many people asking how much for my outfit that way heh). You can make a lot of really great looking outfits that don't make you look like you're wearing 2 band aids and a triangular scrap of cloth, and you will still get tips (I do!)
Not to mention that on my galaxy at least, I see all kinds of people wearing the flesh wraps. Go to the med center, at least one of the medics will be wearing one, people on the street will be wearing one, often half the dancers will be wearing one... The 'shock value' has really worn off so wear something that makes you look *good*. And remember, bikini leggings really make you look like you have thunderthighs so just because they show a lot of skin you don't HAVE to wear them! If I were on the other side of the tip equation, I'd tip the dancer that wore clothing in a flattering color for their skin tone and that 'fit' well, not the one wearing the tiniest outfit even though it doesn't look all that great on them.
>> I found a small cantina on an out-of-the-way moon where entertainers hardly ever go but higher level adventurers frequently do. <<
You found? Wasn't there a musician there who told you about how much the adventurers needed company? 
Great tips by the way! Entertaining is not bullying for tips. It doesn't have to be vulgar to earn you money eother. It's all about entertaining the customers. Do that, and you will both have fun (if you enjoy the class, obviously) and a larger pile of credits at the end of the night.
Also, in the interest of fairness, it must be said that entertaining is not a fast way to riches or even a viable only professionfor everyone. Sinda and a few other masters on Chilastra are quite in a class of their own. As a not so quite focused entertainer (musician actually), I'm glad I have 2 jobs on the side (doctoring and running missions) to help me maintain my lifestyle. The tips I get while performing are a nice bonus but, ultimately, I do it for the fun of interacting with the players.
Keep posting those tips!
Wendelius, aka Medecihn, Novice Doctor and Musician on Chilastra.
Thank you so much for the guide, Sinda. I initally picked up dancing to help out my group, my primary profession is scout (going for ranger). However, thanks to a really great group in the Coronet cantina, I find that dancing is much more fun than skinning durnis
I'll be putting your advice to good use!
There is a currently NO way a player can survive on tips alone if they want to have the same chances/income as characters who craft, run missions or collect resources. The honor system has never worked.
Your guide is flawed. There will only ever be a small percentage of entertainers (mostly masters) who can survive on tips because there are only a small percentage of players will tip appropriately. A better guide would be to show entertainers where they can get money on the side through a less time consuming/sapping method than training fighting skills and running destroy missions.
1) Pick up a secondary profession. (If you want to be noncombat try your hand at image design or a crafting skill).
2) Gather resources. Sell the resources on the baazar.
3) Run entertainer missions.
4) Dance only for paying customers. (At a player run venue or in the backroom at a cantina.)
I disagree that they cannot live on tips alone. Running missions, i usualy make 10k creds every 10 minutes. Give or take a few creds, and my laziness, around 60k an hour. Which is actually low concidering i know players who make over 100k an hour.
An entertainer cannot hope to match that, but they don't need to. I spent a lot of money to get top of the line weapons. I'm talking custom made retarded stats. I pay a lot for those. Then, large house, clothing factory, composite armor (just for fun) and a few other things. All those cost a lot of creds.
An Entertainer doesn't need crazy stats weapons, as combat is not there main focus. They don't need composite armor, as most of there stats would prevent them from wearing it. A house? sure, but it's a luxury. They really don't need a 'large' house unless they want to bling bling. Factories? Unless they have a crafting profession that requires it, not really.
There expenses are on clothing and then whatever they need for secondary classes. And, Entertainers make friends who are Tailors (who make things for them for free or at a reduced price.). And good entertainers make friends who will tip them very well because they know the entertainer needs the creds.
Bottom line, once they establish themselves in the community, there money woes 'should' be over.
Reachwind wrote:
There is a currently NO way a player can survive on tips alone if they want to have the same chances/income as characters who craft, run missions or collect resources. The honor system has never worked.
This is correct. No one is going to argue that Dancing alone with tips will produce equal income as other more profitable professions. I really doubt dancers want to just have all that money (I mean, where do you hide it in that flesh wrap?)
No. The guide is VERY good. (Great job Sinda). Some people in the world do not want to run missions, do not want to kill things, etc. They want to role play a life of being a dancer. This guide is for these people. The name of the guide implies exactly what it is. You should go look for the post "Guide: Being a Dancer and making money on the Side"
Reachwind wrote:
Your guide is flawed. There will only ever be a small percentage of entertainers (mostly masters) who can survive on tips because there are only a small percentage of players will tip appropriately.
Great job, Sinda. As you know, my primary business is Music, not dance, but I do dance on the side (seeking Master Entertainer now). I've made most of my money on tips, and I'm living quite well. I find that players tend to tip musicians (and dancers) who play their roles well -- converse, chat, shmooze, flirt, whatever.
One comment on your guide, though: buying "hot pants and a blouse" didn't work for me.
- Ricky Starwalker, Master Musician, Chilastra
However, I haven't seen you back there lately either - did you abandon all those hapless adventurers by the Sulfur River?
Reachwind wrote:There is a currently NO way a player can survive on tips alone if they want to have the same chances/income as characters who craft, run missions or collect resources. The honor system has never worked.
Well, hang on a minute. Define "success"? If a player's goal is to excel at PvP, they're going to do it as a fighter, not a Dancer. By the same token if their goal is to get rich, they should be an architect or a tailor, not a Dancer. The point isn't that one can manipulate tips in such a way as to be affluent -- the point is that it IS possible to live on your tips. Maybe you just haven't gotten that far, but I can assure you that while I also do combat missions now as a TKA novice, I make sufficient cash off tips to fund my house maintenance and pay for shuttle fares. What other expenses does a Dancer really have? You've never heard of the Starving Artist?
Your guide is flawed. There will only ever be a small percentage of entertainers (mostly masters) who can survive on tips because there are only a small percentage of players will tip appropriately.
I clearly made two points in the guide that you must have missed: 1) Most players will never tip, and 2) That's fine because if you choose your venue right and build your image, you CAN survive on tip money. I also pointed out the gig missions for extra cash, did I not?
A better guide would be to show entertainers where they can get money on the side through a less time consuming/sapping method than training fighting skills and running destroy missions.
My guide focused on Dancing only. By now it should be pretty obvious to most players that there are other ways to make money -- BUT as I also pointed out, running missions takes away from your time dancing and improving your skills. As long as a Dancer can manage without the missions, they should focus on the dancing. Money can wait.
1) Pick up a secondary profession. (If you want to be noncombat try your hand at image design or a crafting skill).2) Gather resources. Sell the resources on the baazar.
3) Run entertainer missions.
4) Dance only for paying customers. (At a player run venue or in the backroom at a cantina.)
None of which has anything to do with dancing, except for (3) which is neither practial or recommendable as a normal matter of course. You cannot select who you dance for when you begin the career -- and in FACT, by limiting who /watches you, you are only hurting your own Entertainment Heal XP and thus your rate of advancement. It's far better to stay in the public eye.
As for backroom private dances, again we're crossing the line into an area my guide was never intended to cover. Most dancers do not care to give private dances - the whole idea suggests to the customer that it's ok to be overtly sexual with the dancer and opens up a new can of worms. I simply do not believe that prostituting oneself is a requirement to making a living as a Dancer, and my guide was intended to demonstrate that idea.
Clothes:
They are our main 'weapons'. The more the better. No, you don't have to run wraps all the time. Start off slow and work your way up. When you get that first matching top, hotpants, and shoes it will make your day. From there you continue to increase your wardrobe.
A talented dancer knows how to use her clothes to best effect. Some dances are done best with different combinations of clothes. A wrap looks great while ancing exotic, but something less revealing is better with Footloose, etc.
Image:
Image is EVERYTHING. You have to start building this from day one. As your image grows and your name is known more and more, the benefits grow and grow.
Dancing:
Anyone can click flourishes or make a macro that repeats itself. The great dancers work hard on their dances and combos. You want to get noticed, then you want to hold their attention. Poplocking 2 flourishes over and over is not gonna keep a persons attention.
Keep on dancing!!