Gentlemens clubs in Melbourne have a long and storied past. They date back for generations and have formed part of the entertainment scene that Melbourne is known for. From their earliest beginnings, they were part of the adult entertainment that was in most cases were hosted by burlesque performers and carnivals. In the past, you would find these clubs in the outskirts of most cities or hidden behind blacked-out windows. Today’s clubs are more flashy, open, and accessible – they have come a long way from being associated with the seedy side of adult entertainment managing to differentiate themselves from the infamy of brothels. There is an air of respectability that comes with going or being in a gentlemen’s club.  

In the interest of delving into the sexy side of the history of gentlemens clubs here are a few things you probably didn’t know about gentlemens clubs:

Erotic dance has been around for centuries

We call it “exotic” because the performance you will experience at a gentlemens club doesn’t fall within the confines of the modern form of dancing. Exotic dancing has been around for centuries. You’ve seen belly dancers, a dancing style that goes back to ancient Persia, and then the modern “twerking” has strong similarities to dancing styles in West Africa. What has happened is that these old dance styles have been sexualized especially because the women get to a point where they have to take their clothes off. 

Modern strip shows took on different forms

In the 1900s, adult exotic dancers have had to adapt their dancing in a creative way so as not to offend the sensibilities of the establishment. There were laws that they had to abide by, certain things that were branded as illegal and could not be incorporated into their acts. So they had to be creative and find ways to express themselves without crossing the lines, and so dancing styles like fan dancing were created. 

Pole Dancing and its ancient roots

A lot of people might think that pole dancing is a new form of dance style. This is not the case. Some theories place the origins of pole dancing in Africa. According to historians, there are African tribes where a future bride dances around a wooden pole in a sexually suggestive manner. This is done to get the husband-to-be excited. 

Pole Dancing made its way into gentlemen’s clubs in the late 1960s as a source of entertainment. Nowadays, pole dancing has become an art form that has transcended the gentlemens club and it is now incorporated into fitness regimens, there are even organizations that promote the act of pole dancing as a sport and this idea has been gaining traction as more people take up pole fitness to competition level. These days you can find poles in gyms. This idea has led many to campaign for pole dancing to be part of the Olympic Games. 

The ups and downs in the history of gentlemen’s clubs

For western countries like America and Australia, striptease was featured in burlesque shows and traveling carnivals. Back then the starts of the shows were the likes of Gypsy Rose Lee and Sally Rand. Despite the rising popularity and widespread interest for sexy, adults-only entertainment, there were widespread bans put in place around the 1930s, and a lot of clubs buckled under the pressure of censorship. The once-infamous clubs that had fallen into disrepair began to rise from the ashes around the 1960s.  Things took a dramatic turn in the 70s when more clubs started to feature dancers. 

Now that you know a little about the history of gentlemen’s clubs you might want to experience a bit of what the modern clubs have to offer. There might be plenty of strip clubs in Melbourne; few have successfully elevated themselves to gentlemen club level. The good thing about Melbourne is that it is liberal and many of these clubs can be found in the CBD.