femmeinvelvet 2.0

@femmeinvelvet2 / femmeinvelvet2.tumblr.com

I girlblogged too close to the sun

Shakedown, the club, emerged from a post-RIOTS, post-OJ, post-integration but still very racially divided Los Angeles. In this divided city Shakedown is an independent, all black and all female cash economy. SHAKEDOWN emphasizes the symbiotic nature of how things work in this system. We track the dollar that's spent at the club. It goes from patron to dancer, to the dancer buying all the things that contribute to the illusion of her show, which is her weave, her nails, her outfit, her CD, and her sound effects. It also tracks the dollar to the behind-the-scenes action, paying the bills and supporting families. The dollar gets tracked back into the club as the performers create new shows. Patrons contribute more money and the cycle continues. Described by some as a second home, yet tellingly dancers deal with issues of shame and the illegal nature of the venue.

Leilah Weinraub's website for Shakedown, her documentary film about a Black lesbian strip club, released in 2018

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