The following are reasons that I have heard from dancers as to why they chose this line of work:
It beats the slavery of office work
To supplement her income as a nurse/hairstylist/etc.
To support herself while she persues her acting career
This job is only temporary until she makes it big in show biz
Because she's a single mother and this pays the bills
She's a teenage runaway and she doesn't know what else to do
To support her musician and future rock-star boyfriend
To support her drug habit
To support her boyfriend's drug habit
To sell drugs in the club
To find clients for prostitution
Her boyfriend/husband got her into it
She loves her job and considers it a valid career choice (admittedly, the only dancer I heard make this claim was abusing painkillers, was sexually abused as a child, and was struggling with mental health problems)
She's pretty and she's always seen herself as a sex object - what else would she do?
The money's great and she's addicted to the money
She has no job skills or higher education
She's initially attracted to the glamour of the job
This is her foray into pornography and "feature dancing"
This supplements her income as a porn actress
She can't find another job
She identifies with the "demi-monde" and the stripper lifestyle
She's not a stripper, she's a "performance artist"
She's not a stripper, she's a "burlesque queen"
The one I feel should be added---Because they want to...why does it always have to be negative reasoning behind it. Another thing that bothers me is the common association with strippers and rap music. Can we please grow-up. The video girls being associated with strippers associated with porn stars thing is getting lame and tiresome. People just need to accept people for who they are. The current generation is going so far away from that core value, that I don't want to be a part of where they are going.
Back when i was driving a cab in Chicago, I could swear I heard all those same reasons given by cab drivers, 'or they would leave tomorrow, no questions asked.' The reasons given by the passengers were even worse. That's why I'm a Volunteer of America, now!
Just kidding. Actually I've been thinking there has been a growing trend of assertiveness from the ladies over the past 10 years, or so. A lot (notice I didn't say 'most') of performers have decided they like the job, and/or they like the money and the only people who see anything in the job that they should be ashamed of, are people who shouldn't be in the club in the first place. I didn't say 'most' because many people like to gripe about their jobs, and their first answer should never be taken as gospel. i also didn't say it was a trend in honesty, but how many people do answer that question honestly, particularly when its asked by a client? if it were asked of me while i was dancing, I would probably find myself answering with a bit of gallow's humor, or worse. Do you think that could be what you are seeing in your little impromptu poll? Now, if only management could do something about keeping those other people out of the club, we would have progress at our fingertips.