The C th Sun Wednesday, November 23, 1994 Carriers needed now for Arrow Lakes Drive. Relief carriers needed for south end to deliver newspapers Wednesday and on the weekends. Call Marge at Castlegar 365-5266 between 8:30 & 5 pm Monday to Friday Russian hockey star becomes a Maple Leaf Sterling News Services _ ‘When 16-year-old Sergey Var- lanov suited up last week for his first Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey game, he hoped this would be his final stop on what has already been a very long road Since landing in the Great White North in mid-August, the 5°11", 175-pound native of Kiev, “I don’t want to do any more travelling...I want to stay here and play in Nelson,” said Var- to play here...I like it here (already).” But why Canada? Or, for that matter, why Nelson? Look no farther than a few fel- low countrymen for the answer. “He wants to follow in the However, an injury start | of | the wehin « po Hockey League,” said Nelson's league governor Ken Melnick, who is y ‘ing the , ending any Tw = pry until I broke my collar bone on the last day of training camp,” said Russian transplant. “Sergey and his agent (in Cal- ) realize the best way to ful- fs ee ply hockey in wa is why Varlanov decid- ed to make the trek to North America. “J leave the Ukraine because in Ukrania I play on... it's not a bad team, it's a good team, my team I play on. But I want to play in the NHL and my agent told me this is the way to go,” said Varianov. Tt has not been a soft landing for Varlanov. He began his i the up, which got the slick-skating winger a one-way ticket to the camp of the Western Hockey League's Lethbridge Hurricanes - So after time on the rehab list it was back on the bus to the Fort McMurray Oi! Barons of the “I was in contact with the gen- eral managor.ia Fort McMurray and told him we were looking for a little more offensive help,” explained Leaf coach George Cochrane. “So a few weeks ago he told me he might have Sergey available, and as it tumed out he wasn't fitting into their lineup like he had hoped.” “He said if we were interested, he wanted to make sure Sergey Varlanov was back on Grey- hound with his destination the Heritage City. “Based on what he (Oil Barons GM) told me about Sergey, we felt he would be able to step into our lineup, and get the kind of ice time he needs to develop and also help spark from his second line. However, Varlanov did not turn any heads during his initial performance. Not only did Leafs get blown out, but Varlanov failed to make it past the first period, thanks to a checking- from-| infrac- tion that also includes a game misconduct. “I did not really have a very good first game,” said Varlanov, who toiled for 10 years for his club team in Kiev. “I wanted to play good, but I took a bad Penalty and that was the end for me.” The poor start does not bother Varlanov. He vows to be back when Leafs take to the ice tonight in Fernie. There is too much at stake for this Ukraine hockey prod- uct to toss in the towel just yet. “My agent told me that if I want GREY CUP Sun., November 27, Deli Department se. @ 1.800.667.9559 662-5055 Squeeze bottle. Town House. 1 Litre BIG SLICE PIZZA’ Assorted @ 1 kg. tough to say how Varlanov wn fit ne with the Leafs. Although he appears to have all the tools in practice, games are a tres from Kiev. Which is where the strong Russian community 30 kilome- first choir practice at the USCC hall near Castlegar. “They want to help out as much as possible and make Sergey feel welcome.” This combination should bode well for everyone. A solid off-ice program allows Sergey to fill the net on the ice and Leafs climb in the standings. Making the only bus trips Varlanov will be taking are those as a member of the Nelson Junior A Leafs. = Ski happens to be the name of one of our runs.” Both resorts are also fully pre- pared to handle all the snow- board enthusiasts who should be once again flocking to the hills in record numbers. They both agree that snowboarders do not have a drastic affect on the runs and that both groups should be able to get along. ‘Snowboarding doesn't really make any difference on the runs,” said Tischik. “There's so much open terrain that there’s enough room for everybody.” Whitewater will be have a half-pipe and terrain garden set up for snowboarders and will host the Snowboarders Cup in March. Red Mountain hasn't set up any- thing special but doesn’t forsee any problems and welcomes all snowboarders to come out. “They push more snow down- hill but then, with our groomers, we can pull it back up,” said Kokkinen. “One of the problems we have is that they have a differ- ent style than skiers. They can dart one way or the other very But the and skiers just have to have a little respect for one another and share the ski experience amicably.” In order to get a good jump on the season, Red Mountain will be holding a pass-holders party featuring ski films and welcoming speeches starting at 4 p.m. this Thursday. All pass-holders are invited and interested new members are also welcome. from St. Paul Lutheran Church in Oliver at 1:00 pm with Rev. R. Terry Roth and (Bud) Roberts of Oliver and Bernice (Paul) Ulmer of Oliver. She was predeceased by her infant son Kenneth. Mrs. Lutz was a resident of Castlegar from 1967 to 1991, then moved to PROFILE The Castlegar Sun WEDNESDAY, No Sophia Fontaine 7 very city has that kind of place. It’s the build- ing with the frosted glass and the unsavory reputation. Inside is a smoky world of strange characters, intox- icating spirits and exotic dancers. The dancers are the main attraction and it is their job to keep the crowd entertained. It's a job that many would not want. Yet it is a lucrative occupation for the women in the business and they have all made the decision to be there. Even still, they end up being bashed and battered by a society that has never tried to under- stand them, yet they must live and suffer by its hypocritical ideals. They consider themselves sim- ply ‘career women’ who make money to support themselves and their families. Sammy Jo is a 24-year-old dancer from Kelowna and has been dancing for four years. She grew up in a classic middle class family and never really intend- ed on having a career as a dancer. She and her girl- friend decided to move to Vancouver after see The to the HARSH EALITY Story and photos by Jeff Gabert So why do it at all? Why suffer the guilt of not telling your family, the harsh judgment of strangers and the leering faces of wild men? “One thing that people have to understand is that girls take their clothes off for moncy,” said Fontaine. “They're trying to make something out of their lives - like school or supporting a family - because financial- ly the cash is there.” “This is just an ordinary job. It’s just that we don’t work nine to five. An exotic dancer is just another entertainer. We're there to entertain. The bar hires you and you have to make business for the bar. The better the show, the better the crowd, the happier the bar.” The job carries with it all the preparation work any other entertainer must deal with. They must carefully select clothes and music as well as choreo- graph . They also ly watch their weight and health. ‘Basically I’m trying to give {the men) a fantasy. But what I am on stage is totally different than what I am as a person. It's a big act. It’s like turing on a TV and you see two people kissing. That kiss isn’t real.” Sammy Jo has a different idea of her job. Just like anywhere else, dancers often differ on what they believe to be their role in the There are as many different types of dancers as there are women. “T just get up there and have fun,” said Sammy Jo. “It's just my job and I treat it that way. “Some women just don’t get it: You should be entertaining and you don’t have to be arousing to be entertaining. All I do is smile, smile, smile. When I go up there, I say let's have fun. If I feel I’m tailor- ing to someone's sexual fantasy, I pull back.” In fact, Sammy Jo doesn't see her performance as a sexual thing at all. She gets up, dances to music and has fun. “We watch what we eat, watch what we drink, take vitamins and work out,” said school and get jobs as never panned out and Sammy Jo decided to —. the life of an exotic dancer. “We had no jobs and ran out of money so we were basically forced into [dancing],” she said. “I was only going to go into it for a couple of weeks, but I was addicted to the money. It was too good.” Dancers get into the business through many ways and means. Some are strongly coerced, others make what appears to be a rational choice. However: the bottom line and in the business is money. Money in this business can be intoxicating. When dancers tour “the circuit” outside of Vancouver, their average wage is $1200 per week with hotel room paid. The rate for dancers in Vancouver is only $500- 600 per week hence the incentive to go on tour. However, they still must pay all of their own trans- portation and living expenses on the road. Sophia Fontaine is a dancer in a much F i “We get up every moming at 9 am. to work out and be ready for the stage at noon. Being on stage is a 20- minute aerobic workout that we do five to six times a day.” Undoubtedly, the time ‘From the entertainer’s point of view, it’s a big fantasy world for guys. We are someone the guys can’t have. It’s basically to see what you can give them that they don’t get at home. The thing is, they have it at home, they just don't realize it.’ “When I go up there I say ‘Let's have fun’, and"that’s what "I do,” continued Sammy Jo. “The most important part of this job is to always smile when you're on _ One of the most debated questions is what the men are actu- ally seeing and how it affects them. Critics — SOPHIA FONTAINE Exotic Dancer spent on stage is the hardest part of the job. It’s hard to rationalize the money aspect when you have a bunch of nameless faces leering at you for three or four straight songs, but you learn to deal with them and your feelings. The dancers believe they present a false reality for the men. It is never them on stage, only whoever the me:1 want to see. “I portray Sophia Fontaine on stage,” said situation than Sammy Jo. She is a single parent with a 12-year-old boy to support and dancing seemed to be the best alternative. “I had a roommate who was dancing,” said Fontaine. “She always had money every week and I was always broke. So I thought, ‘What better way to make money for your child?’” Fontaine is not pam of her occupation and ngly beli ig her child without government help. ‘She ‘wants to bring her son up right with all the benefits that any other 12-year-old enjoys. Of course, many wonder what effect her occupation will have on her son, but Fontaine sug- gests that he fully understands what she docs and she even took him to a bar after hours to show him the environment she works in. “His biggest fear was that guys could touch me and I had to show him that they can't,” said Fontaine. “My son totally supports me. He’s Proud of me. After all, it beats welfare and $5 per hour.” Despite her frankness with her son, Fontaine has yet to tell her parents about her career move. Telling their family is one of the toughest decisions a dancer ‘ has to make. Most dancers hide their occupation for fear of public or family reappraisal. Sammy Jo told her family she was working as a manager in a gas station for the first year but finally broke down and told them the truth. She was one of the lucky ones. Her family understands her decision and supports her. “My dad said he was disappointed in my choice,” recalled Sammy Jo, “ “but he also said I was a big girl and he would stand behind me.” Apart from her family, few other people know Sammy Jo's occupation and she is extremely reticent about telling strangers. It is not easy to break stereo- types in society and first impressions are important no matter what occupation a person holds. Sammy Jo is single and looking for her perfect man although she believes her taste is extremely picky. “When I go out, I say I’m going to UBC or I say I'm a waitress because, if I said I was a dancer, right away people judge you,” she said. “People change right away and have no respect for me. * . “But 'm about other things. It helps me to keep my sanity.” As a result men lose respect for the opposite sex who they see only as sex objects. Sammy Jo and Fontaine spend the majority of their days with these men but neither are really sure why the men show up night after ‘night. “I have no respect for guys who come into strip bars,” said Sammy Jo. “Most of them come im and dog ya - putting you down. I think it’s some kind of bonding thing. It’s like why do guys go camping and together.” One of Sammy Jo's favorite activities is riding her bike. She tends to go off the beaten track and take the rough road, when others would rather tread the path most travelled. Sammy Jo Fontaine agrees with the bonding aspect but takes a different view of men. “Men are just as sensitive as women are,” said Fontaine. “Guys hang around buddies to be meee the same as women do.” “We have our stalkers or weirdos, but I would say that 90 per cent of the male population has a grasp on reality. From the entertainer’s point of view, it’s just a big fantasy world for guys. We are someone the guys can’t have. It's basically to see what you can give them that they don’t get at home. The thing is, they have it at home, they just don’t realize it.” One of the most commonly held perceptions about the business is that it is over-run with drugs and prostitution. According to the dancers, the drug pies isn"t any ai phone than in any other high and prostitution is strictly prohib- bon? not by the police or clubs‘but by the dancers themselves. A dancer known to be prostituting is met with organized opposition by other dancers that often turns physical. “When I started, cocaine was popular but now it's taboo,” said Sammy Jo. “Everybody wants to look good and you have to work out. As for prostitution, it’s a rule that you don’t prostitute on the job. Prosti- tution is a totally different class. We may get naked, dancers, but most dancers disregard their criticisms as plain jealousy. “Women think we're a threat to them because their men are here watching me and they're laughing and clapping,” said Fontaine. “A lot of women feel inse- cure about themselves when it comes to strippers.” Fontaine went on to say that she believes she “Mean come in all the time because they're bored at home and need a little spice in their life. Many times they can pick up some tips to take home with them.” Fontaine recalls one situation where a man came up to her after a show and asked where she bought her lingerie. A week later the man's wife came in to personally thank her for letting her husband know where to puchase the lingerie. The man was happy, the wife was happy and Fontaine was happy to have helped them No party was used or abused and the i could only be as positive. As for the future, both dancers say they plan to get out of the business within the next year. Sammy Jo is planning to enter school and plans to enter the field of fashion consulting while Fontaine hopes to open a small business. Both women believe dancing is changing rapidly and the outcome is a controversial one. “The future of dancing is definitely changing,” said Fontaine. “[The clubs] want more shows and acts now. They want theme shows. It used to be girls tak- ing their clothes off, but it’s not like that any more.” “I think it’s going out of style,” said Sammy Jo. “It’s going, going, gone. The clubs aren’t making enough money and it’s a fading thing. There is a message behind everything the two women have said. The women who dance are no dif- ferent than women who cook, women who clean, women who nurse or women in the courtroom. They have a job to do, families to support and a life to lead. They put their nylons on one stocking at a time and their lives aren't so drastically different from any other woman. They interact in our communities as normal citizens and do not feel they are wrong in their actions or their deeds. All they really ask is fora little respect and dignity. Maybe it’s not too much to ask. “I just wish people would be a little more open- minded,” said Sammy Jo. “Everybody is just out to make a buck and not everybody should judge us. Look to yourself before judging others. Peace.”