“I like to get naked,” said Briana, a 27-year-old exotic dancer and mother of four, when asked about her career choice. Bree-bree, originally from Florida, has been working at Harper’s II for eight years — since she was 19.
“This is my home, we are family,” she said.
When I asked what strip joint I should visit, the Guilford consensus was Harper’s II on Guilford College Rd.
When I walked into the club, it was fairly empty of patrons. A young girl was working the pole, looking tremendously bored. Her moves were automatic, and her mind seemed miles away. After her song, she disappeared.
Every which-way you looked there were scantily clad women in all sorts of get-ups. An elderly man named Andrew, one of the regulars, frequented the stage for some, uh, intimate time.
Whorls of blue-gray smoke swirled through the air, along with black-light-glowing G-strings, garters galore, and Lil Wayne-inspired dancing. It was an exciting atmosphere.
I was welcomed by a lady — probably in her early 40’s — who asked if I was looking for a job, while she playfully stroked my hair. After I established that I was not an aspiring dancer, I explained to the woman, who goes by Alex, that I was a journalist. She said, with complete sincerity, that it was a great idea, “just don’t talk (poorly)about the ‘old bitch,’ ‘cause that’s me.”
Alex was a maternal figure and the only dancer I observed who wasn’t sporting a lower back tattoo, known colloquially as a “tramp stamp.” Alex danced to a slower-paced song by the Smashing Pumpkins. She was naked save for a thong and black stilettos, but as I watched her dance I was awe-stricken. She moved so gracefully, even her extremely revealing upside down splits on the pole somehow retained a sense of elegance.
In between dances the girls would giggle and flirt with customers. The ones who seemed to have been there longer truly seemed to be enjoying themselves — I’m sure the drinks they kept refilling didn’t hurt. The younger ones, however, looked somewhere between bored and miserable, and they were much less social.
My experience at Harper’s II was a pleasant one. Surprising as it is, the club felt very warm and welcoming. Of course, my gender and intentions molded my experience. As far as strip joints go, Harper’s II keeps the sleaze factor to a minimum, and welcomes everyone with open hearts (and legs).