From The Vault to the paddock: How this stripper survived Covid

Not afraid of hard work, this Toowoomba pole dancer swapped her sky-high heels for farm boots when Covid-19 hit as a way to make ends meet. Read more about this dancer's journey from France to the Garden City.

Pole dancer Frenchie has danced at the Vault for several years. Saturday, June 5, 2021. Picture: Nev Madsen.

From The Vault On Ruthven and open fields of a Darling Downs lettuce farm, Toowoomba woman Frenchie* has proven she’s not afraid of hard work.

The French native has demonstrated her exotic dancing skills for nearly as long as the Toowoomba strip club has been open – something she now describes as her “true passion”.

French born pole dancer Frenchie has worked at The Vault on Ruthven for several years but now calls Toowoomba home. Picture: Nev Madsen

“I didn’t even know clubs like this existed until I moved to Australia in 2013, I thought these kinds of places were just in movies,” she said.

Seven years later, Frenchie has won several major industry accolades including Exotic Nude Universe 2018, Miss Nude Queensland 2017, Miss Firm Australia 2017 as well as Miss Vault 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2019.

Frenchie says her European upbringing has helped her to be more liberal with her body, but said she has battled her own struggle for physical perfectionism and poor eating styles for several years. Picture: Nev Madsen.

In the pole industry, she has won the open division of Pole Expressions 2019, and a month ago she took out third place at the Hard-Core Pole Dancing Championship, Australia’s biggest amateur and semi-professional pole competition.

“As soon as I started getting into pole I felt like I had immediately found my true passion. Something that combined a lot of my loves such as dancing, performing, fitness, meeting new people and working hard,” Frenchie said.

“When I started dancing in Sydney, I couldn’t do any pole tricks for about three months but then I came up to work at The Vault in July 2014 and when I walked in, the first thing I saw was this incredible girl on stage named Charlie HeartBreak, she amazed me.

“I quickly found out she was teaching pole classes, so I started going and she taught me how to climb and do a few small tricks. I went back to Sydney, packed my bags and moved to Toowoomba.”

Frenchie completed pole dancing tutorials online before starting to take pole classes at Toowoomba Pole Fitness.

“The Vault was where I really improved my skills and put a lot of my energy and passion into my pole work,” she said.

Being comfortable in her body hasn’t always come easy Frenchie, who said she had previously struggled with body image.

“For the past six years I was trying to eat just once a day and I would fall into a bad cycle where one day I’d eat an entire pizza and then the next day I’d feel bad so I ate next to nothing to try and make up for it. I was scared of putting weight on and not looking fit. I put too much pressure on myself, I still do but I want to do it the correct and healthier way now,” she said.

“I’ve recently started to work with a nutritionist who is helping me to have a healthier relationship with food. In this industry you need to be fit and strong and you need to eat as healthy as possible to do what we do all night, so I’m glad I’m working on it now.”

Last year the industry faced one of its biggest challenges when Covid-19 brought the world to a standstill, closing strip clubs across the country.

“At first I completely freaked out about money because we don’t make money if we’re not working,” she said.

Toowoomba based pole dancer Frenchie has won many awards and competitions in her time including the open division of Pole Expressions 2019, and a month ago she took out third place at the Hard-Core Pole Dancing Championship, Australia’s biggest amateur and semi-professional pole competition. Picture: Nev Madsen.

“Fortunately, I got JobKeeper from the government because I’ve been paying my taxes for the last seven years just like everyone else but it was still scary to think about potentially having no income for several months or more.”

Frenchie worked on a farm in Greenmount for two-and-a-half months planting lettuces.

“I was really different for me because usually I go to bed at 4am after working all night and now I was getting up at 4am but I didn’t mind. I’m a hard worker and as soon as I had the job, I was so happy. I didn’t make enough to save money, but it was enough to pay my rent and my food and my bills,” she said.

Frenchie said she worked on a lettuce farm during last year’s lockdown to make ends meet. Picture: Nev Madsen

As soon as clubs were open again Frenchie was back in business doing what she loved most and while the industry certainly looks rather different now to pre-March 2020, she says some of the changes have been welcome.

“For one thing, everyone is washing and sanitising their hands a lot more now which is very nice,” she said.

These days Frenchie spends quite a lot of her time on the road but she’s always happy to return to the Garden City.

The French Native said she is happy to now call Toowoomba and The vault home. Picture: Nev Madsen

“I love Toowoomba, I love Australia – this is my home now. I enjoy going to work at different clubs across the country, but The Vault is my home,” she said.

“I think I will continue to dance until I don’t enjoy it anymore. Then who knows? I’m very organised so maybe I’d make a good personal assistant but whatever I do I’m glad I discovered this profession and I’m proud of where it’s taken me and the freedom it has allowed me to live my life with.”

*Frenchie is a stage name.