I have always been fascinated by watching women in their full sexual power—expressing their sensuality freely and using art and dance to create an experience that often felt like an empowered expression rather than just a game of seduction.
In my early twenties, my partner at the time asked me to do a proper striptease for him. I researched online, tried some clumsy moves, put on George Michael music, and did my best to create something that felt authentic to me.
It was very scary and vulnerable but I ended up taking pleasure in it and dreaming of getting better at it one day. Watching performers strip and give lap dances has always felt hypnotic, and it remained a fantasy, one that I finally allowed myself to explore more deeply.
Slut Riot is a collective of strippers and sex workers dedicated to demystifying their work, advocating for decriminalisation, and sharing the art, beauty, and challenges of their profession through performances, cabaret, and storytelling events.
Learning from them was a revelation, an invitation to express myself unapologetically through my body, to play with seduction, and to shed the shame around embracing sexual energy on my own terms.
The workshop was led by Edie Montana and Mei Magdalene who are both stripper professionals, activists and founders of the collective Slut Riot.
Open to all genders, they brought together 30 strangers over two evenings in Berlin to explore the art of stripping and lap dance.
“Don’t take yourself too seriously, nobody cares if you look ridiculous. You’re actually the only one who cares here!”
“Confidence is key,” Edie shared. “Even if you don’t feel confident within, fake it until you make it!”
Edie and Mei also gave us tips on setting the right atmosphere when performing at home.
“The setting is essential: make your space beautiful. Light candles, use a nice scent, dim the lights. It should never be too bright. Choose music that you love, it will be different for everyone. And wear something that makes you feel sexy and empowered.”
Since it can be hard to detach from our own discomfort and self-consciousness, Edie and Mei encouraged us to step into a character: a celebrity, a friend, or an imaginary persona, anyone who embodied our sexiest, most free self.
I chose to embody a friend I deeply admire, a fabulous burlesque dancer who dares to perform with full authenticity, channeling her inner clown, cheeky girl spirit, and “femme fatale” all at once.
After a playful warm-up, we learned some tricks:
- Touch yourself in the most sensual way.
- “Eye-fuck” your partner—imagine making love to them using only your gaze.
- Walk like a snake, undulate like a wave, land on the floor gracefully, and roll slowly, sensually.
- “If you think you’re moving slowly, go even slower, you’ll never be slow enough,” Edie reminded us.
By the end of each workshop, I felt an overwhelming sense of happiness and fulfilment. What better way to spend a Monday evening than in a room full of strangers daring to express their sexual energy, feel at ease in their bodies, and push beyond shame or inhibition?
I left with a strong desire to rehearse at home and, eventually, to perform for my partner. Yet, as much as I thought I was learning these skills for someone else, I realized that I was actually doing it for myself.
The ability to strip, flirt, and seduce my own reflection was already an immense pleasure and an empowering accomplishment.
I highly recommend trying a workshop with Slut Riot. If you don’t know who you’re doing it for, don’t overthink it, doing it just for yourself is the most fun, playful, and liberating way to go!
Check out Slut Riot’s website and Instagram.
Read: Berlin’s intimate guide for sensual explorers.
Pauline Marie-Antoinette
Pauline is a poetry writer, performer, experience creator, and intimacy and kinks workshop facilitator. She believes in the power of arts and creativity to be profound vehicles for change and loves to empower people to free their inner artist and turn sensuality into a real art form. Her solo-show, "An Erotic Poetry Odyssey" is an invitation to deepen intimacy, explore conscious kinks while challenging societal taboos. Pauline designs experiences for couples, retreats and workshops in Berlin and around the world!
