Certain male and female strippers also perform for LGBT audiences as well as for all genders in bisexual contexts. Since then, male strippers have become more common. Until the 1970s, strippers in Western cultures were almost invariably female, performing to male audiences. Strippers are often not direct employees of clubs but instead perform as independent contractors.

A house dancer works for a particular club or franchise, while a feature dancer typically has her own celebrity, touring a club circuit and making appearances. The integration of the burlesque pole as a frequently used prop has shifted the emphasis in the performance toward a more acrobatic, explicit form of expression compared to the slow-developing burlesque style. Not all strippers are comfortable dancing topless or fully nude, but in general, full nudity is common where not prohibited by law.

Modern Americanized forms of stripping minimize the interaction of strippers with customers, reducing the importance of the tease in the performance in favor of speed of undress (the strip). At times, a stripper may be hired to perform at a bachelor party or other private event. A stripper or exotic dancer is a person whose occupation involves performing striptease in a public adult entertainment venue such as a strip club.

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