Exotic dancers bring a crowd to Niagara Falls
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NIAGARA FALLSSome 40 top exotic dancers from Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa are heading to Niagara Falls this week to perform at packed strip shows featuring adult entertainer and Toronto’s Penthouse Pet of the Year, Nikki Benz.
More than 600 tickets have been sold - mostly to Americans - for performances by Benz and other strippers at the Penthouse Club, on Lundy’s Lane, on Friday and Saturday.
Club owner Simo Rudan said residents from U.S border towns can’t wait for the shows because they can drink alcohol here at 19, rather than 21, and can view fully nude dancers that is not allowed in the U.S.
“We expect this place to be packed with people from all over the GTA and the U.S.,” Rudan said. “People will be coming to Niagara Falls and staying in hotels and buying things.”
Organizers estimate the shows will pump about $500,000 into the local economy.
Adult star Benz, 29, who grew up in Etobicoke, used to dance at Toronto’s Whiskey A Go Go and Brass Rail, before moving to Los Angeles to star and direct porn flicks. She has taken part in more than 170 triple-X movies.
She is the reigning Penthouse Pet of the Year 2011, former Pet of the Month in 2010 and cover girl for Penthouse magazine. Only one other Canadian girl is known to have been a Penthouse Pet.
“I am super-excited to be returning home and to see all my fans who can expect a real treat,” Benz said. “Fans will be entertained and surprised when they come to my show.”
She has a large following on social media with an impressive 160,000 followers on Twitter.
Tim Lambrinos, of the Adult Entertainment Association of Canada, said there is a big demand for exotic dancers at all the Niagara Falls clubs this weekend.
“We have dancers arriving from Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa for this event,” Lambrinos said. “All the clubs will be packed and the event will be good for business in the region.”
Organizers said there’s a huge demand in Canada for shows by major U.S. adult entertainment stars.
“Its really hard to get major U.S. exotic dancers or adult film stars to come up here now,” Lambrinos says. “They are not being allowed into the country by border officials.”
He says many top U.S. sex stars are refused entry at Canadian borders due to a visa ban on foreign dancers.
