By day, 25-year-old Jillian Elle is marketing coordinator, a sinewy and lithe figure standing at a petite 5’1 (she insists she’s 5’6 with heels) with a smile as sweet as apple pie and an unassuming demeanor.
…Yes we dance. Yes, we party and mingle. No, we will not take off our tops…
By night – decked out in diamond studded bras, barely there hot shorts, and those infamous patent-leather go-go boots – Elle dazzles crowds at clubs as a dancer by shaking what her mama gave her, and instantly she’s larger than life.
But she’s not just any Tiny Dancer. Elle is owner of her own go-go dancing business, **BellaDonnas**, a company she started this past April after a falling out with the owner of another one of Toronto’s go-go dancing ventures, over “a clashing of business ethics and dance philosophy.”
“Go-go dancing isn’t like regular, sexy club dancing; you need to be the entertainment, the main attraction,” says Elle, who believes a lot of it comes down to energetic performance and giving value to the customer. “Some dancers tend to simply blend into the crowd with smaller movements. I personally think there should be bigger movements, use your arms and shoulders. If club owners and promoters are paying you, they want to see some kind of show, that extra bit of oomph.”
…most all of the Toronto based go-go dancing ventures are female-owned, ironically reminiscent of old Western movies where “working girls” at brothels were managed by their, often elder, madams…
Named after the Italian term for “beautiful lady, as well as a toxic plant that was used to dilate women’s pupils as it was believed to make them more attractive, **BellaDonnas** represents around 20 girls of all ethnicities that can be seen weekly at XS Nightclub (formerly Republik on Richmond Street) as well as various events around the GTA, ranging from smaller private parties like bar mitzvahs to more grand celebrations like club openings, charity fashion shows, and even corporate events like CTV’s launch party for its summer lineup.
Perhaps not surprisingly, Elle occasionally gets calls for bachelor parties and that’s where she draws the line.
