Scores dancers urged to 'recession-proof' bodies

On the subject of bad economic times, true to the word of the publicist, I attended a lecture over the weekend for a Las Vegas Weekly column by Dr. Frank Stile at Scores, in which more than 250 dancers were told how to recession-proof their bodies. This was the first mandatory meeting of all Scores dancers since December, and to ensure their presence there was a $5,000 fine for missing the meeting.

In addition to Dr. Stile's 15-minute lecture, other issues related to the club were discussed. There was even a moving tribute to a dancer who died of natural causes since the December meeting. The owner of Scores invoked Metaphysical poet John Donne and quoted Shakespeare and Gertrude Stein. The tribute ended with "Panis Angelicus" sung by Luciano Pavarotti. A few women wept.

Dr. Stile had one subject on his list with the time allotted: breast surgery. “We are going to talk about the truth of breast surgery. Let’s face it: Plastic surgery is sex, sex is plastic surgery. If you can’t handle that you are not talking the truth.” This motivational pitch to the dancers, by the way, was called a “consultation” by Dr. Stile.

Afterward talking to dancers, the breakdown of their opinion was pretty consistent. Those who already had the surgery were big believers that it boosts their profits, and those who had not had the surgery thought they were doing fine without it. They also thought the boost was caused by the raised ego of the recipient and not the increased size.  One woman speaking for her table snapped at me: "If you looked like us, would you consider plastic surgery?" Another woman pragmatically noted that the low lighting of the club was more helpful for concealing physical imperfections than any cosmetic change.

Dr. Stile, however, was content to speak to the already convinced. He explained to me afterward that the average procedure could require three touch-ups during a lifetime. In fact, one dancer I spoke to needed a third operation to fix problems she said were caused by a botched initial operation. She had never heard of Dr. Stile before his 15-minute talk at Scores, but she was now seriously considering him after the "consultation." "He really understands the danger, and he seems careful," she said.

Dr. Stile estimates that about 10% of his practice comes from dancers in Vegas at clubs like Scores. (Photo by Sarah Gerke)