Go-go dancers have become popular fixtures in the East Valley club scene over the last few years. That suits Theresa Hissong, a professional dancer who owns her own go-go dancing company, just fine.

“(Go-go dancing) is everywhere,’’ says Hissong, 31, of Chandler. “Any club you walk into, they have a different set of go-go dancers. They started doing it in Vegas and everyone wants to be like Vegas. They make a lot of money. The clubs are always great there. They wanted to bring a little bit of that here. Once it got here, each club goes, 'Oh, that club has go-go dancers. We need to have them too.' You need to compete. You need to do better. Now everyone has go-go dancers.’’

Hissong started her company, Rock On Dance Company, two years ago. The company employs nearly 30 dancers between the ages of 18 and 31 who generally make around $25 per hour, plus tips.

For those who are unfamiliar with go-go dancing, Hissong describes the art as more of a freestyle kind of dancing.

“You're up there dancing to the music,’’ she says. “You're an accent piece. You're a vase. You're a lighting fixture. You're just an accent to the club and bring a bit more energy to the club than a vase would bring.

‘‘You get up there when they put the music on and go with whatever you feel. Everyone has done this. Everyone has turned on a song and stood in front of their mirror at home and danced. That's what these girls do.’’

Hissong, who usually can be found dancing at O Restaurant & Lounge or in O's burlesque VIP room, the Boom Room, has been dancing since she was 3. The tall, perky blonde used to cheer for the NFL's Arizona Cardinals. After cheerleading, she was in the midst of a two-year break when some friends invited her to dance at Insomnia, a now-defunct Scottsdale after-hours club.

“It kind of just progressed from there,’’ says Hissong, who went on to dance for Valley artists such as Alice Cooper and the Clock People.

By night, Hissong is a sex kitten, attired in fishnet stockings, micro shorts, a cleavage-baring tank top and black go-go boots. By day, she works in software development. In fact, all of her dancers have other jobs, ranging from graduate students to an attorney.

Hissong, who says she's always hiring and auditioning new girls, acknowledges that looks play a large part in her industry.

“Unfortunately, they play in a lot,” she says. “It's very important and I hate to say that. The girls need to be in shape. They need to be toned. And they need to look good. It's sad but it kind of goes with the industry.’’

And although they have to look good and be polite to the sometimes annoying customers in the clubs, Hissong says this is something she really enjoys. “It's so much fun,’’ she says. “We have a great time doing what we do. We have fun at work.’’

Theresa Hissong

Dating status: Seeing someone
Best tip: $100. “The dancers are allowed to take tips, but I don't want them to go up there giving lap dances. That's a big no-no. . . . The dancers can easily walk out with $300 during a night.’’
Best pickup line: “Last weekend, I had a 21-year-old guy come up to me who was from Italy. He worked at Pasta Brioni. After talking to me for a while, he tells me, 'but I'm a Brioni boy.' I just chuckled because it was so cute. I thought it was really sweet that he took so much pride in his work.’’
Second-best pickup line: “Some guy once asked me, 'Do you have two weeks free or maybe 14 years?' ’’ Most embarrassing moment: “I was at Insomnia one time and the owners decided it would be kind of fun to put a (dancing) pole in. We thought it would be funny. So I went to grab the pole and slipped and fell right on my back and you could hear this huge thump. It was really embarrassing. I couldn't wait to get down from there.’’
Biggest misconception about go-go dancers: “They're not strippers and I don't want people to think that. They're dancers.’’

Check it out for yourself

Hit one of these East Valley clubs to see what the go-go dancing craze is all about:

Axis/Radius, 7340 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale,

CBNC, 1420 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale,

Graham Central Station, 7850 S. Priest Drive, Tempe,

O Restaurant & Lounge, 4720 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale,

Sanctuary, 7340 E. Shoeman Lane, Scottsdale,

Scorch Bar, 21001 N. Tatum Blvd., Phoenix,