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SINGAPORE - To clubbers, she is a fixture at Moshi Moshi Bollywood at Cuppage Plaza, performing nightly in Bollywood or belly dance-themed productions for the patrons.
Naturally, the costumes are sexy and the moves, suggestive.
But Miss Kate Lim, 26, is aghast at the suggestion she is in the business of titillation.
On the contrary, she says.
What she does is purely entertainment.
"If the club is filled with only men, then I'm not interested in working there," says Miss Lim, who has been dancing at the venue since January.
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She began her career as a dancer eight years ago, working in places like members-only club Filter, New Asia Bar at Swissotel The Stamford and the now-defunct China Black.
Miss Lim also models at events and acts occasionally, having recently completed what she calls "a guest spot" on Channel 5 drama series Code Of Law.
With such a resume, Miss Lim will tell you she is, first and foremost, "an entertainer".
"Whatever I do is just for entertainment, anything that is demeaning to women I am not interested in," she continues.
The lines are clearly drawn - she's there to work and no funny stuff, thank you very much.
Not that all of the patrons pay attention to that, she notes.
"At some of the places I dance at, guys hit on me," she says matter-of-factly.
"But any woman who works in a club, they definitely get hit on. That is why I maintain a good relationship with bouncers - I consider them my 'personal insurance' against unwanted attention."
The proposals from some male patrons are certainly indecent.
"The crowd at the current club I am dancing at are civilised, but before it was quite common for me to get men asking how much I charge for the night," scoffs Miss Lim.
But this confusion over what her job entails doesn't faze her.
"It is something I deal with often but I just ignore them and move on."
In the business of entertainment, it is all about keeping calm, says Miss Lim.
"When you work in the club, you try not to offend anyone, but things can get difficult sometimes," she sighs.
To her, the job is about dealing with people.
She'll entertain and interact with the crowd, but draws the line at giving out her personal details, even declining to reveal to this reporter where she lives.
"Lets just say it is somewhere in central Singapore," she winks, as she sidesteps on the location of the five-room flat she shares with her parents - who are in their 60s - and two brothers, who are 23 and 36 respectively.
When asked what her parents think about her gyrating in revealing outfits for the crowd, she simply says: "They don't mind what I do, although sometimes they wonder why I do it - especially since I have a degree."
Miss Lim insists that when at work, she is all business.
"But the truth is I am quite anti-social."
This begs the question: With that character trait, why did she take on such an "extrovert" job?
After a short pause, she answers: "People often ask me that."
"I graduated from the National University of Singapore in 2009 with a degree in Theatre Studies and to me, dancing is an extension of that."
This is especially true when you're dancing at a Bollywood club, she adds.
"It's not just dancing here at Moshi Moshi Bollywood. You get to know the background of the songs and the drama behind it," argues Miss Lim.
"So my theatre training definitely comes in handy."
But as professional as she tries to be, she claims customers can be mean.
In her years in dancing, she has had to deal with the "grabbers and touchers".
"That's one thing I hate, they grab and touch you when they think they don't have your attention," she says with a grimace.
"They pull your arms and legs, someone even pulled my hair - I felt like a rag doll."
They have also been incidents with stalkers, though she doesn't want to elaborate on them in order to avoid giving them publicity.
All she will say is: "When these things happen, I make sure I don't leave the club alone and cling on to the bouncer!"
She may laugh at their antics, but Miss Lim is also aware that the guys will always try their luck with her, as she is single and works in a club.
But when they get her attention, the line - she groans - is always the same.
"These guys will ask me to go home with them," she sneers.
"One guy even said I was being stupid for rejecting his advances, because he said he will treat me better than my boyfriend," laughs Miss Lim.
"Do I see potential boyfriends in the crowd?" she says, as her eyes wander in the direction of her mobile phone on the table.
"The kind of guys that I like don't come to nightclubs.
"I'm not looking, but if I find someone who surprises me, who knows?"
SECRETS OF THE TRADE
1. Don't offend customers. When faced with the weirdest of requests, my trick is to just dance and pretend not to hear them.
2. Don't be disheartened by the sleazy types. Remember that at the end of the day, it is just a job.
3. Stay healthy. Good health means a good performance.
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