Photography by Alexis Kleshik
Words by Jordan Robledo

New York–based photographer Alexis Kleshik is capturing the raw energy and unapologetic queerness of Brooklyn’s dancers in her new series.

Titled Grand St Strippers, the vibrant collection illuminates the dancers’ unapologetic queerness, close bonds and powerful confidence, celebrating a marginalised world often overlooked in mainstream culture. Set against the concrete and urban backdrop of New York, each woman navigates with agency and vigour, defying stereotypes and reclaiming space on her own terms.

Discussing the inner workings of the captivating series, Kleshik tells Gay Times: “It was important to me to first understand the space. To build relationships with the dancers, staff, and management, and to experience the club fully from the inside. That embedded position shaped everything about the project.”

The experience also shifted her own perception of sex work and nightlife. “Being inside these spaces long-term made me more aware of how layered they are, and how much care, negotiation and labour goes into making them function,” she says. “The series deepened my respect for sex work as labour and nightlife as a complex ecosystem, rather than merely a glamourised, hedonistic or simplified depiction.”

From the energy of the streets to the intimacy behind the scenes, Grand St Strippers captures both a world and a community with honesty, boldness and care. See below for our full interview with Kleshik, where she shares the stories and insights behind the series.