It's not unusual to see a foreigner working as a bartender or waitress. Filipino bands, too, are a dime a dozen on the local entertainment scene.

Now, there is a new breed of foreign talent taking centre stage - dancers. But they aren't the run-of-the-mill dancers- cum-drink promoters that you see in dingy dives.

These dancers creating a stir are strutting their stuff at the likes of mega-entertainment centre St James Power Station as well as at sizzling-hot nightspots Gotham Penthouse and Lunar at Clarke Quay.

Those places have between seven and 12 performers each from China, Thailand, Argentina, France and South Africa. No, it is not a question of the clubs importing cheap foreign dancers to cut costs.

Depending on his experience, a local dancer is paid between $2,500 and $3,500 a month. Foreigners can earn $3,200 to $4,000 a month for a six-day work week, sometimes performing up to four 45-minute sets a night. Usually, the employment contract ranges from three to 12 months.

Rather the clubs say they hire foreign dancers because they are better trained and are willing to work long hours, unlike local dancers.

Ms Cheryl Khong, 27, St James Power Station's publicity manager, tells LifeStyle: 'Many local dancers may not want to work at the club, which requires them to dance three nightly sets, six days a week. Besides pole-dancing, they should be able to perform other dance styles too.'

Over at St James, only two out of 11 dancers are locals. Of the rest, six are from China, two from Argentina and one from France, all in their 20s.

At Gotham Penthouse, a three-year-old show club, a recent line-up comprised seven male and female performers from Johannesburg, South Africa, aged 20 to 28.

The club has stuck to international casts for quite a while. In 2006, it featured American and Canadian dancers. Last year, it showcased a five-man act from Johannesburg dubbed the Exotica Penthouse Dancers.

A Gotham spokesman says: 'Foreigners are more versatile than local dancers. Most are trained in a variety of dance styles from hip-hop, classical and ballet to jazz and tap dancing.

'Although there are good performers here, the new generation of dancers tend to focus more on hip-hop.'

Club owners who spoke to LifeStyle say they also expect the dancers to possess the ability to engage the audience. The Gotham spokesman notes: 'It is more expensive to hire foreign dancers. But at the end of the day, they deliver what is expected.'

It costs Gotham about $50,000 a month to hire its group of dancers. This also covers costumes, lodging and transport expenses.

Usually, foreign dancers are talent-scouted through websites and referrals. Among them is St James' Laure Phoutharat, 24, who was a former showgirl with Crazy Horse topless revue in Singapore. The Parisian cabaret opened in late 2005 at Clarke Quay and closed 15 months later due to poor attendance and high operating costs.

Last September, Ms Phoutharat returned to Singapore to look for a job and was referred to St James Power Station.

Bar owners also travel abroad to hold auditions.

The idea of foreign dancers at nightspots gets the thumbs-up from pub-goers such as Ms Cecilia Chan, 27, a bank officer. She says: 'The foreign faces are a novelty. It makes the bar more interesting.'

On being upstaged by their foreign counterparts, local dancer Joy Leng, 28, who has been performing for 10 years, says: 'It is no surprise that the clubs are looking beyond our shores. We don't have many performers who are versatile. Also, most of us prefer to take on part-time gigs as we have day jobs. So working full-time in a club is out of the question.'

Over the weekend, the six-month-old Lunar, a 15,000 sq ft Chinese club at Clarke Quay, introduced the Lunar Coyote Dolls - 12 female dancers from China and Thailand in their 20s.

The club also spent $20,000 on a new 12m-long and 2m-wide dance platform on the second floor.

Mr Bernard Lim, 39, executive vice-president of Lifebrandz, which operates Lunar, says: 'Generally, the foreigners are hungrier than the locals. They also have a good attitude.'

However, foreigners are told that they must stick to rules on how revealing or lewd their moves are - and these regulations might be a lot stiffer than those in their home countries.

For example, under the licensing conditions for public entertainment outlets, operators must ensure that the performers do not make any indecent or improper gestures, actions or remarks during the performance.

And, unless approved by the licensing officer, performers are not allowed to 'sit, dance or mingle with the patrons at all times'.

Gotham dancer Riaan Van Wyk, 28, who is in Singapore on a second stint, says foreign performers want to work in Singapore because of its vibrant night scene.

He says: 'In South Africa, there is a large pool of professional dancers who are hungry to succeed. If there is a chance to work abroad, we will jump at it.

This article was first published in The Straits Times on Apr 20, 2008.