R-J readers pick Australian Donovan Lewis as sexiest male exotic dancer

A man from Down Under has emerged up and over the competition in the Review-Journal's sexiest male exotic dancer contest. "Thunder From Down Under" dancer Donovan Lewis drew a thunderous 40 percent of the 3,373 votes registered.

"Wow," Lewis responds.

His Tom Cruise-like smile lights up the showroom at Red Rock Harley Davidson, where "Thunder" is about to perform at the seventh annual Shade Tree Girls Night Out benefit.

Lewis' closest rivals in the R-J contest -- held last month to give equal time to men following our sexiest cocktail waitress competition -- were Chippendales Lind Walter (17 percent) and Alex Castillo (14 percent).

"I can't believe it," Lewis says.

The 34-year-old Aussie is seated on a leopard-print couch while wearing two day's worth of sculpted stubble and all black -- down to his fedora and fingernail polish. Although he has lived in the valley for 10 years, his accent is still shrimp-on-the-barbie thick.

So excited were R-J readers about the 6-foot hunk, one posted the following comment online: "I want to put his hair in a pony tail and then ride that pony."

"That's fine," Lewis replies. "But you have to grab it in big chunks. You can't just grab a couple of strands and pull it. Get a good, thick handful."

Seven nights a week, Lewis does at least a 75 percent Monty while gyrating to songs including his theme, The Doors' "Wild Child." Yet his personality is just as pronounced as his pecs and biceps. During the five initial questions asked by the R-J, he was the only contestant to self-deprecate.

Replying to how much he bench-pressed, Lewis said, "not much." He claims only three hourlong workouts per week. And that's just one of many popular preconceptions he'd like to challenge.

"I think people have the idea that a male stripper does it for ego purposes," he says, "and that all he thinks about is girls, nightclubs, his body, and 'Look at me, I'm beautiful.' "

Lewis admits that any stage performer has an ego and wants to be noticed. "But we take our job very seriously," he says. "It is a job to us. And we do groom ourselves, but it's because that is part of the job."

Lewis grew up in Sydney, training in ballet, jazz and tap dancing from elementary to high school. At age 13, as part of Australia's bicentennial celebration in 1988, he danced for the Queen of England. (No, it wasn't a lap dance. Lewis was part of a dance school invited to participate in a Sydney Opera House gala.)

"She was a little dot in the distance," he remembers.

Lewis hung up his Capezios because of dual pressure from his classmates, who teased him mercilessly, and his dad, an engineer who told him to get a real job. But after discovering how much he didn't like being a milkman, a carpenter or a McDonald's server, Lewis returned to his first love.

He was discovered in an independent dance production at age 18 by "Thunder," which originally was based in Australia.

"When they first asked, I had the same preconceived ideas as everyone else," he says. "I thought it was gonna be pelvic-thrusting and crotch-in-face. They said, 'Just come and watch the show.' "

Lewis says he was impressed by how much more cabaret than strip club the production seemed. His parents didn't mind, either.

"They're my biggest fans," Lewis says, beaming.

In 1999, he relocated to Vegas with "Thunder," which played the New Frontier at the time. (It moved to the Excalibur in 2001.)

"I fell in love with Vegas," he says. "We partied every night. But you can only go out so many nights a week."

Lewis' biggest night out now is driving to Redbox after work, at 11 p.m. on weeknights, renting a video and watching it on his couch. ("Seven Pounds" is the latest.)

Lewis is more a daytime-outings type. His hobbies include paragliding, rock climbing, soccer and go-karting. And let's not forget working on his three cars, his favorite of which is the '69 Mustang he rebuilt and gets very excited describing: "It's all black, right? It's got a Super charger 671, 1,000 horsepower. The engine's 2.5 inches above the roof of the car."

When asked where he sees himself in 10 years, Lewis responds: "I could be quite happy in a country town with a picket fence, growing my own tomatoes, with a happy family and a wife and kids."

Presently, however, being an exotic male dancer doesn't have any downsides he can think of.

"I make more than enough money," he says, declining to specify how much because of contract stipulations. "And I get to window-shop for women every night."

On second thought, he could always do without the crotch-grabbing.

"Every night," he says. "But we're very trained. And as we go through the crowd and say hello, we're actually guarding ourselves.

"We have it worked out."

Contact reporter Corey Levitan at clevitan@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0456.