Should dance instructors get "extra pay" for showcases?

[stash]

Exposure LOL

My least favorite word as someone in the "creative" or "arts" world. BLEH

 

[Mengu]

I think the pricing structure is completely up to instructor/studio. Some will charge $50 some will charge $500, some studios pay their instructors for the showcase, some build it into student fees, others negotiate non-tangibles for services. These are all really just business choices, and will depend on clientele, location, experience of instructors, etc. But beyond that, as a student, I'm not likely to be able to tip, unless thanks and hugs count. Sure I might buy my instructor the occasional dinner or something, but I do that for my friends and colleagues too, and has nothing to do with their business.

I don't understand the thought process behind expecting someone to work for free, just because you already paid them for other times they worked.

Lol, ask salary employers.

 

[JudeMorrigan]

As much as I agree in principle and would advocate smacking (or at least delivering serious stink-eye to)anyone who asked someone to work for "exposure" ... it's not the students' responsibility to set prices. If DD's instructors are *volunteering* to work for it, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

Personally, I'd almost prefer to be charged a fee. I'm all for j'n'j's "clear upfront cost schedule". Instructors deserve [real] compensation for their time. And I think it's better for everyone all around if no one's having to guess at what's *really* appropriate. I mean, little extras like dinner or baked goods or whatnot are nice, but I'd hate to find myself in a situation where there was a risk of hard feelings because unspoken expectations weren't met.

 

[RiseNFall]

I whole heartedly agree that it is up to the studio/teacher to set reasonable fees that they are happy with. I assume that that has been done and I do not tip.* I don't think paying for a meal one eats with one's teacher counts as a tip, for a variety of reasons, though I don't tend to do that either. (Meals at competitions are already paid for in students' fees and, really, as fond as I am of my teachers, I'm not comfortable socializing with them.)

*The one exception was when Pro accidentally entered me in a scholarship I hadn't paid for and I won some money.

 

[FancyFeet]

I think OP was asking about the "extra" payments... in which case - short answer - I'm a firm no.

Long answer:

I'll pay whatever fee pro is charging for an event that I decide to do promptly and in full. I will say thank you, usually that day in person. I feel that pro has a reasonable right to expect these things.

I may (and often do) gift pro with a coffee during the event or post a public thank you with video/pictures on FB. If I'm particularly pleased with how things went or feel that he went above-and-beyond, I might even write a personal note or thank you card. Occasionally through the year, I'll bake a double batch of muffins and take the second batch in to pro. I don't feel that these things should be expected, and if I do them, it's because I choose to.

I'll likely never do a tip/gift/other compensation for an event, though I acknowledge that I do usually do a Christmas present and acknowledge pro's birthday with a small token like his favourite Starbucks beverage (a luxury that he knows I don't even do for myself on any sort of regular basis). In my opinion, nothing in this category should be expected, and if it is, well, then that's not the pro for me.

My reasoning:

Any agreed-upon compensation for an event is the agreement. Aside from basic politeness (a verbal thank you), anything else I choose to give is a gift, and should therefore not be expected. Further, the best way that I can show pro my thanks is to keep showing up and working my tail off, and to channel as many of my dollars into dance as I can.

 

[Dancing Irishman]

Instructor I took pro/am from never charged to be in a showcase number (studio did charge for each showcase entry, maybe a kickback went her way but idk). She also would have had to be at the showcase regardless of whether or not any of her students were in it (studio employee therefore required to enthusiastically attend all studio events), so the marginal cost on her time was just that of doing makeup / hair and putting on an outfit.

I think it really comes down to what an instructor considers included vs. not in the charge per private lesson - will the instructor choreograph routines / plan lessons on his/her own time or only during the 45-50 min. a student is paying them for? Will there be an additional charge for showcases in town, or is that part of the deal when paying for private lessons? Will the instructor respond to phone calls or texts outside of lesson time for questions on technique, routines, or partnership situations? Will the instructor actively help in a partner search when you're looking for an amateur partner (i.e. reach out to people they aren't already talking to on a regular basis)? Every instructor has it within their prerogative to decide his/her own answers to any of these, but I don't think it's unfair to expect the answers to be different depending on the instructor.

I think my current coach is the same way with his pro/am students for showcases, though I truthfully have no idea (I'm a dude, so it's not like I'm ever dancing pro/am with him). He definitely didn't charge amateur couples for performing in a showcase he organized ("that's ridiculous" was his reaction when I asked, I believe), but my understanding is that he's teaching dance because he truly loves teaching/mentoring and he finds some joy in making the sport-art more accessible $$-wise whenever he can.

Edit: I'll usually thank a pro verbally or maybe with a card, but never with a gift (my coach is explicitly anti-gifts, so definitely not for him). I personally find positive words more impactful than gifts, so I tend to (erroneously) assume everyone else does too.

TL;DR it's not a cut-and-dried "pay professionals for their time" question.

 

[Dancing Irishman]

Any agreed-upon compensation for an event is the agreement. Aside from basic politeness (a verbal thank you), anything else I choose to give is a gift, and should therefore not be expected. Further, the best way that I can show pro my thanks is to keep showing up and working my tail off, and to channel as many of my dollars into dance as I can.

Hundred percent agree on this! I honestly think the biggest gift my coach gets from his students is seeing us show up and work our tails off, at least those of us he doesn't gently tease about never practicing.

 

[debmc]

I totally agree that the teacher/ studio should be paid for their part in the showcase.

That being said, I wonder why a student would pay several hundred dollars to participate in a 2-3 minute showcase number rather than dance several heats in a local competition?

 

[JudeMorrigan]

That being said, I wonder why a student would pay several hundred dollars to participate in a 2-3 minute showcase number rather than dance several heats in a local competition?

The same reason that a student might spend as much on a 75 second freestyle in a competition as they would for a much longer chunk of lesson time, I imagine. They're just different experiences. I imagine that a showcase that runs several hundred dollars has *really* high production values and the students are seriously well taken care of. If a student's tastes run more to "wanting to feel like a star" than "the thrill of competition", I can see how they might find that worthwhile.

I mean, it wouldn't be for *me*. But different strokes and all that.

 

[PaulBunyon]

I only have experience dancing showcase at the studio which employs my instructor. I have never paid or been asked to pay my instructor extra. I always assumed she got a piece of my entry fees.

We have been asked a number of times to take the number on the road, but never have. I have always assumed that I would be paying for my instructors time if we did that.

 

[jump'n'jive]

I totally agree that the teacher/ studio should be paid for their part in the showcase.

That being said, I wonder why a student would pay several hundred dollars to participate in a 2-3 minute showcase number rather than dance several heats in a local competition?

We have quite a few students in our school who will never compete. They love to do showcases twice a year and that's there thing. Getting to act out to a song of their choice, costuming for a specific piece is what they like. They will come to competitions with the studio and support their friends but competing is t there thing.

Then on the other hand I have a stable of pro/am ladies and none of them like showcases. It's like pulling teeth to get them to do a number for our studio showcase.

People get different things out of dancing it isn't one size fits all.

 

[Partner Dancer]

That being said, I wonder why a student would pay several hundred dollars to participate in a 2-3 minute showcase number rather than dance several heats in a local competition?

Beyond just personal preference, showcases and (non-showcase)
competitions have substantive differences in...

Aspect: Show Comp
-------- ------ ------
Precision: High Med (*)
Musicality: High Med (*)
Interaction: Low Med (*)
Improvisation: Low Med+ (*)
etc...

* - Inability to customize surroundings (e.g., choose music and
choreograph specifically to it, choose what other couples are
on the floor and how they influence one's own performance,
etc.) causes variability/variations.

 

[anntennis]

We have quite a few students in our school who will never compete. They love to do showcases twice a year and that's there thing. Getting to act out to a song of their choice, costuming for a specific piece is what they like. l.

There are some advantages of the showcases:

- You and your instructor are the only two people on the floor ( mo bumping in anybody)

- You can choose your song , your topic and what would you like to express

- No judges with their subjective scores

- You are performing for your own pleasure and your master your dance during the lessons for the preparation of the showcase

- Showcases nights are fun nights for adults, include general dancing between the show numbers, usually decent dinner with desert – it is overall feeling good event in non-competitive surroundings


Price:


I only done showcases with independent teachers, so the fee usually involves their performance fee for the night (from $80 to $100) - yes, for 2.5 to 4 minute dance, studio fees are varied – some ask to buy minimum 2 tickets (about $35 each) and now I see that most studios charge participation fees similar to competition fees (from $75 to $100). So for the showcase along average cost breakdown:


2 entrance tickets – about $ 70

Participation studio fee - approximately $100

Your instructor fee - approximately $ 100

Video (done professionally) about $ 30

(You can ask your friends to tape, but more studios started introducing “no video taping” policy)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$300
(the tape, makeup is your choice) - that is for New Jersey independent studios that I have participated.



The lesson cost is extra of course.

Some people can do showcases in 3 lessons and some complicated routines take more than 20 lessons. Very advanced ladies modify their competition routine and do fine showcase in a few lessons.
I would say I need an average 8 to 10 lessons for a good quality routine. $800 minimum for lessons.

Average total cost about $1200 for absolutely all – lessons and showcase night.


Only the participant can decide if that expense is worth the cost for 3 minute routine to express youself or one week at all inclusive resort in Jamaica is money spend more wisely

 

[twnkltoz]

I love performing way more than competing. Give me an appreciative audience any day over harried judges!

But I respect people who prefer competition. There's something for everyone.

 

[IndyLady]

What kind of a space does it take place in? Is the $50-100 what anybody who wants to spectate pays?

Hotel ballroom. Spectator ticket for non-performers is $25. The student price I quoted includes snacks during the day, and at the higher end a buffet dinner/dance at the end of the evening.