Thread: Creating a Choreography - what to charge?

A student of mine has asked me to create a choregraphy for her to use in an upcoming show. Normally I charge $40-50 per hour of private lesson, depending on the location, but this request is going to require me to spend my time creating the choreography as well. I am a pretty fast choreographer, but it will still take me a few hours at minimum to create this piece for her.

How do I charge for this? Do I charge for the choreography and the lessons separately? Or do I not charge for the choreography, with the understanding that I am not creating this choreo solely for her use, and I can use this in my classes as well (she hasn't asked for a choreo that only she can use, just that she wants a choreo to a specific song).

What should I do? TIA!

I would charge for the choreography. You are taking extra time to put it together. Seamstresses charge an hourly rate in addition to materials, I feel this is the same thing you are doing by creating choreography. The finalized choreography is your material and the time to create it are your billable hourly rate. You deserve to be paid for your time.

The rate you charge for a private lesson reflects the time you take to prepare for the lesson. So sit down and decide how much you do make per hour to prep. That will give you a good idea how much to charge for your choreography.

Make sure you guesstimate how long it will take you finish the choreography, so you can give your client an estimate. A good time frame for choreography is about an hour per minute of choreography.

Best of Luck and Happy Choreographing

Zabelly hit it on the mark.

thank you! I love that suggestion for an hour per minute of choreo.

Does she want you to hand her a finished choreography for her to memorize, or does she want/need help choreographing? (e.g. she has ideas, bits and pieces, but needs help structuring some areas)

For the former, I would charge a choreo creation fee. For the latter, I would just make it the subject of the private lessons.

Originally Posted by ssipes

Does she want you to hand her a finished choreography for her to memorize, or does she want/need help choreographing? (e.g. she has ideas, bits and pieces, but needs help structuring some areas)

For the former, I would charge a choreo creation fee. For the latter, I would just make it the subject of the private lessons.

She wants me to make the choreo, and then teach it to her.

May I point out that you may want to consider a lower fee unless you intend to sell her the choreography?

As Zabelly says.

"The rate you charge for a private lesson reflects the time you take to prepare for the lesson. "

...however if you will be using it in other classes as well then it wasn't just time taken for her lesson only.

Originally Posted by Ariadne_Eleni

May I point out that you may want to consider a lower fee unless you intend to sell her the choreography?

As Zabelly says.

"The rate you charge for a private lesson reflects the time you take to prepare for the lesson. "

...however if you will be using it in other classes as well then it wasn't just time taken for her lesson only.

Yes, that was actually part of my question - I am assuming that she won't care if I use the choreo, so do I offer a "cheaper" choreo with the understanding that I will use it again, or do I sell her the choroe? I guess it really depends on what she is interested in, but like I said I don't think she cares who uses it after she does. So that would probably be a better option for her anyway, since it will be less expensive.

Thank you for your input!

Originally Posted by danielabellydance

Yes, that was actually part of my question - I am assuming that she won't care if I use the choreo, so do I offer a "cheaper" choreo with the understanding that I will use it again, or do I sell her the choroe? I guess it really depends on what she is interested in, but like I said I don't think she cares who uses it after she does. So that would probably be a better option for her anyway, since it will be less expensive.

Thank you for your input!

Instead perhaps you could consider charging more if someone wanted full rights and/or exclusive use of the choreo instead of charging less. The creation of the choreo for performance upon request might define your base rate and aditional rights would incure additional charges.

Other questions that you may want to ask: If your student wants the choreo for a specific performance will you have an agreement not to teach that choreo in class until after she has performed it for the first time? Will she have permission to teach the choreo or just perform?

This is just my personal thought....
If your student hired you to create choreography for her, than this is a one-on-one contract and you would not teach the choreography to your other classes. I feel that is like designing a one of a kind costume then making replicas and selling them all over the place. That is, unless you and your student have an agreement that you may be able to teach small bits of it as combos for class after she has performed it.
This does not mean you can't ever use the song or sets of moves that go into the choreography. It just means as a full package, it is not up for grabs.
If people really love the choreography than maybe you will get more jobs like this one. Then you really do want to keep up a good reputation.

Originally Posted by NandaDncer

Instead perhaps you could consider charging more if someone wanted full rights and/or exclusive use of the choreo instead of charging less. The creation of the choreo for performance upon request might define your base rate and aditional rights would incure additional charges.

Other questions that you may want to ask: If your student wants the choreo for a specific performance will you have an agreement not to teach that choreo in class until after she has performed it for the first time? Will she have permission to teach the choreo or just perform?

This! I charge a flat fee to create a choreography and teach it to them, so the price includes a 2 hour teaching session (which they can choose to add on to, and can use it as a private lesson or bring the rest of the group if they are using it as a group choreo.) I base my flat fee on my private lesson hourly rate, and yes, an hour per minute of song is a good estimate for me. I would charge a heck of a lot more for exclusive rights to that choreo. A choreography is a bit like other creative work- it is worth something in iteself. I wouldn't sell a book for the same price I'd sell the rights to reproduce the book. I've write songs for people too- but I get to sing that song at other people's weddings too. Most folks I know can't pay the rate it would take to buy exclusive rights to a song either.

I have had more students take me up on my second offer- private lessons to help *them* develop a good choreography. Depending on the level or the dancer, their confidence, their time frame, their expectations, some dancers need more direct input vs. general guidance- but the end product is something that is inherently theirs. I like it because the dancer is showing more growth and development. Even tho this generally ends up costing more, the students really do get more out of it and have been willing to pay.


either way, spell out before hand, in a contract, exactly what can be done with the choreography- who can perform it, who can teach it (is she going to teach your choreography to her students in 3 years when she decides to branch out on her own?) if there is an exclusivity period (I will teach this to other students, but not within 18 months of teaching it to you kind of thing) if there are any other restrictions and what the consequences of breaking the contract are.

If this is a regular student, another option would be to consider using this music for a class choreography- if it IS work you would do anyway for class, that puts another spin on it. Does she want a choreo just because she likes this music, or is she preparing for a specific event? What her goals are and what she plans on doing with the choreography make a big difference in what will work for her. IF you do it as a class choreo, you're not working to the same deadline, and she can still schedule private lessons to personalize the choreo as well. Lots of options

My normal ratez:

For children: For the Art Piece (one time only $500-regular basis_$200-$300, depending upon how often the child competes.)

For the rehearsal time: $30/half hour.

For Adultz: For the Art Piece:(one time only $1000, for under 5 minz._$1500 up to 10minz_I Lower the fee, on a sliding scale, when the dancer needz my choreo more regularly.

Rehearsal pricing usu. on the hourly for adultz.

My feez are very conservative in the circlez I run in. I hthz

Originally Posted by danielabellydance

A student of mine has asked me to create a choregraphy for her to use in an upcoming show. Normally I charge $40-50 per hour of private lesson, depending on the location, but this request is going to require me to spend my time creating the choreography as well. I am a pretty fast choreographer, but it will still take me a few hours at minimum to create this piece for her.

How do I charge for this? Do I charge for the choreography and the lessons separately? Or do I not charge for the choreography, with the understanding that I am not creating this choreo solely for her use, and I can use this in my classes as well (she hasn't asked for a choreo that only she can use, just that she wants a choreo to a specific song).

What should I do? TIA!

Originally Posted by LeeneSpiritDancer

My normal ratez:

For children: For the Art Piece (one time only $500-regular basis_$200-$300, depending upon how often the child competes.)

For the rehearsal time: $30/half hour.

For Adultz: For the Art Piece:(one time only $1000, for under 5 minz._$1500 up to 10minz_I Lower the fee, on a sliding scale, when the dancer needz my choreo more regularly.

Rehearsal pricing usu. on the hourly for adultz.

My feez are very conservative in the circlez I run in. I hthz

You know, as an artist I think your fees are actually not crazy high. Original work is HARD and deserves respect.

However, if I presented one of my students with a bill like that she'd faint on the spot.

I work with a lot of students and immigrants, so - that is what they spend on food for the year.

I think Lara's suggestion is good, charging for private lessons; but $50/hour for choreography doesn't sound unreasonable. I think it's very fair and people can usually scrounge that up if they are careful. Though, these days, it's tough; young people I know are scrabbling.

My feez r pretty low around here; and I agree; and when the student or professional dancer needz it, I am willing to work on a sliding scale or w/payment planz or even barter, etc...

Still I, have 4 children to support. And this iz how I make my living. & because of life-long trauma issuez and disability Dance iz the Only job I can do. So I don't have any other optionz. I am fortunate to be able to do this. I try to remain fairly conservative w/my feez. But of course I do take into consideration that there r individual circumstancez that are different. I do have a natural instinct to share and nuture. And in fact, I offer, on-going free training to foster kids & Domestic Violence escapeez in the Native American community. All a dancer or a parent or student haz to do iz come to me w/an open an honest heart; and I will find a way that work.

I feel it is also a good idea to have a few typez of payment planz in effect and student teaching programz to help studentz pay for themselvez. A lot of the student-teaching, "on the job training" so to speak actually payz off different thingz studentz need help w/.

Originally Posted by Elibelinde

You know, as an artist I think your fees are actually not crazy high. Original work is HARD and deserves respect.

However, if I presented one of my students with a bill like that she'd faint on the spot.

I work with a lot of students and immigrants, so - that is what they spend on food for the year.

I think Lara's suggestion is good, charging for private lessons; but $50/hour for choreography doesn't sound unreasonable. I think it's very fair and people can usually scrounge that up if they are careful. Though, these days, it's tough; young people I know are scrabbling.