Thread: Dancing for free

I've just realized that I'm booked for several FREE gigs this month - various festivals & charity events. Some will be good publicity, others I'm doing just because dancers I really like asked me to help them out.

Do you find that flurries of free performances often result in flurries of paid gigs/new students? Pay off in ways you never would have expected? Or are you usually sorry afterward?

i've had both experiences. i try to think positive. even if i dont get any paid gigs or new students from it, i might get a kick-ass picture that i can use for my website or promotional materials

Not a single lead for a paid gig (or for that matter for a free one) - if I was teaching, I could have scored one or two students.

I get a SLEW of students off free gigs :Charity events, festivals and parades and I have gotten a few paid gig reccomendations.

I haven't once got any paid work from doing a free gig. I'm not bitter. OK, actually I am <sucks on teeth>.

I have to agree with Bellydancingcaroline. I too have never gotten a paid gig after doing a freebe. Infact, I've gotten many other people asking me to dance at their events, also for free. And no I'm not bitter either.....

I have, though, gotten quite a few students after doing free performances. So now I only do pro bono things that either promote the studio I work with or promote a charity/community group that is important to me. I've found that most of the time, people just want a free show, and so I have to draw the line. Honestly, I've gotten to the point where I'm a bit fed up. ,m::

I'm an artist damn it! Not a dancing monkey!

Yes, it is true. Everyone wants a free show. This is how I would handle a charity shows.

1. I would ensure the event organiser makes the public aware that you are contrubuting through your dance toward the charity.

2. I would ask for promiton for the studio and dance classes.

3. It is also good to put onyour website that you only do limited no of charity events per year and your rules for doing the charity events. Set your limit to 3 - 4 events per annum.


It is sad that when we do too many charity events, general public and other artists do percevie you as cheap, desperate for gigs, your not good that is why you got the free gigs etc., ect.,

As talula put it you are an artist not a dancing monkey!!!!

I did once - I performed for free at the American Cancer Society Relay for Life, and a few months later, one of the organizers hired me at my normal rate to do a performance/mini-lesson at a community festival.

Honestly, when I waive my fee for charities (I alot myself one per quarter), I consider it okay because it's really the only thing I do for charity. I don't donate money to any one on a regular basis, and I don't go to church so there's no tithing going on there. Since I quit my job, I don't even have the United Way donation taken out of my check anymore.

I don't do nearly as many free charity gigs as I used to - it's been at least 6 months since my last one. I think once reason is because I built a set discount into my rates for non-profits. So when they ask if I will charge them, I tell them that I give a 20% discount to charities. Often, they will accept that without trying to push for a free performance. Also, I've been donating gift certificates for a free private lesson to be raffled off, in leiu of a free performance. Often when someone wins the certificate, they're hooked after a single lesson and sign up for more.

For the record, I do pretty much what Janaki said above. I also have a hard & fast rule about NEVER doing free performances if other performers are being paid!

I do very few free shows usually -- hence the question!

I've done a couple of charity performances, but only when no one was getting paid. And after the last one, last week, the organizer (a busy local dj/party promoter) contacted me and said that he was interested in booking me for future (presumably paid) events. So yes, it does happen, sometimes. :)

I have been (very) occasionally contacted from doing donated performances, but not usually for the kind of gigs I get contacted for from elsewhere (weddings, general parties, or clubs leading to more of the same). But usually it is good outreach to potential students, and once or twice I was contacted for a more corporate oriented gig. Occasionally I have been able to due some fruitful networking with other performers, which is cool.

Three things to add to the great advice others have offered:

--Get a (comped) ad in any printed program and a place to leave promo materials in the lobby of the theater. Do your best to get your name or your studios name on the promo posters, fliers, or website, as well.

--Get a tax form from the charity that says you have donated your show. You can use it as a write-off, and it is an excellent way to make double sure the promoters/organizers of the event know they are receiving an expensive and valuable performance.

--If there is a photographer or videographer, arrange to get copies for yourself that you can use. If there are neither, see if you can arrange to at least videotape your show yourself.

I guess a fourth thing has already been expressed--don't expect tons of free gigs from your donated work!

My priorities for choosing free gigs are as follows:
1. Will it push me/help me to develop myself as a dancer?
2. If not, is it for friends/family/dance community or a charity I wish to support
3. Is there another reason that is to my benefit from doing the gig

I also run along the lines of:
1. If any performers at the gig are getting paid - I want to be paid
2. Would they have paid to get a dancer if they couldn't get a free one? I'm really careful not to devalue what I have to ultimate trade upon, or to take jobs from others by undercutting 'for free'.

I choose to do free gigs when and if I want to, and I don't do it in response to hard bargaining, cajoling, or other pressure tac-ticks.

Sometimes i think by doing free gigs we are doing ourselves a diservice...we want our dance to be taken seriously etc then do genuine artists perform for free in other dance forms...no not really. So why do we do it in bellydance?

my free gigs usually lead to.... lot's of students. it's usually at community festivals/fairs etc, right here in town. i dont do student shows so these also function as such (people can bring their parnerts/children and such to finally see them dance)

paid gigs folowing from this?, not so much

Originally Posted by Lauren_

I've just realized that I'm booked for several FREE gigs this month - various festivals & charity events. Some will be good publicity, others I'm doing just because dancers I really like asked me to help them out.

Do you find that flurries of free performances often result in flurries of paid gigs/new students? Pay off in ways you never would have expected? Or are you usually sorry afterward?

Originally Posted by taheya

Sometimes i think by doing free gigs we are doing ourselves a diservice...we want our dance to be taken seriously etc then do genuine artists perform for free in other dance forms...no not really. So why do we do it in bellydance?

Actually yes, they do IF they're running art-as-a-business and need to promote themeselves. I've been involved in lots of community events where bands, puppet theaters, magicians, musicans and dancers of all varieties etc were performing for free.


Those who are well-established don't need this kind of promotion any more, of course. I'm sure the Beatles stopped promoting themselves with free gigs by 1963 or so.

I just wonder how well it works in our industry. I'm hearing that it's a great way to promote my classes, and apparently *some* gigs can lead to further work.

One of the upcoming events will let a local DJ who I'm already friendly with really *see* what my students and I are capable of (for better or worse). That one's also likely to bring me new students.

The two I think I'll wish I hadn't done were favors for other local dancers. I should learn to say no to those, I guess.

(nothing to add, here, but I had to mention it made me laugh to see amartia's avatar right underneath lauren's, in exactly the same pose. lol!)

oh, and it works better to promote classes if my students are dancing, and not just me....

Originally Posted by elisagamal

(nothing to add, here, but I had to mention it made me laugh to see amartia's avatar right underneath lauren's, in exactly the same pose. lol!)

..l;, ..l;, ..l;, ..l;, ..l;, That's so funny and cute!

Originally Posted by elisagamal

(nothing to add, here, but I had to mention it made me laugh to see amartia's avatar right underneath lauren's, in exactly the same pose. lol!)

..l;, ..l;, ..l;, ..l;, ..l;, ..l;, ..l;, ..l;,

That IS funny! I don't know about Amartia, but I was having SUCH a bad hair day the day of my photo shoot, that's the only good pic that came out of the whole blasted affair. ..c::

i'm wondering... if you asked to dance at the event at retirement home. Can you expect to be paid? or they assume that you donate your time?

anyone?

Originally Posted by maria_s

i'm wondering... if you asked to dance at the event at retirement home. Can you expect to be paid? or they assume that you donate your time?

anyone?

Some retirement homes have a budget, some do not. The budget is (in the DC Baltimore area) usually not enough to pay regular party fees. These gigs are great opportunities for teachers with their students.

For those of us who are hobbyists, free community shows may be the only opportunities we have to perform outside of haflas (which are few and far between).

And because haflas are not available in all parts of the country, community and charity performances may be the only way that students can get performance experience.

I know this flies in the face of the notion of maintaining the worth of our art, but for older gals like me who don't aren't gonna have anyone willing to pay, you can either not dance or take make whatever opportunities for yourself you can.

Souan

I don't remember any freebees leading to paid gigs, but I see nothing wrong with dancing for something you feel strongly about .... a charity or even helping a friend.

I think the general rule is that freebees lead to more freebees, so like others say, it's best to regulate yourself.

Update -- I've danced two of the free gigs so far, one wound up unexpectedly paying me (!) and seems to be leading to a restaurant appearance.

The other...well, it was fun.

Two more to go, I'll keep you up to date.

i have a few students that do these, these places were not private retirement homes (where the residents have money...) but community ones. they have a budget for entertainment/animation, but it's really low. we have a discussion going on whether to dance totally for free, or ask for expenses. i think my students got "generous" gas money. (like 30€)

Originally Posted by maria_s

i'm wondering... if you asked to dance at the event at retirement home. Can you expect to be paid? or they assume that you donate your time?

anyone?

Here is an idea: When you donate a performance, you still draw up a contract the same as a paying gig. You indicate the price of the performance, then write in "donation". Seeing the contract and the value of the performance will really impress upon people the value of what we do. Instead of being just the dancers they asked to show up for free, suddenly a real entertainer is donating a $500 performance to them.

Sedonia

Originally Posted by ssipes

Here is an idea: When you donate a performance, you still draw up a contract the same as a paying gig. You indicate the price of the performance, then write in "donation". Seeing the contract and the value of the performance will really impress upon people the value of what we do. Instead of being just the dancers they asked to show up for free, suddenly a real entertainer is donating a $500 performance to them.

Sedonia

That's a great idea and maybe even helpful when it comes to doing your taxes!

Originally Posted by maria_s

i'm wondering... if you asked to dance at the event at retirement home. Can you expect to be paid? or they assume that you donate your time?

anyone?

It depends on the retirement home. Usually 'nursing homes' don't have much of a budget and depend on community groups to perform for them. But 'Retirement communities' are often quite wealthy, for-profit ventures!

(eta: Those are broad generalizations, of course. Driving by a place will usually give you a feeling for their budget lickety-split!)

I offer a 'nursing home and non-profit discount,' which is quite steep (almost 40% off my regular rate!) but I will only do a couple of those gigs a year. I've done completely donated performances, but only for nursing homes where I had a relative!!!

I always get paid at nursing homes, retirement homes etc.
They have a budget for entertainment.
The only events I do free are festivals where No One is getting paid.
I donate to two charities per year.......

Sedonia you are a genius! I would have never thought of that!
That deserves a cookie...Chocolate chip or Macadamien Nut? :Awink: