Thread: New Year's Eve Pricing...WTF?

it's that time again... New Year's! Very exciting, since it's my biggest money-making night of the year, and it certainly helps to offset holiday spending. But whatever happened to charging double for a set that night? I find myself having to fight just for 1.5 times my normal rate. I recently raised my standard rates from $200 to $225 for about 25 minutes, and $300 has always been the LOWEST I will go for NYE, although I will start out asking for $350-450. However, these party hosts and restaurant owners seem to be getting much lower prices from other dancers. Not only that, but there's also some "after midnight" discount that I'd never heard of before? So I was told today that the price given by two established local dancers was $300 before midnight and $200 after (then, I've also heard some charge $200 for any time). While I can see the logic, I guess (prime booking time being prior to the ball dropping), it's still at a premium when I could be heading off to my own holiday party and being finished for the night. Does anyone here offer this kind of discount, and is it really standard practice?

I know that I am pricing myself out of some gigs by accepting no less than $300 - and losing out on higher-paying ones that might come along later when I DO accept a show at that price, but it's the best compromise for me at this point. I know also that it's hard to get double from restaurant owners, who are used to paying 1/2 the standard rate anyway - but if it's a one-time event that they're making bank on and not a weekly dinner show, I can't really see bargaining too low...

So how do you guys charge for New Year's gigs? And how many shows do you usually take for that night? As always, I love to find out where people stand on these burning questions...

I haven't danced New Year's Eve before, but got approached by another dancer for a show so I had to decide how much it's worth it to me. I said AT LEAST $200-300, and I personally would probably still pass at a $200 gig. We both decided to pass on the opportunity since the restaurant wouldn't pay more than $125.

(Keep in mind that our going rate where I am is pretty low at $50-75 for two shows at a restaurant so asking $300 would be tough to get at our regular places)

This is a big party night. I'm giving up my time with friends and family, being able to do what I want, and choosing to dance instead. I think it's silly to give an after midnight discount; my time is worth the same regardless of if the ball has dropped or not ;) Stick to your guns, and maybe if you still haven't got anything, say, 3 weeks before, start lowering your fee only if you want to

For the restaurant that I dance regularly I charge double my normal weekly show rate and I have not had a problem. For NYE parties I start at $400. (My standard rate for a full length 20-30 minute show at parties is $250)
For a restaurant that is doing a one time party and does not usually hire dancers I would ask the same. I've never heard of a discount for after midnight. Actually, if I was going to alter my price for a late night show I would defnitely be inclined to make it higher! I may consider giving a somewhat lower price for an early show on NYE though.

When I first started taking gigs on NYE years ago, I was much more easily talked into taking jobs for less money. I was not taking anything below the standard minimum at the time, but definitely less than what I would accept now. What I have is discovered that over the years I have worked less on NYE each year and, you guessed it, made the same amount of money!

From what I've seen in my area, double rates on NYE seem to be the norm. I've never heard of an after-midnight rate either. I wouldn't give up my evening for less than double, especially since it's so cold (and snowy and wet and windy) up here in January!

restaurants double their prices on NYE....why shouldn't you? they should understand this...

Double on holidays. ALWAYS. Anyone who shortchanges you, will inevitably make other demands and conjure up other problems to make your night miserable. No good deed goes unpunished... It's Murphy's Law. There is a price for giving up a night you would normally share with loved ones.

-S

I agree! It just seems like there are so many dancers quoting lower prices (the rates are lower anyway the farther south you go in NJ, which is hard for me since I dance throughout the state and in NY), and if someone catches me at a bad moment I'm not always the best negotiator! The former I can't understand and the latter is my own fault.

Though I have gotten better at negotiating, I think I always have a "bottom line" in my head, the lowest price I feel I can give without doing a disservice to myself or other dancers. So while I might fight for a few minutes for $450, offer me $299 and I'll laugh in your face... Which is how I end up turning things down (which I do) or accepting $300-350. Somehow I need to set my bottom line higher for New Year's. Maybe I should seek out hypnosis.

It's so hard when there are so many who just have no idea what to charge when running a business.
Restaurants charge SO much to patrons on NYE. Bands charge double or triple on NYE.
From regular gigs I charge double their regular rate. Around here the rates range from $75-$120 for a single restaurant show- so that's $150-$240.
The minimum party rates here is $200. My usual minimum is $275. On NYE I double the minimum, not MY minimum- and charge $400. I TELL them though, that they're getting a deal. Some of them are still getting quotes for $200 or LESS on NYE.
NYE gigs sometimes take a little more time- so I allow a little more time for each event.
I don't take anything after midnight- I head back to family...but if I DID I wouldn't discount it actually I'd likely quote even higher. It's still NYE; they're still asking me to be away from family and driving amongst drunks on my way home.

Wow, I wish I lived where you ladies dance. Around Sacramento, the restaurants pay crap, so I guess NYE I can at least as for double the crap. ..l;,..l;,

I'll be dancing Fri night, so I'll ask my restuarant owner for double and I just bet he will say no and go hire someone else for NYE. .p::

I've never heard of an after midnight discount in my area (seattle/portland). wtf is right!

stick to your guns! if people don't want to pay you what you're worth, then they don't get to see you dance.

Originally Posted by Vahana

Wow, I wish I lived where you ladies dance. Around Sacramento, the restaurants pay crap, so I guess NYE I can at least as for double the crap. ..l;,..l;,

Vahana, I can't tell you how hard we worked for this in the last 5 years or so. Before that the rates were the same for 15 years. We still deal with girls with no education trying to mess things up out of ignorance or misplaced self interest though.

I don't do restaurant dancing, but just as an observer an after-midnight discount doesn't make sense to me at all. I would think an after-midnight show, if anything, should be more expensive because it's cutting into a lot more of the dancer's time. At least with an earlier show on New Year's Eve, you might be able to leave and do your own thing for a little while, but if it's after midnight that would pretty much eat up the whole night.

a discount for after midnight? I am with Samira on that one. I would charge more because I am taking a risk driving around with drunks! Heck - I do not think I would take something after midnight unless it paid a lot and was rather close to my home.

New Years Eve or not, it is harder to dance after midnight. Trying to keep my energy up to be ready to be the life of the party at 12:30 or 1 in the morning is tough, and then I am too hyper to sleep when I get home so I don't get a full night's sleep. We should definitely be paid more for late night gigs any time of year, and especially not give a cheaper price for it!