Thread: I'm not happy need changes!!!

I danced last night for a club in Byblos and they had VIP people singers and other business people..I was suppose to be on for 12:30 and the organiser kept me till late..I planned my dance for as normal and without beeing informed they shortten it into 1 song and was standing there without knowing whats happening..after all that i didnt get paid as he disappeard and made me go in circles looking for him..now thats just made me feel cheap un professional and makes me want to just give up as im trying my best..

Contract and have them send the money before the event or get paid before you dance also add a fee to contract for wait time, they will not make you wait when it cost them money!

DONT YOU DARE!!!! Written signed contract stating that you wqill only wait x aount of time past performance time and how much you will be paid. DONT YOU DARE!!!!

What a jerk! How did you get the job? Did you use a contract? I rarely ever do restaurant or nightclub gigs so I don't know what to tell ya except I would have gotten my boyfriend to get the dude to pay up - he's my security guard ;).

Originally Posted by anala

DONT YOU DARE!!!! Written signed contract stating that you wqill only wait x aount of time past performance time and how much you will be paid. DONT YOU DARE!!!!

Don't you dare what, quit or have a contract?

Quit!!!! Have you seen her dance on Youtube???

Originally Posted by Immanbellystylin

I danced last night for a club in Byblos and they had VIP people singers and other business people..I was suppose to be on for 12:30 and the organiser kept me till late..I planned my dance for as normal and without beeing informed they shortten it into 1 song and was standing there without knowing whats happening..after all that i didnt get paid as he disappeard and made me go in circles looking for him..now thats just made me feel cheap un professional and makes me want to just give up as im trying my best..what now???

What now??

How should i go about it from here?? people expect me to dance for free I cant seem to be able to communicate as a business minded person..

What now?

GIVE UP is my answer... :(

Byblos as in......?..c::


Ah I see from your YouTube posting Byblos is a club in Glasgow

Oh, just wanted to clear that up, and yes I have. Imman is a very good dancer. In fact I'm a subscriber to her youtube channel.

Byblos is a night club but people book it for event parties and birthdays they do alot even fasion shows..

Originally Posted by jasani

What a jerk! How did you get the job? Did you use a contract? I rarely ever do restaurant or nightclub gigs so I don't know what to tell ya except I would have gotten my boyfriend to get the dude to pay up - he's my security guard ;).

he is one of those :(, I didnt use a contract i think i need to start thinking like that now.unfortunatly im single maybe should get me a man hehehehehe!!!

Originally Posted by Nadirah007

Contract and have them send the money before the event or get paid before you dance also add a fee to contract for wait time, they will not make you wait when it cost them money!

I'm diffntly now going to make one and will take this seriously as its just becoming tooo bad and makes me think im waisting my time and energy..thank you :)

Originally Posted by Immanbellystylin

he is one of those :(, I didnt use a contract i think i need to start thinking like that now.unfortunatly im single maybe should get me a man hehehehehe!!!

You don't need a man to handle yourself like a businessperson. Use a contract with a waiting penalty spelled out, take deposits, and get the balance before you dance.

~~Kimahri

That's certainly true - you don't need a man to stand your ground. Unfortunately mine is attached to my hip. ha-ha.

Several dancers here have contract templates availible. You also may want to look into setting up a Paypal account so that people can pay you a deposit. There are many people who have rules laid out in their FAQs on their website which pertain to payments, how they are expected, etc. Check those out as well. they may help you.

Mine are on my website both under services and Performance FAQs.

{{{HUGS}}}

Originally Posted by Kimahri

You don't need a man to handle yourself like a businessperson.
~~Kimahri

Contracts aside, I think this is your greatest weapon - handling yourself as a businessperson. Always be well-spoken, well-presented, well-mannered, but assertive and direct. Present yourself professionally in the way you dress and in your promotional materials. You want to give people the impression that you know what you're doing, you are straightforward to deal with, but that you'll take no s**t from anyone. Sometimes that means cutting your losses and sacrificing a gig if *they* can't behave professionally. If, for example, they keep you waiting too long, tell them that you have another booking to go to, and you either go on in the next 15 mins or not at all...and you will still invoice them for an 'appearance' fee. This only works if you're prepared to leave if they keep you waiting too long...but then, it's only a loss of a crap gig.

I think it's a matter of shifting the balance of power back more towards yourself. You need to feel and act confident that you are good at what you do and deserving of their respect, rather than letting it seem like they're doing you a favor by giving you an opportunity to perform.

I just checked out your youtube channel and you are a beautiful dancer, Imman! You also look (to my eyes) quite young. Your experience with the club is why us fogey dancers harp on about not starting to dance professionally too young - because it's all too easy to be taken advantage of. Having some more life experience (with the accompanying touch of cynicism and disdain) helps you get comfortable being assertive and standing your ground. I'm not suggesting that you are too young (I don't actually know your age), but just don't feel like you've got it wrong when these difficult issues crop up. It's all just learning.

It would probably be very helpful if you could work alongside a dance mentor or someone else with business experience who can help you with that side of things, so the learning curve is a bit easier. If you do have to do it all by yourself, just expect a few difficult experiences along the way and accept them as part of learning to be a kickass professional bellydancer.

Hi Imman,

My advice is to conjure up a solid contract. As Anala stated, you should say in the contract that you'll only wait "X" amount of time past the agreed time in the contract and if you have to wait any longer than that, it's an extra $100. You should also take a deposit and collect the remaining amount either a few days before the gig or when you arrive at the venue BEFORE you dance.

And girl, I've seen your vids on youtube. You CAN NOT quit You are too damn good!

Originally Posted by anala

Quit!!!! Have you seen her dance on Youtube???

Anala, can we see links to the video? Id love to see it! :)

ETA: NEVERMIND I found it...

Imman you are a beautiful dancer please dont quit dancing. You just need to be firmer and MAKE SURE you get paid.

Originally Posted by jasani

That's certainly true - you don't need a man to stand your ground. Unfortunately mine is attached to my hip. ha-ha.

How the heck do you shimmy then? ..l;,..l;,..l;, Okay, had to throw in a knee-slapper because mine's attached to my hip too

What ever happened to payment in full upon arrival? No pay, leave

Originally Posted by AngelaDiCaprio

What ever happened to payment in full upon arrival? No pay, leave

This is good advice.

WRT *this* gig, invoice them for the amount you agreed on in the first place. Continue to invoice them if they don't pay you and then inform them it's going to small claims court (or whatever the Scots equivalent is). Take them to court if necessary. You probably won't have to but they need to learn that in business it is a very good idea to pay your bills.

I have no suggestions about what to do with the situation. . . but OMG do not quit!!! I, too, went and looked up your vids! You are beyond lovely!!!!!

Originally Posted by maliam

How the heck do you shimmy then? ..l;,..l;,..l;, Okay, had to throw in a knee-slapper because mine's attached to my hip too

He shakes, I shimmy ..l;,..l;,..l;,..l;,

Thank you guys for the advice.