Thread: How much to charge?

For a 1 hour lesson (at an event like a bachelorette party) with no performance? My normal package is a 20 minute show with a 10 minute mini-lesson. Do I charge more because this is longer, or less because there is no performance, and I don't need to wear a costume?

What do you charge for this type of gig, if you don't mind sharing?

Since there is no performance and no wear and tear on a costume, I base it on what I charge for a 1-hour private lesson and bump it up (usually by 1.5 or 2 times the private lesson fee), depending on how many people will be there and how far I have to drive.

I charge exactly the same as a performance - after all, you still have to get there, set up, spend your valuable time and valuable energy, be nice to people:Atwisted: and then drive all the way home. It's a whole evening's work.

and I tell you, a bachelorette party is the hardest thing of all to do - they're so focussed on partying it's difficult to keep control of the situation. I'm exhausted after hen parties even though I'm used to teaching big public classes.

Plus there's a lot of them involved so they're splitting the cost. So value yourself and don't give your time away for too little...

I charge £150 minimum for a hen party ($300)

This is a good question, and until I read Sunshine's post, I would have answered the same as haleemachandani...however, Sunshine has converted me! I must go and revise my rates!

I would also add to this - do you take hipscarves, veils, etc? Cos if you do, there WILL be wear and tear on them at a bachelorette party (well, if they're anything like UK hen parties there will be) This being the case, I think you're justified in charging the same as for a performance.

D

Sometimes I bring hip scarves, but I've had a few occasions where the host bought them for guests as favors - different price then?

Thanks for all the responses.

Well, it depends on the going rate in your area, but for myself... to put the rates in perspective... a 15-20 min restaurant performance is $100. A 25-30 private party is $150 (includes 20 min of dance and 10 min mini lesson).

Sooo.... for a 1hr lesson for a hen's night, it's $125. (An extra $30 for a 5-10 min full-costume performance). I teach them some basic technique and put together a few combos - it gives them something they can do together at the club afterwards and they seem to get a kick out of that.

I don't bring them my hipscarves to use. When talking to whomever is hiring me, I suggest to them that the girls may want to bring a sarong or shawl to tie around their hips.

Hope that helps!

You know I can't see why you would factor in the wear and tear on the costume as a reason for lowering the rate. After all, you don't do $50 worth of wear and tear in a 20 minute performance....

But the wear and tear on your nerves of a hen party - that's bad

I do $50 per half hour when there is no performance or costuming required, so my rate would be $100. This is for up to 20 people - I charge more for groups over that number. This is about half what I charge for the usual "taster" with performance and costume, because it takes me about 10 minutes to dress and do makeup (hair in a ponytail, daytime makeup, yoga pants and a t-shirt), as opposed to 45 minutes to an hour for stage makeup and costuming.

I bring the crap/damaged hip wraps and scarves that I allow my students to use in classes, along with a slightly nicer one for the guest of honor to wear.

I agree with Sunshine that bachelorette parties can be a bit tiring, since most of the time the guests are somewhat lubricated by the time you get there. I don't book after 9:00pm, though, so usually when I get there at 7 or 8 they are manageably sober. I keep it fun and light, and sort of approach it like teaching kids - change to something new if it looks like they are losing interest and getting silly (or sillier, as the case may be). One of the biggest hits is, at the end of the class, to teach them how to do a zagarheet. If they are hitting the bars later that evening, they'll be zagarheeting from one end of town to the other.

Do be prepared for some of the the guests to ask you to perform or dance for them. Most people want to see what the moves look like "all put together", and it's unlikely they will know you have been paid a rate that does not include a performance. I usually say that while I'm not performing that evening, I will be dancing at [insert name of upcoming event here] if they want to see the whole shebang. I did one time have a host pay me an additional $50 on the spot to perform because the guests were clamoring for it. I danced in the yoga pants and hip scarf I had taught in.

I haven't had this come up, so it's interesting to see the responses.

I think the famous 'clown rate' goes here, though. Consider what it would cost to have ANY kind of party entertainment for an hour (clown, magician, comedian, male stripper) and don't sell yourself short.

In my area (small town, Midwest), a party (10 minute performance, 30 minute lesson) goes for about $185. If you took away the performance but increased the total time to an hour...I probably would charge the same rate.

I would charge the same as your normal package. You don't have to wear a costume, but it is a full hour of your time. This is especially if the party is taking place during the evening or weekend at times when you would normally have other performances.

That's what I was thinking, Mariyah. Just keep it the same as the normal 20 min show plus 10 min mini-lesson. Because there's no costume or performance, but it's longer, so the two kind of cancel each other out.

Thanks!

I would suggest to charge the same as you would for a 30 minute party performances. This is an hour, but no costume (wear and tear) etc, so it balances out.
I've never done an hour of this though - it seems kind of long. If there are a lot of participants (lets say 15 or more) then in my opinion an hour is good, but if it's less then that, I would bring down the time (and perhaps the pricing)
But that's jist me

Marianna

humorously speaking, I think the best method for determining how much to charge should be the dart board method. Just add a zero to all the numbers and throw. What ever it lands on is what you charge...

I know it silly but I'm sleep deprived and doing anything I can to stay awake cause I'm stuck at work.....

sorry for the distraction....

i offer two different packages for hen nights/workshops with/without performances.

- "mini" deal, this is a 1 to two hours lesson. i provide hipscarfs. price 125€ for the first two hours, 50€ for each additional hour. plus room rental if they want to use the studio, plus travel costs if i'm going to their place. plus something if it's a big group (more than 25)....

- "maxi" deal, this inclused a short gram-style performance (10 minutes, including getting up the bride), a one hour lesson, and apple tea to finnish it off, and a small gift for the bride (one of the tea glasses). i provide hipscarves, 200€ plus travel

if i'm booked for a performance and then asked to add a workshop, i charge 50€ for this on top of my normal performance price for ca 45 min-max 1hour workshop.


we do 10-20 hen nights per year, and i and the other teachers love doing them. they are actually one of the funner and easier gigs to do. it's usually in the afternoon (and when asked that's what i suggest, so we can combine with another gig and people havent drunk), so it is not really as part of the "party", but more an activity. hen nights here are usually "hen days", where the friends of the bride fill the day with all kinds of 'surprise' activities. all kinds of dance workshops and "wellness" activities are hip at the moment for these, and it seems bellydancing is high on the list too...

Artemisia

For the dancers who have done "party classes"...

Don't the students clamor for you to do an impromptu performance? I know I would! And how do you handle it?

They do,

solutions

i try to organise it in such a way that i end the lesson with a circle dance, and i start with dancing in the middle myself for like 30 seconds before inviting the bride to dance with me, and then everybody one by one or in duets..., so there they've seen me dance. mostly that satisfies that request before it came.

if they insist, i usually just wave my way out of it (gotta go, not wearing my costume, whatever excuse works best for the group), it usually works more or less gracefully never had any really uncomfortable situations, they do take a hint... they know they've only paid for a workshop, not a performance, so i have no probs saying no... the organiser/girl who booked me usually knows they had the option of class and performance and only class, hence they dont insist mostly... i'm also teaching in "spiced up" teaching gear, NOT in costume.

Originally Posted by da Sage

For the dancers who have done "party classes"...

Don't the students clamor for you to do an impromptu performance? I know I would! And how do you handle it?