Thread: You really think I'll dance for that? REALLY??

Just need to vent here....I got an email inquiry from someone looking for a dancer to perform 3 sets - at 3:00am, 4:00am, and 5:00am at some club in Manhattan.....FOR $175!!! Seriously??? You want me to stay up ALL NIGHT dancing, basically ruin the next day cuz I'll need to actually sleep, and all you want to give me is $175?

I quoted her $750. $250 for each set (the $50 for each set was a "surcharge" for performances after 1:00am)

I (obviously) got a response back saying "That's not in our budget, thanks for your time).

I mean, really - I don't even know if $750 would be enough to keep me up until sunrise!!

Honestly, they'll likely find some newbie to do it unfortunately.

i'm curious to see who the heck is going to be dancing a full set at 3:00 am to begin with! and who the heck is going to be there watching it!

OMG!!!! Even in my area, where the pay rate is a lot lower than NYC, that is insanely low. Anyone who would accept that arrangement at that price is warped.

Holy crap! Are there really urban clubs that typically have floor shows at times like these and I'm just such a hick that I don't know it?

(or, on the other hand, was this an e-mail from the Planet Yiptabar in the Galaxy of Zuzooradoora?)
Rosette

It's pretty common for clubs in NYC to stay open until 5:00am. I guess this club stays open all night, since they were looking for a 5:00 am show.

Originally Posted by SamiraShuruk

Honestly, they'll likely find some newbie to do it unfortunately.

Or even someone who knows better...it's getting a bit ugly out there these days.

Originally Posted by zfejzic

i'm curious to see who the heck is going to be dancing a full set at 3:00 am to begin with! and who the heck is going to be there watching it!

As far as watching, most clubs in NYC don't really build a crowd until 1AM or so, there will be plenty of people at 3AM, and plenty of *ahem* skiers at 5AM ..l;,..l;,

Originally Posted by _Tanya_

As far as watching, most clubs in NYC don't really build a crowd until 1AM or so, there will be plenty of people at 3AM, and plenty of *ahem* skiers at 5AM ..l;,..l;,

ahh, forgot this was in NY ;)
dude i know i wouldn't have the energy to do 3 sets in the middle of the night! sheesh

Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....but I'm sure they'll have no problem filling that spot.

I dunno...$175 would even be low for TWO sets at that hour. Not to mention, my spidey sense tells me that this place would have you wait like 3 hours in between sets, "until more people show up," thus making it more like an 18-hour engagement. At least, that usually seems to be the case with multiple sets booked via extraterrestrial satellites on the Planet Gleebork...

Hey, I'll pay you all the shawarma you can eat to dance!

I find it is hard to dance with 500 bucks worth of shwarma in my belly!

I like to dance with $500 worth of hummus and falafel in my belly, so I can show off the rare dance form known as Raqs Farty.

NYC in a hard city to work in. When I was there people tried to rip me off all the time. I was once asked to do a show at 4am on new years eve for $100, wtf?

I guess its so bad because the dancers dont really communicate so you end up with newbies (like Samira said) who will work for nothing.

The schedule for dancers in NYC is stressful, since lots of the clubs are open until 5am its very common for most belly dance shows to be between 12 and 3 am. You pretty much have to turn nocturnal.

Gahhhhhh....while I'm envious of all of the great teachers in the Big Apple, I don't know if I could work as a belly dancer there for longer than 6 months before I'd probably drop dead or start getting gray hair.

I don't think I've had a show later than 10:00 in about 3 years. But all of CT basically goes nighty night by 11. Cause that's how we roll in the Nutmeg State.

Originally Posted by SatinWorship19

I like to dance with $500 worth of hummus and falafel in my belly, so I can show off the rare dance form known as Raqs Farty.

Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!

Wow, that's really late even for NY. I would say most shows start in the 11pm-1am range. Sometimes as late as 2 or 2:30 but even then you are done by 3 not just starting your set!
I really can't imagine anyone anyone wanting to do this, but there probably will be.

Hahahaha! Sounds like these are the folks who want a dancer for two solid hours or something like that. Let's find out what place this is, and call them up repeatedly and ask if they have a bellydancer.

I'm surprised none of you NY ladies got the email too! This is the place - Pacha NYC :: Ibiza's Best Nightclub Lands in New York City

They are doing an Arabian themed night. And that is BS that they don't have $750 in their budget - they have Jonathan Peters dj'ing - you can bet he's charging more than that!

Oh Pacha... they were the last float in the NYC Dance Parade. Their float was basically a bunch of girls in skimpy outfits gyrating on the float. I mean their logo is two cherries-enough said!
NY Dance Parade 5/16/09 - Rough proofs by Arthur Fink

I don't know about anyone else - but I'm just too old to even think about such a gig - unless they were willing to pay an INSANE amount of money (like I'm worth it - not!). I can stay up and dance til 1 or 2, but then I need my beauty sleep! ,s::

There was a club here in Santa Monica which would advertise that they had belly dancers two nights a week and on NYE. Then you;d get there and there'd be two girls in gogo boots and electronic drum kits! Always a disappointment. I talked to them once about having a real belly dancer. They offered $50 for the night. When I asked if that is what they paid drum kit girls, they said no, but DKG's wore less clothes! Um, no thank you. . .

Oh, and while clubs in LA in general close at 2, they wanted me to go on at 12:30 am. . .

{{{HUGS}}}

Originally Posted by amyraks

Oh Pacha... they were the last float in the NYC Dance Parade. Their float was basically a bunch of girls in skimpy outfits gyrating on the float. I mean their logo is two cherries-enough said!
NY Dance Parade 5/16/09 - Rough proofs by Arthur Fink

Those are probably the girls they got to do the gig, too.

Originally Posted by danielabellydance

They are doing an Arabian themed night. And that is BS that they don't have $750 in their budget - they have Jonathan Peters dj'ing - you can bet he's charging more than that!

Unbelievable....I thought Pacha was known for having top-notch DJ's on a regular basis. They've gotta have an entertainment budget.

Perhaps, we can write them a little dissertation on how belly dance is just as legitimate of an art form as house music. After all, fans of house music always grouse about how "nobody gets it"....maybe you can strike a nerve

Originally Posted by SatinWorship19

Unbelievable....I thought Pacha was known for having top-notch DJ's on a regular basis. They've gotta have an entertainment budget.

Sometimes it's the method of pay and then the DJ setting the budget. Around here there used to be a gig that the dj made the door fee. The budget for the dancer ALSO came out of the door fee. The DJ had a strong interest in keeping the dancer fees down...and he DID.

Ughhhhhh....what a warped way to set the payscale.

Unfortunately, the American nightclub biz also employs tons of shot girls, go-go dancers, cocktail waitresses and other girls whose job is to set a mood by looking cute. This can make life difficult sometimes, when you're a hot chick who also happens to seek compensation that reflects your artistic achievement and continuing education.

That particular d-bag of a DJ probably 1. wanted all the money to himself, 2. viewed the BDers as no more or less talented than the scantily clad girls who hand out Jell-O shots, and 3. wanted all the money to himself.

Oh, ha ha ha! Guess I'll have to harass them. Ask if they're hiring, then laugh when they quote a price. I'm a closet fan of such tactics. Does no good, but makes me feel better.

Hahahaha Club Pacha, for 175.00 you will get the great honor of dancing for "gentlemen" wearing popped collars with spikey hedgehog hair, and orange "ladies" with knock-of bandage dresses and flat ironed hair. There will be teeth grinding and dialated pupils abound.

By the way the going rate for go-go dancers there is much higher then what they are offering for these 3 bellydance sets.

Originally Posted by SatinWorship19

Ughhhhhh....what a warped way to set the payscale.

Unfortunately, the American nightclub biz also employs tons of shot girls, go-go dancers, cocktail waitresses and other girls whose job is to set a mood by looking cute. This can make life difficult sometimes, when you're a hot chick who also happens to seek compensation that reflects your artistic achievement and continuing education.

That particular d-bag of a DJ probably 1. wanted all the money to himself, 2. viewed the BDers as no more or less talented than the scantily clad girls who hand out Jell-O shots, and 3. wanted all the money to himself.

As someone who has worked has worked as a go-go dancer, I was always well compensated and worked very hard. Look closely the next time you go to a club those girls have just as much dance training (if not more) then your average BDer.

Originally Posted by SatinWorship19

I like to dance with $500 worth of hummus and falafel in my belly, so I can show off the rare dance form known as Raqs Farty.

Lmao!!

Originally Posted by SamiraShuruk
Honestly, they'll likely find some newbie to do it unfortunately.

Originally Posted by _Tanya_

Or even someone who knows better...it's getting a bit ugly out there these days.

Agreed on both counts. Perhaps someone will do it for the sake of "promotion"...I am increasingly baffled by some dancers' apparent willingness to do ANYTHING, from the ridiculous to the demeaning to the unethical, purportedly for the sake of "promoting business."