Thread: Forming A Dance Guild

I'm sure this has been discussed in the past, but I just did a quick search and didn't find anything recent.

I've been dancing professionally for about a year and a half (here and there, really, not every weekend). In that time I've found that dancers don't get paid or treated how they should.

Tonight I drove 80 miles round trip only to find that they cancelled the dancer 40 minutes before I was due to perform. I was filling in for another dancer; she didn't get the message until after 8:30 because she was out.

While I was driving home, I started to think. Why CAN'T we get everyone together in our community? Why can't we have a guild, where we all stick up for each other and demand proper pay? So, I turn to you Bhuz. Who here has successfully started a guild? How has it helped your community?

Also, have you tried and failed to get everyone to join?

Check out Guild of Oriental Dance Home Page

That's MN's belly dance guild. It was started in 1981 (I believe), by Cassandra Shore. It is a nice way to bring the community together, provide performance opportunities (monthly Open Stage festivals and an Annual Show), occasional lectures or workshops, Swap Meets, an Annual Party, and, of course, standards in dancer pay. Most ME restaurants in the area pay the Guild wages for dancers, and representatives of the Guild handle negotiations for pay raises- it's never handled by the dancers in the restaurants. And there is a private party "minimum" (which, in my opinion, does not reflect the "going rate" in the area, but it's something). I'm a Guild committee chair, but am not on the board, so I don't know what the current membership is, but I'm sure someone on Bhuz has a better idea- there are a number of Guild of Oriental Dance members here on Bhuz.

Question: Even with a guild in place, how does this stop the BD not in the guild from charging next to nothing?

It doesn't. I get asked to dance for less, and I usually give a line that I am a member of the Guild and therefore am bound by it's minimums, but I "could" take those gigs. I don't, but I'm sure some people do, Guild members or not. And not everyone is in the Guild. The restaurants pay the same, regardless of if the dancers are Guild members or not. But for private stuff, really, anyone could charge anything.

I'm a member but I think that it really only works locally (ie, the MN one in the Cities, not so much in far-off places). Just my thought - outside of the metropolitan area the Guild does not have that sort of reach, which is really too bad because I think it's a great idea. Still, it's something.

I'd definitely start a local guild. Has the guild successfully raised rates in your area? What was the response from restaurant owners after you organized?

I'd say the Minnesota guild is a seriously mixed bag at this point, though much of that has to do with its life cycle and maybe a lack of focus.

The upside: yes, the minimum rate for RESTAURANTS is set by the Guild and when that minimum rate is raised, the Guild sends representatives to each restaurants to notify them. It works in the sense that individual dancers aren't on their own to carry this out, and the owners are a little more amenable knowing that when the rates are raised for them, they're raised for EVERYBODY. The Guild also does things to help promote the restaurants that agree to abide by Guild pricing/practices--like holding festivals at them, advertising them on the Guild's website, etc. And, not ALL dancers belong to the Guild, but most pros/semi pros do (or have even if their member dues aren't current).

The "mixed results" however..in recent years the Guild has been slow to act on rate increases (our last one was in 2006 after 10 years without one, the current restaurant rates are still low compared to similar markets, and the "guidelines" they give for private parties are so far out of date and well below the actual going rate that to actually use that rate would be seriously undercutting!

I think part of the challenge comes from the fact that our Guild is a mix of pro/semi-pro dancers, students (of varying levels and future interests), and avocational dancers who are not currently interested in pursuing the pro route. On one hand, this means we have wonderful diversity and energy in the community. Lots of opportunities for dancers of various styles and focii to come in contact. That's great. ...On the other hand, it means we have three very distinct consitituencies (not to mention plenty of sub-interests within those), and that it can be very hard to be sure this volunteer-run organization effectively serves the needs of ANY of these groups let alone ALL of them. So...the problem is that in recent years, a lot of people on all sides have become a little disengaged--feeling like the Guild isn't really mainly there for *them*--and that includes the pros. Segmentation and competitiveness in the community also seems to be on the rise again. So...I think it's been hard to bring some of the pro issues to the fore because no one really wants to be the person to fight that battle with the non-pro guild nor have other pro members of the Guild hold those things against her with other people or business owners.

But as Amara mentioned, the Guild here is nearly 20 years oldl. It *was* more effective at addressing the kinds of issues you're talking about back when it was newer and the community here was a little smaller/more contained, and therefore its mission was more easily defined. It also was a time and climate when people were more willing to act collectively--to boycott places/dancers that didn't pay/demand fair wages, etc. (Not all their early tactics were always extremely nice.)

So...if you want to start something like this, I would just recommend that you be clear about the goals. Then, who do you need to involve. Then...think about what's the benefit the them (the dancers if they join, the restaurant owners if they agree to abide by guild rates and policies) and how you can build buy in. And...what if any leverage might you have for those that don't comply? Maybe the answer is none, but the more people you get involved, the better your chances of having leverage.

safiyah this tends to happen a lot in our area...that's another reason why i don't want to take jobs sometimes. this has happened to too many dancers and it makes me mad. what restaurant was it? the turkish one?

No, it was a moroccan place on the East side.

I seriously think there should be a 24 hour cancellation policy for all dancers, but I've been told that it doesn't work. I think it could work, but *EVERYONE* has to stick to it. This kind of treatment gets old! Plus that particular restaurant is an 80-mile/2 hour round trip!

oh the one in shaker square? damn that sucks. i wish we could start that up here...and find a way for the dancers to get paid more! we are wayyyy underpaid for the amount of talent that's here. it's crazy!

tell me about it! It's not worth it for me to dance regularly...I'd rather spend my time in rehearsal or at home with a glass of wine than drive out for the little $$ places are charging. That's why I want to see us all band together and demand better treatment and wages. Nothing will change if we don't demand it!