Thread: Advice for working dancers: how to decode your boss

Fantastic article by Artemis - I found this link in an article by Yasmin on the Gilded Serpent. Excellent advice, and it's all true (unfortunately).

Every working dancer or aspiring professional should read this:

http://www.serpentine.org/artemis/Top20.html

That article is so true. . ...c::

I've read this article before, but it's a good one to re-read from time to time. Thanks for posting!

i encounter #15 constantly. a MED place opened in my area & pulled it & many of my parties pull this. i give the same answer but rarely get the gig too. poo. tina

Ah yes, I've seen this one before. It still makes me chuckle, and as you've noted even though she wrote it 15 years ago it's still so valid!

And TamraHenna, your new avatar gave me a good laugh - especially appearing as it does on this thread!

Originally Posted by *Shira*

Ah yes, I've seen this one before. It still makes me chuckle, and as you've noted even though she wrote it 15 years ago it's still so valid!

And TamraHenna, your new avatar gave me a good laugh - especially appearing as it does on this thread!

Haha, sometimes those bosses sure can make me feel like my avatar!

#16 is exactly what happened in this area about 15 years ago! It took one dancer to buy it and the "idea" spread like wildfire. Next thing you know, every restaurant in town was wanting to pay for one show that was split into many segments, meaning the dancer basically had to stay there all night for less pay! It only takes one dancer to screw it up for the entire community! Don't fall for it!

Artie's article is fantastic.
I think Yasmin's article also addresses a lot of related issues that I see dancers asking questions about.
Here's parts 1 and 2 from the 5 part series:
http://www.gildedserpent.com/art39/YasminProPartyP1.htm
http://www.gildedserpent.com/art39/YasminProPartyP2.htm

Both Artie and Yasmin have other articles on their shared website: www.serpentine.org
Lots of good stuff both on professionalism and on culture/history.

Ok, see...articles like this make me ECSTATIC that I only dance for private parties and not restaurants. Every time I get an inkling of a desire to get myself a restaurant gig, I see something like this, and I change my mind all over again!

Thanks for posting this. I don't dance much in restaurants these days ( well, OK, I don't dance much anymore) but many of the peeves listed are the reasons why.

Originally Posted by
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http://www.serpentine.org/artemis/Top20.html[/url]

Good article - I wish that I had read it before I started performing.
What is the best thing to say if you get #11 (call to see if we need you later)?

Originally Posted by dancingstar

Good article - I wish that I had read it before I started performing.
What is the best thing to say if you get #11 (call to see if we need you later)?

No, I'm sorry, I have another client waiting on a call back, and if you are unsure whether you'll need that time slot, I will go ahead and schedule with them.

It doesn't have to be true, but they need to know that they don't own that time slot, unless they've paid for it.