Thread: First private gig in a new city! at a restaurant...

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for some feedback. I got my first private gig. A guy wanted to hire me to do some shows, it's for a birthday party, and the gentleman asked for a suggestion on where to have the party, because he wanted it at a "Moroccan restaurant".
Well, I don't dance at any Moroccan restaurants, so I gave him a suggestion of a different restaurant that I already dance at, so it wouldn't possibly interfere if another restaurant already had a house dancer on the night the client wanted the party, etc. And so he said sounds good, I'll make a reservation.

So here's the area I want feedback on. I'm already scheduled to dance at this restaurant the night of the gig. Had the client found a different restaurant to have the party at, I did have enough time to find a replacement at the restaurant and I would have so I could do the gig. However, he welcomed the suggestion I made and the party is set to be at my usual restaurant. So, the restaurant is going to pay me the normal rate to dance for the other costumers, and then gig client is going to pay me for the 2 shows I prepared.. Is this being sneaky? I don't want the client to realize that he could've seen belly dancing anyways and feel like I hoodwinked him ( because this restaurant has dancing every night of the week). Because I have set aside a lot of time to prepare the two shows for his party and pulled out all the stops in regard to props, floorwork, etc. and I really put in effort to make these shows worth his money.

Should I have gone about it a different way?

The gig is tonight, btw, and the client has already paid, so I'm not afraid that he's going to not pay me... I'm just wondering if he will feel cheated when I dance for a different area of the restaurant too?

I assume that the party entertainment will be performed in the area that his party is seated in, and that you will be focusing your attention on his guests and his guests only? Sounds like by time you've pulled out all the stops he'll realize he got his money worth.

You probably want to explain to him sometime between now and when he comes in that you will be alternating between performing for his party and for the entire restaurant ... so he doesn't assume he's paying for the entire restaurant to be entertained... and then make sure he SEES and FEELS the difference.

Hmm here's my $0.02/opinion: to be honest, I think you may have gotten yourself into a sticky situation:

"Well, I don't dance at any Moroccan restaurants, so I gave him a suggestion of a different restaurant that I already dance at, so it wouldn't possibly interfere if another restaurant already had a house dancer on the night the client wanted the party, etc.."- I totally understand this but at the same time its what the client wants not 'what might interfere with another restaurant', I know that sounds cutthroat but if he hires you he hires you, its not like you're intentionally stepping on another dancers toes (but that aside).

First, it would be helpful to know how long your 2 sets are and if you're charging the standard rate of at least $150+ (here in PA its much higher) or if you've negotiated a lower rate with the restaurant because you brought them business. It sounds like though you charged him a standard rate AND also getting your regular restaurant pay?-correct me if I'm wrong.

So, how are you planning to pull this off? Are you dancing for the client and his party first? Do they have a sectioned off part of the restaurant? Or are they coming early before regular customers? If not, I just don't understand how you are going to separate restaurant dancing and his private party...

In terms of booking a private party yet already being paid by the restaurant for regular dancing, I think you're playing with fire. If you're client is unfamiliar with the dance form or how restaurant work goes, he may feel cheated UNLESS you can completely separate his party performance from the rest of the restaurant ie you can't go back and forth performing for him and then the restaurant. Here's my point of reference: the restaurant I dance at booked a large party and hired me to dance. My boss and I discussed my rate and also the rate he usually pays me to dance at the restaurant. Once the price was agreed upon, I arrived early for the private party (4:00pm-7:00pm) and AFTER the private party was over, I resumed my regular sets at the restaurant.

I apologize if this comes off harsh, I'm just worried you might be in for a rude awakening tonight. Especially in these times of financial hardship, people expect to get what they pay for so just be aware of that. And as I always stress, always acting as a professional is near the top of the list along with walking away with your dignity. Good luck.

I think this is a tough one.
If you are performing at a different time & in a different area of the restaurant for this client its a private gig. You can charge a separate rate and put on a separate show. Will he feel slightly cheated if he realizes that he could have just made a reservation in the general seating area and had your entertainment for free? Probably. If its a small party of 10 or less that could have made a reservation and taken a table without booking you, I think you should not be booking them independently on top of the regular gig. If its a large party, at a different time or different then fine.
If you book yourself to simultaneously dance for a private party and a restaurant, in the same location & at the same time that's bad business. The restaurant is paying you to entertain their customers and you're now charging their customers to see you even though you've already been paid to be there.
So, it kind of depends on what the circumstances were.
In the future, if someone wants you dance for their party somewhere you should contract with them, get your deposit, and specify in your contract that the client must verify with you that the establishment knows you will be coming and provide you with the name & contact info for the person who is handling their party at the establishment. This is what I do. That way, whether its a hotel ballroom, an event center, a banquet hall, a family restaurant--whatever my procedure is the same.
If clients want you to recommend somewhere, recommend the private function room where you are the house dancer and book that way.

Thanks for your input... the gig went off without a hitch. It was great.

The reason I charged the client to dance at the restaurant even though I was already dancing there is because he wanted a show, and the dancing at the restaurant is more like ambiance. one song here and there, sometimes a whole hour in between songs. It's not a "show" and this guy wanted a show.

So, the client had his own section of the restaurant, and I made sure of that so that he was the one getting the show, and not the rest of the diners at the restaurant, and I did two shows of 20+ minutes and rehearsed like crazy for the gig.

I did 3 songs throughout the night for the rest of the restaurant. 2 of them were while the client and his party were in their section, but it was quite removed and very different from what I performed for his party.

The party went really really well. And it was actually the best gig I've ever done. Partially because it was in a public place and I was familiar with it and could call the shots, ie not change in a bathroom, interrupt their dinner, etc.

Congratulations.

Sounds like you had all the right elements in place when you booked the gig! The added bonus is that now that you've done it once you have a template for booking future private gigs in this location and have established a working protocol for how you can do that efficiently and with high quality results. WIN!