I & Dina Denis (Dins Denis Dance) at the Cheryl Pelavin art gallery in NY
Rang de Nila (Color me Blue)
Bringing Siona's art to life in dance
(FYI: It’s a rant. Not meant to offend anyone.)
Why is it that people will pay their plumber, doctor and babysitter but when hiring artists they try get the work for free? I cannot count the number of times that organizations have contacted me and they are willing to pay venues and staff to organize event, etc…but dancers and performers they just expect to do the act for free! And what is with compensations through great exposure? “media will be there” “our audience is high net worth individuals” blah, blah, blah… No, I need to get paid – I have expenses! I need to pay for studio, compensate dancers, transportation to and from venue for me and my dancers, food, costumes, CDs for music, just to name a few. These are my basic expenses and they add up!
Alright—I am willing to work for free if it is a really good cause or believe that the exposure will realistically benefit me and my dancers.
But seriously, I know I am not alone out there…you artists out there know what I am talking about. And you organizers out there—understand that artists need to put roof over their heads and food on tables as well and need to be compensated accordingly for their time. Its not just a 15 min lecture or just a 5 min dance…in order to produce that is hours of work.
Not to be a hypocrite—I ask dancers to dance without compensation for my RHYTHMS showcase as well. But that’s different—I provide a space and the performers are welcome to invite who ever they please to watch them perform. Be it agents, friends, anyone. I am creating a space to try out new works and a space allowing freedom to experiment and push creative boundaries. It’s a dance creation space. And I am working on creating a stipend for choreographers.
Performers and artists use their creativity as medium to express. That’s real work. Sitting in an office, typing away, going to meetings and doing presentations to clients are not the only way to be compensated for “work”. When you walk into an office and start your day, you are expected to be thinking about your job and you are compensated for it. Artists likewise need to be compensated for their creations. So next time you go to see a show---don’t gripe about the price of your tickets. If you are willing to pay $60 for a haircut and drop $100 for a dinner, you can spare $15-$30 to be entertained as well.
More later on arts and politics and lack of funds...
Why is it that people will pay their plumber, doctor and babysitter but when hiring artists they try get the work for free? I cannot count the number of times that organizations have contacted me and they are willing to pay venues and staff to organize event, etc…but dancers and performers they just expect to do the act for free! And what is with compensations through great exposure? “media will be there” “our audience is high net worth individuals” blah, blah, blah… No, I need to get paid – I have expenses! I need to pay for studio, compensate dancers, transportation to and from venue for me and my dancers, food, costumes, CDs for music, just to name a few. These are my basic expenses and they add up!
Alright—I am willing to work for free if it is a really good cause or believe that the exposure will realistically benefit me and my dancers.
But seriously, I know I am not alone out there…you artists out there know what I am talking about. And you organizers out there—understand that artists need to put roof over their heads and food on tables as well and need to be compensated accordingly for their time. Its not just a 15 min lecture or just a 5 min dance…in order to produce that is hours of work.
Not to be a hypocrite—I ask dancers to dance without compensation for my RHYTHMS showcase as well. But that’s different—I provide a space and the performers are welcome to invite who ever they please to watch them perform. Be it agents, friends, anyone. I am creating a space to try out new works and a space allowing freedom to experiment and push creative boundaries. It’s a dance creation space. And I am working on creating a stipend for choreographers.
Performers and artists use their creativity as medium to express. That’s real work. Sitting in an office, typing away, going to meetings and doing presentations to clients are not the only way to be compensated for “work”. When you walk into an office and start your day, you are expected to be thinking about your job and you are compensated for it. Artists likewise need to be compensated for their creations. So next time you go to see a show---don’t gripe about the price of your tickets. If you are willing to pay $60 for a haircut and drop $100 for a dinner, you can spare $15-$30 to be entertained as well.
More later on arts and politics and lack of funds...
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