I have to admit I haven't read through all of the posts. But where I am from, this isn't that unusual. Well, having three different bands is unusual. But bands are comparatively rare and dancers are thick on the ground, so this situation does happen a lot.
I was invited to dance with a well-known band earlier this year. The dancers were told that if there was enough money coming in at the door, dancers would get paid, but only after the band was paid, the house was paid, and advertising and expenses were covered. Well, the place was packed, but guess what? Somehow there wasn't enough to pay the dancers anything at all. I thought they could at least offer us a free CD or something.
I also play in a band and I can tell you we are not getting rich. I don't know of very many belly dance shows that really rake in money at the door. After the expenses, organizers are lucky to break even. Sadly, paying dancers may not happen because of that. Sure it would be better if everyone got paid, but it often just doesn't work out that way. Unless people want to start paying $20 and upward at the door for belly dance shows, but our demographic here is used to paying $5-10 at the door.
Whenever I organize a show I try my best to make sure everyone gets paid, but sometimes the amounts are really pitifully small.
It's really a labor of love and not a professional gig in my area. If we took our band fee and averaged it out over the hours of rehearsal, travel time, set up time, time on stage, not to mention all the emails and phone calls with dancers and organizers, the hourly pay would be so small that it would be disgusting.
We try to provide a good show and a good experience for dancers, but that most often doesn't include a magnificent sum of money for them. Sadly.
I was invited to dance with a well-known band earlier this year. The dancers were told that if there was enough money coming in at the door, dancers would get paid, but only after the band was paid, the house was paid, and advertising and expenses were covered. Well, the place was packed, but guess what? Somehow there wasn't enough to pay the dancers anything at all. I thought they could at least offer us a free CD or something.
I also play in a band and I can tell you we are not getting rich. I don't know of very many belly dance shows that really rake in money at the door. After the expenses, organizers are lucky to break even. Sadly, paying dancers may not happen because of that. Sure it would be better if everyone got paid, but it often just doesn't work out that way. Unless people want to start paying $20 and upward at the door for belly dance shows, but our demographic here is used to paying $5-10 at the door.
Whenever I organize a show I try my best to make sure everyone gets paid, but sometimes the amounts are really pitifully small.
It's really a labor of love and not a professional gig in my area. If we took our band fee and averaged it out over the hours of rehearsal, travel time, set up time, time on stage, not to mention all the emails and phone calls with dancers and organizers, the hourly pay would be so small that it would be disgusting.
We try to provide a good show and a good experience for dancers, but that most often doesn't include a magnificent sum of money for them. Sadly.