I'm not sure where I stand on the 'undercutting' debate. In the free market when companies band together to agree not to undercut each other it's called a cartel & faces legal action...
But what I HAVE found out the hard way amounts to the following:
- Each gig takes time & energy & adrenaline. There are few 'performance opportunities' that warrant all that effort for no payment. I have a minimum rate, below that the opportunity to spend an evening in my pyjamas on my sofa is just too irresistable!
- If I feel the overwhelming urge to 'perform' there are plenty of haflas I can go shake my tailfeather at. Either as a performer or as a guest on the dancefloor afterwards! These are often more enjoyable as there are fewer restrictions on what will work with the audience, and there is less chance of an attempted groping.
- If you 'publicise' yourself as a dancer by dancing for free, you will become known as 'the dancer who dances for free', which is what your next clients will expect.
But it took some shitty experiences to work these things out. The first time I turned down a gig felt a bit scary but such a relief! I didn't sit at home kicking myself for not taking it - I did go to my other gig (the one that showed up 2 days later and actually did accept my fee) and feel a little bit sorry for the desperate girl they did find at the measly £25 they were offering...!
As long as you are not so traumatised that it will put you off performing again, you now know a huge amount more than you did before you started, and next time you will ensure you have agreed a rate in advance, collect it before performing (ideally take a deposit), ensure there is an adequate sound system, performance space, changing area, agreed performance time, etc...!
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Saqarah - London's monthly Belly Dance Hafla!
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