Chicago Lyric Opera auditioning belly dancers - Page 2

Recnadocir · 08-03-2006, 01:12 AM

Here is the PDF of the contract agreement between Chicago Lyric Opera and AGMA (the American Guild of Musical Artists): http://www.musicalartists.org/Contra...C2003-2007.pdf

The dancers who work in an AGMA shop are required to pay $500 of their salary to join AGMA (initiation), and I believe this can be deducted from the employees pay in two or more installments, depending on the length of the run. This $500 is a one time union initiation fee, and then annual union dues, which are calculated separately, are due every six months at about $80 per payment.

From my understanding of AGMA shops the opera company is required to pay AGMA scale to the dancers. The only way around this is to try to classify the dancers as "supernumeraries" (read: "volunteers") or "choristers" who are paid considerably less than the dancers. I don't know that opera companies would try to, or would succeed in, such a ploy, although nothing would surprise me.

I don't know, for $1000 a week, as hungry as I am, I might walk around on stage for a couple of scenes, "hanging loose." I've never danced nude, and tend to agree with the great choreographer Sir Antony Tudor who said words to the effect that: "I'll never choreograph a nude piece, because I don't want to see body parts that I can't choreograph movement for," (doing their own thing, as it were).

Leaving aside the pay issue, my firm conviction remains that they should have hired a choreographer with significant belly dance experience. And returning to the pay issue, if I were a top belly dance teacher/choreographer in Chicago, I would be even more offended knowing that $1200 per week or whatever they pay choreographers in AGMA opera houses, was going to someone who probably doesn't know a figure eight from a shimmy, and probably thinks "belly dance" = "exotic dance" and = "second class dancer"

And if you guys don't think that many if not most ballet dancers and "concert modern dancers" and choreographers have this elitist attitude toward belly dancers, you are not being realistic. I'm in both worlds, and trust me, they do!

da Sage · 08-03-2006, 03:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Recnadocir

I don't know, for $1000 a week, as hungry as I am, I might walk around on stage for a couple of scenes, "hanging loose."

Me too. But I'd feel *way* better about that if the opera singers were also topless/nude!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Recnadocir

Leaving aside the pay issue, my firm conviction remains that they should have hired a choreographer with significant belly dance experience. And returning to the pay issue, if I were a top belly dance teacher/choreographer in Chicago, I would be even more offended knowing that $1200 per week or whatever they pay choreographers in AGMA opera houses, was going to someone who probably doesn't know a figure eight from a shimmy, and probably thinks "belly dance" = "exotic dance" and = "second class dancer"!

Oh yes. Dollars to doughnuts, their artistic vision is to recreate Ingres' "The Turkish Bath" as a tableau, and then have some of the harem women break into modern or ballet with some undulations sprinkled in. I wonder what kind of "veil dance" they'll have their Salome do? :p

I was in a group choreography set to that "Mata Hari" song twice...same choreographer both times, similar cutesy/fun choreographies both times. Nothing belly-dancey about them at all, that I recall.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Recnadocir

And if you guys don't think that many if not most ballet dancers and "concert modern dancers" and choreographers have this elitist attitude toward belly dancers, you are not being realistic. I'm in both worlds, and trust me, they do!

Yes, you're right about that.

Shanazel · 08-03-2006, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Recnadocir

The only way around this is to try to classify the dancers as "supernumeraries" (read: "volunteers") or "choristers" who are paid considerably less than the dancers.

More like "supermammaries" in this case. That was all very interesting, Rick. Thanks for including the contract and for your commentary.

Recnadocir · 08-03-2006, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shanazel

More like "supermammaries" in this case.

Ha ha veeery droll Shanazel! Thanks for making me laugh about this. I feel a little better, though still burning.

Shanazel · 08-08-2006, 06:13 PM

You are welcome. Just don't get too near your sheeps while you are still burning- smoldering wool smells ghastly.

Noiseman433 · 08-09-2006, 01:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Recnadocir

This is particularly frustrating for me because, having spent many years studying and choreographing belly dance and ballet and modern and jazz, etc., it is still a small circle of choreographers who get all the work in opera. The rich get richer, so to speak, and hence we have choreographers who have apparently no significant background in belly dance, choreographing an opera in which the predominant, if not exclusive dance style, should be belly dance.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Recnadocir

And on that score, leaving my own personal feelings of injustice aside, how is it that Chicago Lyric Opera could not find a qualified belly dance instructor/choreographer right there in Chicago? Apparently they are importing the choreographer from the UK, at what I am sure is considerable expense. What a slight to not only the belly dance community at large, with their topless and "semi-nude" requirements, but to the Chicago belly dance community specifically.

To be a little bit fair, the Chicago Lyric did have a relatively local belly dancer, Zweena bint Asya as choreographer and a principle dancer (the latter for their production of Thais, however). Though I'm sure that it was her background in ballet, jazz, and modern dance that landed her the gig at the time (well, presumably, that is).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Recnadocir

And if you guys don't think that many if not most ballet dancers and "concert modern dancers" and choreographers have this elitist attitude toward belly dancers, you are not being realistic. I'm in both worlds, and trust me, they do!

Oh yes, they certainly do. We were playing the Indianapolis VisualFringe (part of Indianapolis' Indyfringe festival) next to a venue that had a number of women (about 30 or so) in veils and "middle-eastern-esque" costumes. We though that surely one of the group was a belly dancer but when my duo partner asked they were very non-plussed and stated they were "modern dancers." We later found out that they were dancers from the Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre and were there to promote their upcoming dance production, "Superhero: the Story of a Man Called Jesus."

Recnadocir · 08-11-2006, 04:54 PM

"Superhero: The Story of a Man Called Jesus??!!" in dance theater form???!!
Well, I'll try to keep an open mind...

08-03-2006, 01:12 AM	#11 (permalink)
Recnadocir Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: La La Land Posts: 466	Here is the PDF of the contract agreement between Chicago Lyric Opera and AGMA (the American Guild of Musical Artists): http://www.musicalartists.org/Contra...C2003-2007.pdf The dancers who work in an AGMA shop are required to pay $500 of their salary to join AGMA (initiation), and I believe this can be deducted from the employees pay in two or more installments, depending on the length of the run. This $500 is a one time union initiation fee, and then annual union dues, which are calculated separately, are due every six months at about $80 per payment. From my understanding of AGMA shops the opera company is required to pay AGMA scale to the dancers. The only way around this is to try to classify the dancers as "supernumeraries" (read: "volunteers") or "choristers" who are paid considerably less than the dancers. I don't know that opera companies would try to, or would succeed in, such a ploy, although nothing would surprise me. I don't know, for $1000 a week, as hungry as I am, I might walk around on stage for a couple of scenes, "hanging loose." I've never danced nude, and tend to agree with the great choreographer Sir Antony Tudor who said words to the effect that: "I'll never choreograph a nude piece, because I don't want to see body parts that I can't choreograph movement for," (doing their own thing, as it were). Leaving aside the pay issue, my firm conviction remains that they should have hired a choreographer with significant belly dance experience. And returning to the pay issue, if I were a top belly dance teacher/choreographer in Chicago, I would be even more offended knowing that $1200 per week or whatever they pay choreographers in AGMA opera houses, was going to someone who probably doesn't know a figure eight from a shimmy, and probably thinks "belly dance" = "exotic dance" and = "second class dancer" And if you guys don't think that many if not most ballet dancers and "concert modern dancers" and choreographers have this elitist attitude toward belly dancers, you are not being realistic. I'm in both worlds, and trust me, they do! __________________ http://a537.ac-images.myspacecdn.com...0267e2f1c0.jpg *Nos es in Hollywood , quod vos es non!*

08-08-2006, 06:13 PM	#15 (permalink)
Shanazel Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Rocky Mountains USA Posts: 4,563	You are welcome. Just don't get too near your sheeps while you are still burning- smoldering wool smells ghastly. Last edited by Shanazel; 08-08-2006 at 06:15 PM.

08-11-2006, 04:54 PM	#17 (permalink)
Recnadocir Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: La La Land Posts: 466	"Superhero: The Story of a Man Called Jesus??!!" in dance theater form???!! Well, I'll try to keep an open mind... __________________ http://a537.ac-images.myspacecdn.com...0267e2f1c0.jpg *Nos es in Hollywood , quod vos es non!*