My worst experience ever....

Amber · 06-23-2008, 01:49 PM

So, I did another performance on Friday... and I'm pretty sure it was probably the worst belly dance experience ever.

So my instructor calls me up and says that she has a client that wants her to dance for them, and that she has an engagement that will not allow her to make it. She told them that she has a student that could do the job for them.

So, I accept and then we hammer out the details. My teacher assures me that I will be paid for the event, she doesn't know how much, because they told her they would "throw me something to help me pay for my expenses", but they didn't clarify. (yeah this is where I should have known it was going downhill

)

Anyway, trusting that all would be on the up and up... I called the client to iron out the details with her. She tells me that during the party there will be a 50/50 and that she would be giving me some of the proceeds from that. I was assured that there would be at least 30-40 women there and that I would at least be getting $50. (I'm a student, its only my second time dancing and I'm filling in for someone else so I thought this was fair)

So the afternoon of the day Im supposed to be performing I call the client one more time, something told me that I should call her and make sure that she had a sound system there because that was the only thing we didn't talk about when I called her the first time. She tells me, "No ____ told me you were brining your own!" The thing is... I dont have one.

So an hour before the show I have to run to Wal-mart and buy a small boom box for $20.

I get to the place finally right on time and the woman keeps telling me to wait a few more mins, because she wants to give all the ladies time to show up. I look around and there are 7 women there...nowhere near the 30-40 she said there would be. So I sit and wait.... and wait.... and wait.... I wait for a total of 30 mins... not ONE more person shows up. So I finally say, look Im going to dance now because I cant wait any longer I have another engagement etc etc... I dance, I gather my things to leave and I go to the hostess to collect my pay.

She goes to her purse and pulls out a $10 and hands it to me and says, "This is all I have, but it should be enough right? We didn't get as many women as I had hoped! Ill give you more the next time you come back"

I'm thinking..."lady there is no way in hell I'm coming back"

So I went through all of that... for $10???? $10??? It didn't even pay for the stereo I bought. On top of that they made me late for a Hafla I was going to attend the same night...

I was so upset. Im still upset when I think about it.

Anyway... that was my experience the second time I performed...

sstacy123 · 06-23-2008, 02:48 PM

Ten dollars! What an insult!!!

Shanazel · 06-23-2008, 02:57 PM

Hugs to you, sweetie. What a lousy experience.

Babylonia · 06-23-2008, 03:11 PM

Brea · 06-23-2008, 03:11 PM

Ugh. Awful. I've been there. I feel your pain.

da Sage · 06-23-2008, 03:59 PM

That's awful! I'm so sorry that happened to you.

Aniseteph · 06-23-2008, 10:54 PM

Eurgh, that is truly lousy of her. She should be the one feeling awful, not you.

If you are new to performing at parties why did your teacher let them leave the fee so vague? Sounds like they heard the word "student" and straight away saw a way out of paying...

IMNSHO the fee ought to be negotiable on your terms only.

Amber · 06-24-2008, 02:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aniseteph

Eurgh, that is truly lousy of her. She should be the one feeling awful, not you.

If you are new to performing at parties why did your teacher let them leave the fee so vague? Sounds like they heard the word "student" and straight away saw a way out of paying...

IMNSHO the fee ought to be negotiable on your terms only.

I wish I have pressed them about it to begin with... But I trusted that I would be taken care of because they were apparently a group my teacher has dealt with positively before... and she had good experiences with them.

So I figured that they would be the same way for me...

I was obviously wrong....

Eshta · 06-24-2008, 11:51 PM

Erm... sounds like your teacher let you down a bit there too? It's an awful way to learn, being dumped in the deep end. If your teacher is passing on a gig, I would have hoped she would have negotiated your fee up front, & told you to collect it before dancing.

Not your problem only 7 people showed up. Would she have given you more if 700 had showed up...?

Brea · 06-25-2008, 02:49 AM

Yeah, I was also a bit curious about the teacher in this instance.

06-23-2008, 01:49 PM	#1 (permalink)
Amber Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 73	My worst experience ever.... So, I did another performance on Friday... and I'm pretty sure it was probably the worst belly dance experience ever. So my instructor calls me up and says that she has a client that wants her to dance for them, and that she has an engagement that will not allow her to make it. She told them that she has a student that could do the job for them. So, I accept and then we hammer out the details. My teacher assures me that I will be paid for the event, she doesn't know how much, because they told her they would "throw me something to help me pay for my expenses", but they didn't clarify. (yeah this is where I should have known it was going downhill) Anyway, trusting that all would be on the up and up... I called the client to iron out the details with her. She tells me that during the party there will be a 50/50 and that she would be giving me some of the proceeds from that. I was assured that there would be at least 30-40 women there and that I would at least be getting $50. (I'm a student, its only my second time dancing and I'm filling in for someone else so I thought this was fair) So the afternoon of the day Im supposed to be performing I call the client one more time, something told me that I should call her and make sure that she had a sound system there because that was the only thing we didn't talk about when I called her the first time. She tells me, "No ____ told me you were brining your own!" The thing is... I dont have one. So an hour before the show I have to run to Wal-mart and buy a small boom box for $20. I get to the place finally right on time and the woman keeps telling me to wait a few more mins, because she wants to give all the ladies time to show up. I look around and there are 7 women there...nowhere near the 30-40 she said there would be. So I sit and wait.... and wait.... and wait.... I wait for a total of 30 mins... not ONE more person shows up. So I finally say, look Im going to dance now because I cant wait any longer I have another engagement etc etc... I dance, I gather my things to leave and I go to the hostess to collect my pay. She goes to her purse and pulls out a $10 and hands it to me and says, "This is all I have, but it should be enough right? We didn't get as many women as I had hoped! Ill give you more the next time you come back" I'm thinking..."lady there is no way in hell I'm coming back" So I went through all of that... for $10???? $10??? It didn't even pay for the stereo I bought. On top of that they made me late for a Hafla I was going to attend the same night... I was so upset. Im still upset when I think about it. Anyway... that was my experience the second time I performed... Last edited by Amber; 06-23-2008 at 01:56 PM.

06-23-2008, 03:11 PM	#5 (permalink)
Brea V.I.P. Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: USA Posts: 1,283	Ugh. Awful. I've been there. I feel your pain. __________________ www.breamorgiane.com

06-24-2008, 11:51 PM	#9 (permalink)
Eshta Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: London, England Posts: 312	Erm... sounds like your teacher let you down a bit there too? It's an awful way to learn, being dumped in the deep end. If your teacher is passing on a gig, I would have hoped she would have negotiated your fee up front, & told you to collect it before dancing. Not your problem only 7 people showed up. Would she have given you more if 700 had showed up...? __________________ Saqarah - London's monthly Belly Dance Hafla!

06-25-2008, 02:49 AM	#10 (permalink)
Brea V.I.P. Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: USA Posts: 1,283	Yeah, I was also a bit curious about the teacher in this instance. __________________ www.breamorgiane.com

06-23-2008, 02:48 PM	#2 (permalink)
sstacy123 Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Birmingham, Alabama, USA Posts: 482	Ten dollars! What an insult!!!

06-23-2008, 02:57 PM	#3 (permalink)
Shanazel Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Rocky Mountains USA Posts: 4,225	Hugs to you, sweetie. What a lousy experience.

06-23-2008, 03:11 PM	#4 (permalink)
Babylonia Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: South Florida Posts: 393

06-23-2008, 03:59 PM	#6 (permalink)
da Sage V.I.P. Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: MN Posts: 1,031	That's awful! I'm so sorry that happened to you.

06-23-2008, 10:54 PM	#7 (permalink)
Aniseteph V.I.P. Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Sussex, England Posts: 1,570	Eurgh, that is truly lousy of her. She should be the one feeling awful, not you. If you are new to performing at parties why did your teacher let them leave the fee so vague? Sounds like they heard the word "student" and straight away saw a way out of paying... IMNSHO the fee ought to be negotiable on your terms only.