See Chicago Dance Summer 2024

The Gig Economy: Dancers seek transparency in a freelance industry Arts advocates are pushing for more pay transparency from the dance industry, whose workers are routinely in the dark regarding standard rates and benefits. This lack of explicit information enables employers to pay dancers suboptimal rates, leaving them to pursue their passion in poverty. Last year, Darvin Dances surveyed 38 dance companies as part of its Chicago Dancer Pay Transparency Project . The data found that most professional dancers are employed as independent contractors with no benefits. They earn near minimum wage and work an average of seven hours per week, per company. According to equity advocacy organization On Our Team , the only people who can afford to work for such low wages are those with privilege. “The current system all but requires affluence, personal wealth or a breadwinning partner to sustain a career,” OOT organizer Elsa Hilter said on HowlRound, a knowledge commons by and for the theatre community, January 6, 2021. The benefits of equitable and transparent pay are that artists can better choose which companies to work for, women and ethnic minorities gain firmer footing during pay negotiations, and companies attract better talent and goodwill (and good press). “All of these companies are definitely trying to pay as well as they can,” says Darvin Dances Director Mariah Eastman, “but they’re still paying almost minimum wage or less. That’s just sad to me.” For more information about pay equity, visit the Chicago Dancer Pay Transparency Project, darvindances.com , and On Our Team, onourteam.org . SEECHICAGODANCE.COM | 13