Values in action

Image description: Four dancers make various shapes with their bodies while looking at a phone held by one of them.

We are excited to invite you into the Study Hall process!

The work has been heavily informed by the values we share and our community agreements. It feels exciting to share some of the background of this work with you… our future audience! 

At the beginning of the process, Emily gathered us together to describe what we imagine out of a fair, equitable contract and how we might want to create in the room together. Some of these conversations were also held through the Community Study Halls, so we were informed by our own thoughts and by our peers.

What emerged was a twenty-four page letter of agreement (full of all kinds of wonderful despite the length) and eleven community agreements. I won’t share the LOA in full, but want to highlight some particular excerpts that brought joy to my artist-administrator self. I also invite you as an audience member to see if you can see the values imbibed in these excerpts in the work itself!

Image description: Emily stands, holds a notebook, and speaks to four dancers, three of which are standing while one sits in a chair.

Excerpts from our Letter of Agreement…

Employer will pay the Dancer an hourly rate of $30. This rate of pay applies to all rehearsals, work-in-progress showings, performances, dramaturgy sessions, lec/dems, press interviews, zoom conversations, and costume fittings. 

We are paid a fair, above minimum wage for this project. This hourly rate is also inclusive of our time performing for you, which I feel is a great representation of valuing process as much as product. 

Employer will provide project budget and funding information relevant to the project upon request.

I’m a budget nerd and you too can view Emily’s project budget. Let’s normalize making visible the cost of labor and creation so that we all can be better informed about trends in our field and advocate to funders/donors about the REAL cost of making dance. 

If a dancer comes forward to the Employer and expresses a complaint about working conditions or a feeling of discomfort, the Employer will take it seriously and work to rectify/improve the situation. 

Conflict happens. Let’s not shy away from it and instead be prepared to engage in necessary conversations.

Check-in conversations will include the Employer, the Dancer, and all collaborating dancers in the project. At least two check-ins that are at least 30 minutes each will occur during the project period, but the Employer or the Dancer can call for more if desired. Check-ins are mandatory and will be built into the work schedule. The Dancer will be compensated at their regular hourly rate for check-ins.

It feels necessary to repeat! Conflict is not inherently bad or detrimental to a process. I value open conversations and a commitment to making change if necessary. It has been a joy to engage in these check-in conversations throughout the process especially knowing they were pre-scheduled and we were equally compensated for our reflection time. 

The Dancer’s presentation of their body is not for the Employer to dictate. The Dancer can wear whatever they want to rehearsal and will also have the final say in their own costumes and presentation for performances. 

We are wearing costumes we feel good in. Enough said!

The Dancer is a non-exempt employee, meaning they are entitled to minimum wage and overtime pay, if they work more than 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week.

Dancer classification is a long conversation, especially in consideration of disability, CA’s recent AB-5 bill, and budget sizes. However, I invite you to celebrate that Emily has hired all the dancers in this project as employees and therefore we have access to employment privileges that are listed in this excerpt but also include worker’s compensation insurance, disability insurance, and unemployment insurance. As you watch Study Hall, I invite you to dream of a radical future that sustains career longevity and personal wellness. 

Image description: Four dancers cluster in a group hug. One holds a blue cone in one hand. Rebecca, the central figure, has a huge smile and closed eyes.

Finally, as we inch closer to the premiere of Study Hall (May 16-18, get your tickets now!), I am sharing our community agreements (with consent from the cast and Emily) in full. We invite you to also participate in these community agreements as you watch the show. I’m curious if this context changes your experience being an audience member!

Community agreements:

1. Specifics stay in the room, lessons can leave.

2. Practice asking for what you need, be prepared to respect other people’s needs.

3. If you’re sick, even if it’s not covid, literally stay home.

4. Welcome educational opportunities, be open to other perspectives. 

5. We are each experts in our own experiences, volunteering information is dope, volunteer information as you see fit, and by whatever means you see fit.

6. Consent is ongoing and evolving. 

7. Everyone will actively try not to say things that perpetuate body shaming by yourself or others.

8. Speaking in draft is welcome.

9. Adaptability is important.

10. We can agree to anything at any moment.

Image description: Four dancers are spread throughout the studio, and two cones are visible on the floor in the distance. Two dancers are standing, the other two are mid jump, and all have their hands up in the air with happy facial expressions.

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rehearsal photos by Noah Laroia-Nguyen