Comments on: Just Call Me Uppity

By: Maharet

Maharet — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 14:53:33 +0000

I just saw this writing, and I really laughed as I read: Do you get the same rolling eyeballs when you tell people what you do? Or do you feel you need to hide it? Do your parents beg you to get a “real job?”

It’s exactly what happens to me all the time, when I answer “I dance” to the question what I do for work. In the last few years I tried to change that, first by telling people “I teach classes”, but their mind has already stated: “Oh she does not want to do a real job”. Then I tried to explain, that it is not only this 2 hours a class that takes time. With this I earned confusion: “what does she talk about? why preparing for a dance class? just hop around”

People do not see, that we are mostly one-woman-business. I make my websites, the bookings, I do my bookkeeping, I create my choreographies, I organise my shows, I do my financial reports, correspondance, networking and everything on my own. AND I do teaching my classes, dance in restaurants etc. And I am sure, most of you do, too.

People do not see, that we have to do continually our training to keep skills up and to improve. That we work out every quarter year new stuff, choreos, skills and training plans for our classes. And therefore I think they do not see, how many time it takes to come up with new stuff all the time. To schedule everything, to set goals for every class, etc.

People see the 2 hours class they know of, and they think you should be paid for this 2 hours.

By: Julie

Julie — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 11:05:18 +0000

Thanks for the kind words, Chemagne. You’re absolutely right. If someone else is doing it, you can too–and better!

By: Chemagne Martin

Chemagne Martin — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 20:09:02 +0000

I really love and appreciate this post. And I think its time that all artists feel entitled to earn money for what they do I also thinks it important to surround yourself with people who are making money in your industry. “if someone out there is making money/being successful doing the same thing you love to do…you can do it too!”

By: Julie

Julie — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 14:04:18 +0000

I think you’re right, Jacqui, it’s not necessarily malicious or pre-meditated…just ingrained. But the more we question and talk about it, the shakier those ingrained traditions get. I really believe there’s an artistic renaissance coming, I can see it all around me. It’s an exciting time to be an artist.

By: Jacqui Forest

Jacqui Forest — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 05:01:28 +0000

I love this post! Those comments are made all the time – I only read one last week on facebook. A dancer asked if she was crazy for spending all this time and money to ‘volunteer’ her skills. I said I understood her feelings and a female friend piped in with the ‘do it because you love it’, guilt- for- wanting- cash type comment!
I don’t know if the reasons are religious or secular but I have noticed that when I have a man along to gigs (my drummer) I get treated better and money is forthcoming more readily. So I think there must be an element of ingrained, subconscious sexism.

By: Nadira Jamal

Nadira Jamal — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 03:13:18 +0000

“You should do it because you love it, any other motivation is just wrong.”

You *SHOULD* do it because you love it, and you shouldn’t do it if you don’t love it. But you still deserve to make a good living at it.