I have a different view. I wish dance organizers were totally open not just about general expenses, but also about specific pay amounts per dance. Sure, it depends on things that aren't entirely within the dance's control. When running a dance, it is important to know how much money is an appropriate amount to pay musicians. And you can't get that without knowing average performer pay in other places. I don't really understand any privacy concerns, here-- this is information about a dance, not personal information. As a performer, I think it's particularly important to know how you are doing relative to the average take of performers at the dances you go to. If you do worse or better than average generally, that certainly affects the decision of what gigs to take in the future. I don't think performers will get upset at getting less money due to lower attendance if organizers are open about their formulas. Keeping these numbers secret just seems like a way to keep performers in the dark so they don't complain, even if they would have good reason to.
I understand most people are not as open about sharing their finances as I am (considering that anybody could look up my salary on several websites), but I don't see why the same concerns would apply to a dance's finances. Dances are usually run by nonprofits, and even if your dance isn't, it's still a community operation, and having information publicly available is, in my view, quite worthwhile. I'll consult with my committee-mates and check on my dance's actual numbers and formula, if anybody's interested in hearing it. -Dave -- David Casserly (cell) 781 258-2761
