UNIONS

 

AEA - Actors Equity Association

Eligibilty (how do I get in?)

  • Open Access - if you’ve worked in an AEA jurisdiction as a professional and you can show them your contract

  • Reciprocity - you’re a member of some other union, you’re in good standing and you’re card is a year old, and you’ve done some non-union theatrical work

  • Equity Contract - you’re working one now and you’re eligible for a specific amount of time to take advantage

Initiation Fee: $1,800

Dues: $176 annually in two payments plus 2.5% of gross earnings. This doesn’t seem like a lot unless you consider gross earnings of an Idris Elba or Reese Witherspoon

Major Contracts we work the most

  • Production Contract - Broadway or tour - full weekly rate

  • Short Engagement Touring Agreement (SETA) - rates are lower than the production contract

  • Off-Broadway - rates are based on the size of the house, which is why a lot of these rates are lower

 

AGMA - American Guild of Musical Artists

Eligibility:

  • A current AGMA contract

  • A letter of support from an AGMA company

Initiation fee: $1,000, payable in installments as low as $50 a month

Dues: $100 annually plus 2% of earnings up to $100k in one year

 


SAG-AFTRA - Screen Actors Guild / American Federation of Television and Radio Artists

Eligibility:

  • Proof of employment on SAG-AFTRA contracts a principal performer or recording artist

  • Ability to show three days of covered work under SAG-AFTRA as a background performer

  • Employment under a contract of an affiliate union (in our case, any of the other unions on this page)

Initiation Fee: $3,000 (financing is available)

Dues: $201 annually plus 5% percentage of earnings under SAG-AFTRA

Contracts we work the most:

  • TV/Theatrical Contract - it’s an 800-pager that we mostly work schedule J of for movies and television shows

  • The Network Code Agreements (aka, Net Code) - when the unions were separate this is was an AFTRA contract and is used for dance performances on news, talk or late night shows (Good Morning America, Jimmy Fallon), award shows (Oscars, Grammys, VMAs) and the Superbowl Half-Time Show. It is also used for soap opera actors and other day players.

  • Music Video Agreement - yep, there is an existing contract for this and the record labels should be using it

 

AGVA - American Guild of Variety Artists

Eligibility: Present your current AGVA contract or a resume and work history for review.

Initiation Fee: $750

Dues: Income-based. If you make under $5k on AGVA gigging in a year, the dues are $72; if you make over $35k, you’ll pay $795. Click their website link (above) for the chart.



HUBS

 

DA - Dancers Alliance

Dancers Alliance is where you go to get updated information and resources on the industry., especially minimums that are not already published on union contracts. The grassroots advocacy group is based in Los Angeles with satellites in New York, Atlanta and Miami to help orient dancers in those respective markets. DA leaders sit on committees negotiating contracts we work, gatekeep the pipeline between the community and whatever entities affect our paychecks, and host events to educate you all about how this works.

 

Backstage

This site is a map to a lot of random gigs that employers either don’t want to use agents to cast or want broader reach as far as dancer eyes. There also quite a few jobs that don’t fall squarely inside of dance but are great for dancers ultimately.

 


ECF - The Entertainment Community Fund

Formerly The Actors Fund, part of the reason for the name/branding change is to make clear that dancers are among the industry practitioners welcome to the resources here. There are free webinars, seminars, support groups for injured folks and scholarships for new ventures under Career Transitions for Dancers, which is housed here.

 

Freelancers Union

This is an all-in-one resources for independent contractors in all kinds of industries. So the benefit is access to resources that will help you navigate the “be-your-own-boss” space. Insurance, health care, payroll, networking and other information grabs are here for the taking.

 

Pro Dance Source

In addition to networking opportunities in spaces of gigging we do that is not covered work (under unions), the site contains lists of organizations, businesses, studios and other players inside our industry. College dance programs, conventions (and who is staffing them), dance companies in different parts of the country, and retailers whose primary demographic is us - these are all included. The page is smart and easy to navigate as well.