Overworked and Underpaid: A Study on Current Pay Practices in the Concert Dance Industry

Abstract

Is minimum wage truly the minimum? Are there American workers expected to perform labor for less than the government regulated minimum hourly rate? And for some, does that minimum hourly rate truly compensate enough for the labor performed? For many concert dancers, working for below minimum wage is standard, and in many instances, expected, especially when starting out one's career. And for dancers with established careers, wages may be the government minimum, but that minimum is not enough for them to survive, let alone thrive. The research that follows examines the chronic issue of low compensation for dance artists employed in the United States non-profit concert dance industry alongside individual and industry impacts of this issue. Through literature review, synthesis and analysis of industry reports, and interviews with current dance students, professionals, and union leaders, the following topics will be addressed: current factors contributing to low compensation in non-profit dance; the impact of low compensation on dancers in the non-profit dance sector; reasoning for dancers accepting low compensation; and, the viability of unions as a solution to this issue.