Our group (Palo Alto contra) is part of a larger organization (Bay Area
Country Dance Society) which runs 11 or so dance series and has
organization-wide pay policies set by the board.
(From the first dollar that comes in the door, 40% to the organization,
60% to the staff - band, caller, sound person. Typically that's one
share for the caller, one share for each musician up to three, half
share for the sound. [There are good reasons to think this split isn't
optimal, but it's what we have at least for now.] For contra dances,
minimums are $50 for band members up to three and caller, $25 four
sound, so even if nobody comes in the door they'll get their minimum out
of BACDS's pockets. For anybody we pay at all there's a minimum of $20,
which gets triggered more at English dances.)
What gets complicated is when we have to make other arrangements with
touring bands - higher minimums, adjusted splits; sometimes they really
want the first $400 in the door, and then we can have our fixed expenses
after that, and then they'd like 80 % of anything else. It's not
unreasonable for them to want to capture most of the economic value of
the added attendance they bring. Organizationally our dance has to get
BACDS approval (usually from the President rather than waiting for a
board meeting) to make a non-standard deal, and then it's vitally
important that this deal *and a clear method for computing the payment*
get transmitted to that night's dance manager.
-- Alan
