When dancers felt they were underpaid in recent videos by Beyoncé, DaBaby and more, they took to social media to highlight a long-term pay disparity
This leaves dancers with little protection. The union SAG-AFTRA negotiated the first contract with major labels to regulate music video shoots, ensuring that, in some scenarios, dancers were guaranteed pay and that money would be put towards the union’s health and retirement fund. But the minimum pay scale only kicks in — starting at $515 for a 12-hour work day, plus a usage fee — once a video budget exceeds $100,000.
The cruel reality for dancers is that their work does not change whether the video is union or non-union, $15,000 or $150,000. “We’re top-tier athletes,” says the second member of Dancers Alliance. Yet they’re not treated like it. In contrast, actors enjoy a minimum-pay scale regardless of the budget for a film or TV production covered by the union. One casting agent tells a model makes at least four times as much for lounging on the same set where dancers sweat for $500.
In addition, the people in charge of music videos in non-union settings can work to classify dancers as independent contractors instead of employees. That makes dancers even more vulnerable to pay cuts because independent contractors are not covered by minimum wage rules. In a statement, Anissa Williams, who served as casting agent on the planned Beyoncé video shoot, said the frustration caused by the casting call was the result of a misunderstanding. “It is false information that Beyoncé was casting for principal dancers at a rate of $250,” Williams said. “My associate, who is also a dancer, created a casting breakdown for a diverse group of women which included actors, models, and dancers to work as background talent.
The statement continued, “Dancers Alliance agrees that using an unrelated artist’s likeness to air grievances is wrong. Unfortunately, this particular situation pertained to this specific artist, and the music video was, in fact, non-union. Dancers Alliance would like to thank DaBaby’s camp for helping turn a negative into a positive [by working to resolve dancer compensation]. Our community looks forward to working with them in the future.
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