Back to AuditionsPerformance and Training Expenses 2012 Outlined below are the expected costs, expenses and performance venues. Please note that performance venues may change depending on availabilities. Membership Costs: $999.00 (July 2012 – October 2013) This amount includes the Tuesday rehearsal, as well as mandatory Wednesday class. It is also highly recommend that you attend Saturday technique and group classes, but not mandatory. The full amount is due when the training commences on Tuesday, July 10, 2012. Estimated Traveling Expenses To Consider (Per Salsa Congress Outside Ontario) $100 - $175 / Discounted Mandatory Congress Performance Pass $50 - $100 / Gas (shared by 4 – 8 people) $50 - $100 / Car Rental (shared by 4 – 8 people) $120 - $150 / Hotel (shared by 4 – 6 people, 3 day period) $100-$200 / Food & Beverages (based on 3 meals per day, and light drinking) Flights (If necessary – depends where it is – we currently only have one Salsa event that warrants booking a flight outside of Ontario, and that is the Vancouver Salsa Festival). The Full Congress Pass (mandatory purchase) usually involves 3 nights and 2 full days of workshops from local and international instructors, as well as social dancing for the duration of the congress and is due usually at least a month and a half before the performance. Traveling expenses are due once plans have been finalized to avoid having anyone incur any expenses in order to temporarily cover for others’ payments. Full congress passes are mandatory because it is to the company’s benefit marketing-wise to have you actively participate both in the workshops, onstage and on the social dance floor. The membership cost alone is not sufficient to run a performance team (even with all spots filled) as its cost is considerably more economical than just signing for a regular class with the same amount of classes taken. Hence, the main benefit is really your representation on all fronts. Night passes or just pay per day appearance in congresses if you are performing is not an option for major Salsa congresses, conventions, festivals, etc. we are performing at. Furthermore, you are expected to travel and spend time with the team during these events (not sight see it or spend time with your friends that are in the city unless time permits it) to cut down on costs. Spots for hotel accommodation, transportation, etc. will first given priority to performing team members, then your friends or significant others, provided they are aware and accommodate our performing agenda. Performance Costumes $150 - $250 (This amount does not include the appropriate shoes for performance (around $150 - $300, depending on what you buy). However, these shoes are something you could also use for social dancing (the performance costume may or may not be practical for use outside the performance; it all depends on the routine). As far as expenses go, however, we have normally kept the costume expenses around $125 to $200 during the past years. We will give all performers at least a month’s advance notice before these expenses are due. If we find that there is a discrepancy between the women and men’s costume as is often the case, we may equalize this amount to fairly distribute the amount to the team. Costumes become property of UnitedSalseros once you leave the performance team even if it seems that you paid for it. The only reason why this is not factored in with the rest of the costs as early as possible is to allow members to save for it. We could have certainly just incorporated this amount to your overall costs, but chose not to for logistical purposes. Please note that leaving a performance team always creates more work for the choreographers as they will have to find and train a possible replacement for you and thus is one of the reasons why a deposit also is necessary to say the very least compensate for the inconvenience caused to the company and the team. Miscellaneous Expenses We do not anticipate any additional expenses other than payment for the cost of using the studio for extra rehearsals as we come closer to a major performance next year. This usually costs anywhere from $25 - $50 per person at the most. Make Up Class for Missed Classes: $40-$65 per hour (normal rate is $50-$75 for an hourly private lesson, depending on who is teaching you). Please note that missing classes, regardless of the reason, always ends up being detrimental to the progress of the group as a whole. We will NOT slow down the class for those who missed classes. It is the responsibility of every individual to catch up (either through other members or a make-up class). We may require those who are falling behind seriously to do a make-up class if it is clear that the performer is having great challenge retaining or executing the routine, despite being helped by other team members. These make up classes can be shared by several members if necessary to lower expenses. The moral of the story: do not miss rehearsals! Planned Performances Quebec City Salsa Festival - September – 2013 Canada Salsa Congress – Toronto – October 2013 UnitedSalseros Halloween Party – October 2013 Gatineau Salsa Fair – April 2013 Montreal Salsa Convention – May 2013 Small venues and newer events in Toronto for 2013 Possibly some US venues, or even further! These performances are dependent on the no. of participants and their availabilities, as well as the number of slots per congress performance. UnitedSalseros is almost always invited to major Salsa events in Canada as we have been avid attendees of all past congresses and have an established reputation. A Word On The Expenses Even though adding up all the expenses initially may seem expensive, we still outlined them for you as much as possible in order to give you a realistic outlook of what to expect (rather than just surprising you suddenly with extra costs). Aside from the traveling and performance expenses (which are expected and mostly reduced because you are traveling as a group), the cost of the membership and the training you receive is nothing next to a bargain. Please note that a regular 10-week program with UnitedSalseros once a week would cost you $200.00. Within a year, this would most certainly cost you at least $1,000.00 (remember just once a week). On the other hand, the cost of the membership is much less when you consider the overall amount of training you are receiving. You would definitely be paying at least $200 for only 2 classes per week (including rehearsal training) and considerably more if you attend more than 3 classes per week. Refund & Management Policy We unfortunately have a no refund policy once you’ve signed up and are unable to continue for any reason (unless you can find a replacement for yourself who is willing to take your place – already ready for the routine with respect to what we’ve covered technically and choreography-wise, and he/she is willing to pay the due amount due back to you). As you can see, there are many factors to consider because the amount of time, work and manpower resources to manage a performance team are significantly demanding and time consuming. In the event that we are unable to rehearse due to events that are beyond our control (natural disasters, war, “zombie attack” or any form of mass catastrophe that will prevent the group from rehearsing— heaven forbid), we will obviously have to postpone rehearsals until things have returned to normal and the “zombie” or whatever disaster has subsided). We are, of course, just humoring you about the zombie situation, but we think you get the general idea! UnitedSalseros also reserves the right to change policies within reason which would beneficial to the management and effectiveness of the performance team both on stage and on the social dance floor. In the even this happens (such as a necessary rehearsal schedule change), we would try our utmost best to go with what is acceptable to us and then take into account the majority of the performance members availabilities). Furthermore, as mentioned, a communication contract will be signed to ensure that you fully understood what is outlined and written down here. |