The “B” Word

Welcome to Tutu Tea Tuesday. That’s right. I’m spilling secrets. About myself, that is. It’s all of the embarrassing moments, tough lessons, and humiliating experiences I’d prefer to shove down deep, and deny that they ever happened..

But alas, my trash is your treasure trove of knowledge. So let’s get started.

Today, boys and girls, we’ll start off with one of the very first tough lessons I learned as far as working with a studio. And it involves the “B” word…BARTERING.

Like many new makers, I got my start at my daughter’s first dance school. I had signed up for, and attended, Tutu School with Claudia Folts, and proudly brought my first tutu to my daughter’s school to show the director. I forget how the exact conversation went, but it was to the effect of: We’ll pay you for materials, and you provide us with costumes, in exchange for your daughter’s dance tuition.

Jackpot, right? Um, no. Because we all know that SOMEONE ENDS UP WITH THE SHITTY END OF THE DEAL. And that person was me. I kept telling myself “this is great! I’m learning my craft AND my daughter is getting dance lessons!” In reality, I had become an indentured servant, not only making costumes for the small professional company attached to the school, but was doing alterations, and working backstage every performance…and ultimately letting the director take advantage of me. She could smell my desperation for approval, the need to belong to this dance world, “free” dance lessons for my kid, and the list goes on.

And as you can imagine, the whole thing came crashing down when tea hit the streets that I had taken my daughter to an audition at a competing school! My kid was subsequently kicked out of the school, and the director proceeded to smack-talk me to all of the parents, while clutching my VERY FIRST TUTU I EVER MADE. ( She still has it, by the way.)

Now, in retrospect, this was a blessing. It was a clean break from the school. I didn’t have to figure out how I was going to start charging them for my work after they had gotten it for a bargain for 4 years. And, I now had 4 years of costume making and alterations experience to add to my teeny tiny resume.

So, my friends, I would advise against bartering. Ask the studio to send you an invoice for your dancer’s tuition, and you send them an invoice for your work. Not only is it a cleaner relationship, but it’s also better for the poor accountant who is already rolling his/her eyes at your P & L…