Pay of professional ballerinas

Answer 1

There is a huge difference in what dancers make, depending on whether they are in a major company (union) or a regional company (usually non-union). Also, major companies have more weeks of work each year than the regional companies, therefore their annual salaries will be better. There is also a lot of difference between the salary for corps de Ballet and soloists, and principal dancers. Cirque du Soleil dancers earn around $400 a week Median annual earnings of salaried dancers were $21,100 in 2002. The middle 50 percent earned between $14,570 and $34,660. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $12,880, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $53,350. Earnings of many professional dancers are governed by union contracts. Dancers in the major Opera ballet, classical ballet, and modern dance corps belong to the American Guild of Musical Artists, Inc. of the AFL-CIO; those who appear on live or videotaped television programs belong to the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists; those who perform in films and on television belong to the Screen Actors Guild; and those in musical theater are members of the Actors' Equity Association. The unions and producers sign basic agreements specifying minimum salary rates, hours of work, benefits, and other conditions of employment. However, the contract each dancer signs with the producer of the show may be more favorable than the basic agreement.