Hey y'all, I am wondering what goes when it comes to selling choreography for you. Here is my setup:

I did a piece for the competition troupe at my studio last year. I was paid for the choreography only, and then ended up having to clean/rehearse the piece pro-bono so that the kids didnt look like crap for competition (the director/owner NEVER rehearsed the piece or did anything with it, which she said she would). They competed and did well. Well, the SO has decided to redo my piece with this year's troupe kids. I think that I am ok with her doing the actual choreography (since she paid for it), but if the circumstances are the same as last year, the dance will not be rehearsed and will not look good. I don't want my name on the choreography in that case. Has anyone else had this circumstance? Does this make me crazy? I am really trying to get a name for myself as a choreographer and don't want this tainting it.

When you do Competition choreography for a group that is not your own, what rights are you giving the group to it?

On another note, I also did a piece last year that was just for my class (did not get paid for it). Does the SO have the right to repeat my choreography with another group without my permission for this year's competition season?

You should have stipulated in your contract how long the piece can be performed for and if you don't agree with what the SO wants then don't do the choreography. It's standard to allow a piece to be performed for a year but you might be generous and give them 1 1/2 years if they don't compete til after Jan. You can also attach something that states if they want to perform the piece longer than the stipulated time there is a fee and she needs to pay that.

The owner shouldn't take apart and re-do your dance. I wouldn't want my name on something that someone took apart and re-did. First of all, you must establish whether she has the right to even use the dance in a second season.

You can also request her to not use your name. Hopefully you have a copy of the piece as choreographed by you for your own records. Also, when you choreograph and charge for your choreography it should include a certain number of times to teach the choreography. You may want to add a clause in your contract that states what your fee is to clean it but most people who are hired as outside choreographers do not do the cleaning, it is the studio's responsibility. I can understand your frustration if they don't and it's messy and it's your name on it so that was worth you coming in to clean it, however, beyond the initial time to teach the choreography you should have been paid. I've hired people to choreograph at my studio and never would I not consider paying them if I wanted them to come back for a rehearsal. I always cleaned the dances but once I brought someone back for master classes and paid him to stay and work on his dance. How insulting to expect him to do it for nothing - it's his business and livelihood.

If you didn't have a contract make sure you do next time. Address pay, when you're paid, how many rehearsals to teach it and the fee if it's more than that, your fee to come back and clean it if needed, how long the piece can be performed for, who owns the choreography. You also should promise not to put the same piece on another dance team/company during the allotted time the studio can perform it. After that period ends you can do what you want. This clause will provide reassurance to the SO.