Dance Company Communication
Editors Letters || Friday, 8 June, 2007
I would like to get something of my chest. It’s about the don’t call us we’ll call you culture in the dance industry (amongst others). I have spoken to quite a few colleaugues, working and not working and the way a lot of auditionees are treated in terms of notification whether they have been taken on or not is really disappointing.
Of course there is the infamous don't call us we call you line, and than you never hear back. Or we will tell you as soon as possible, and you will hear exactly the same line at the same audition next year.
In truth I don’t understand why it so often is like this. In many other professions, companies manage to organise themselves and notify any interested employees of the outcome of an interview. In the day and age of the internet communicating has been made so easy.
We can send monkeys to the moon but not notify someone whether they have the job or not! I think it is only courteous, to let someone know what the situation is so they can actually plan and organise there lives, it's already hard enough as it is. I have questioned some choreographers on this behaviour.
Their explanation is that they are too busy with the production, and they trust that I will understand. Truth is that we are all busy, some working, some trying to find work.
Why am I writing to you about this. Article 19 has a big voice/is a voice in the dance community and I am hoping you will find this issue important enough to give some attention in your magazine.
I hear many dancers complain about the don’t call us we’ll call you culture, change tends to happen very slowly in this industry. And I am hoping that this could be a possible first step.
Please let me know what you think, any answer will be greatly appreciated.
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