Demo / taxi "payment"?

[Bex]

Our Ceroc TV Taxi dancers only work 1 evening every 4 weeks and get free entry to both our nights plus any Ceroc workshops we may run. They are worth their weight in gold and play a valuable part in getting Beginners to return each week. Also having them get in free gives them an incentive to keep coming each week themselves, hence always having a great standard of dancers at our venues, so I see it as a win-win!

Regular demonstrators get in free at both our nights even if they aren't demo'ing (same reason as above). However, most of our demonstrators used at Twyford are Ceroc teachers anyway

[Sparkles]

No, you're not wrong Ash - up here in sunny Scotland the taxi dancers get in free to any of the classes they wish to attend.
They also get half price entry to most of the party nights.

This is true for 'Ceroc London' taxis too - you work every other week (on duty till 10pm) at your designated venue and then get in free to all the Creoc London venues throughout the week, and get reduced price entry to party nights.
I'm a little confused now though, because some taxis down here don't have the venues their 'entitled' to get into free on the back of their taxi card and on some it is quite clearly stated - so does this mean the rules are different for some?
S. x

[drathzel]

In these parts the TD's get free admission to the night they are "working" - they are "on call" until 9.30 so they get an hour or .

We are on duty in scotland til 9:45! But as Tiggerbabe said we get in free to any other class night in Scotland that we attend!

Most people taxi because they love to dance and enjoy sharing something they love with people less experienced so that they too can enjoy the dance. Well ok thats just my opinion!

[Little Monkey]

We are on duty in scotland til 9:45! But as Tiggerbabe said we get in free to any other class night in Scotland that we attend!

Hey!! I'm always on duty until 10!! So I only get 30 min of freestyle to myself, and very often I spend this time dancing with beginners, too, as it would be rude to say "No! Bugger off! I'm not on duty any more!!" Like Drathzel sais, taxis in Scotland work every second week, and we do get all our regular classes and any other normal class nights in Scotland for free.

There also seems to be some confusion as to what discounts taxis get, even within Scotland. I've been to parties where I've paid full price (and workshops), and have later been told that other taxis got in for a reduced price. What's this? Discrimination against Little Monkeys??

So..... Wouldn't it be nice if we got a clearer set of rules....? Are we meant to be on duty until 10, or 9.45, or even 9.30?? Which classes/workshops/party nights do we get for free or get discounted prices? Also - I know not all teachers agree on these things, which makes it a wee bit confusing, really.....

Saying this - Franck is very good at making us feel appreciated!

Confused Hard Working Monkey

[Little Monkey]

Hmmmm...

Maybe this should be a separate thread, I don't know? Just a thought that occured to me on Monday, after taxiing: Does taxiing make you a better or a worse dancer? This will probably be different for male and female taxis.... I just feel that after a night of taxi duty, I am the worst follower in the world!

I think it's probably due to dancing as a man lots, and also dancing with total beginner men, who want help with how to lead moves, so you sometimes back-lead to show them where their arms are meant to go etc. (Obviously this is not how I always dance with beginner men, as they'd never learn to lead themselves if I did it for them all the time!!). I'm also far less relaxed after dancing a whole night with only beginners, which makes my following c**p!

Any thoughts from other taxi dancers??

Back-Leading Little Monkey

[Lucy Locket]

Phil Roberts has been known to offer other perks too for the regulars and exemplars such as training days and get togethers with food & drink. There is rarely a shortage of volunteers.

As one of his venue managers the taxi dancers get 1 admit one, demos get 1 admit one for their 1st year then 2 admit ones, plus they would get 1 or 2 admit ones @ xmas. They obviously get in free on their duty night but are on duty till 10.15. They get a 'small' discount on workshops unless there is a shortage & they are asked if they can help for free.
What training days?????????? We've had 2 get togethers at Wicksteed with food & drink. Xmas admit ones are no longer & each venue has a budget to spend for 2 get togethers per year. We are having our 1st one this Sunday, lunchtime.
Also in the past paid crew used to be able to attend workshops for free but i believe that doesn't happen although it is in my contract. Having said that i've managed to do some workshops free as a 'man' & to fill spaces.
I do know some other venues let their taxi dancers in free all the time & they don't get admit ones.
I could never taxi all night & I admire those that do. However i will happily help anyone who needs me & i do take the refresher class.
I would also like to add that the demos are supposed to dance with members during the evening & help them too, not all night with the teacher or their partner or selected friends.

Blimey i never wrote essays this long at school !!!!!

p.s. we've had problems getting taxi dancers in the past, if they had more incentive i'm sure there would be more volunteers.

[Petal]

Phil Roberts has been known to offer other perks too for the regulars and exemplars such as training days and get togethers with food & drink.

I've been taxi-ing for just over a year now. When Franck organises busks to promote new venues or bring in beginners to established venues, he invites everyone who takes part for eats and drinks afterwards and he has in the the past provided everyone with tickets for any party taking place on the evening of the busk.

No-one forces you to be a taxi dancer, if you didn't enjoy it you could give it up. But as Sheena says we get free entry to any class venue in scotland and half price party entry, i think we are getting a good deal.

Don't know what the demo's get, i heard conficting reports of free entry on the night they demo but nothing else, don't know if that's right or not.

[El Salsero Gringo]

I would also like to add that the demos are supposed to dance with members during the evening & help them too, not all night with the teacher or their partner or selected friends.

That's not a rule that I've heard before, although I'm sure most demonstrators dance with a whole range of people.

I figured demoing was slightly different from being a taxi-dancer. As a demo you are invited by and working for, the teacher, rather than the venue. If the teacher gives a class at another venue, you're likely to be asked by them to accompany - unlike taxi-dancers.

On the subject of whether being a taxi-dancer affects your dancing: I say yes, it does. I felt my standard of freestlye was declining slowly during the period I was a taxi.

[Lucy Locket]

computer on go slow.

re: demos. in ceroc central some venues such as ours has a rota of demos same as taxi dancers, gives them a break plus it's good to see different people up there with different styles. Gives members the incentive of 'one day i'll be up there'. of course some teachers do have their 'personal' demos.

in the job description it states that during freestyle they are expected to dance with a range of customers, it is not good pr if the demo appears elitist. Besides as a beginner i used to love dancing with the demos as they could lead the class that i had just been in, rather than another beginner and ending with 2 of us not sure of what to do.

the odd demos have been known not to dance with members after they have finished demoing. In the main they do though.

[Jazz_Shoes (Ash)]

No, you're not wrong Ash - up here in sunny Scotland the taxi dancers get in free to any of the classes they wish to attend.
They also get half price entry to most of the party nights.

Woohoo, thanks Sheena I didn't think that was wrong, but nice to get it cleared up anyway.

P.s. I think taxis do a great job I don't think that everyone would be able to do it, but Franck seems to manage to find the people best suited for the job. So I think that it's good that they get in free...(especially if you are Danielle who dances almost every day, without free entry where would she get the money to buy new shoes )

Ashx

[El Salsero Gringo]

in the job description it states that during freestyle they are expected to dance with a range of customers, it is not good pr if the demo appears elitist. Besides as a beginner i used to love dancing with the demos as they could lead the class that i had just been in, rather than another beginner and ending with 2 of us not sure of what to do.

the odd demos have been known not to dance with members after they have finished demoing. In the main they do though.

I think the key thing is the word 'range' - their friends and the more advanced dancers at a venue are also customers and a dance with the demonstrator is nice for them too.
Demonstrators exist in a kind of intermediate state. Beginners think we're part of the crew and can get stroppy if we pass them over for a dance, unlike the teacher and DJ we're not paid, yet we're on duty every week and we don't get the 'off week' in a two week cycle to enjoy an evening of freestyle with our mates. I'm not moaning - if I didn't enjoy the role hugely, I'd give it up, but this thread demonstrates that there's no great consensus about the role of the demonstrator or their reward.

[David Bailey]

Lucy, Hi, and thanks for the information. However:

I would also like to add that the demos are supposed to dance with members during the evening & help them too, not all night with the teacher or their partner or selected friends.

That's never been explicitly stated to any of the demos I know (or me, for that matter). Although I agree there should be some presumption to help out if requested, I figured that after the class, the demo's time is pretty much their own...

p.s. we've had problems getting taxi dancers in the past, if they had more incentive i'm sure there would be more volunteers.

I'm not saying there should be more incentives, for either taxis or demos, I'm sure these people can stand up for themselves. I was just curious as to the "rules" for them.

So..... Wouldn't it be nice if we got a clearer set of rules....? Are we meant to be on duty until 10, or 9.45, or even 9.30?? Which classes/workshops/party nights do we get for free or get discounted prices? Also - I know not all teachers agree on these things, which makes it a wee bit confusing, really.....

Ah-ha, you've spotted the cunning hidden purpose of the thread! Well done, gold star to that monkey, don't eat it.

Yes. It would be a good idea to have some clarity and consistency, I think.

Demonstrators exist in a kind of intermediate state. Beginners think we're part of the crew and can get stroppy if we pass them over for a dance, unlike the teacher and DJ we're not paid, yet we're on duty every week and we don't get the 'off week' in a two week cycle to enjoy an evening of freestyle with our mates. I'm not moaning

Yes you are

Seriously, anyone committing to every week of demo-ing has my respect, it's a big commitment. I wouldn't like to do it, that's for sure.

On the other hand, some demo's get seriously possessive about "their" venue and "their" teacher - it's weird to observe the cat-fights. And that's just the guys

this thread demonstrates that there's no great consensus about the role of the demonstrator or their reward.

Which was my main purpose...

As for "does taxi-ing help / hurt your dancing", I'd say that taxi-ing probably makes you very good at dancing with beginners, but maybe also makes you less good at dancing with intermediates and advanced dancers, simply because of the people you're dancing with most of the time.

Swings and roundabouts really.

[Daisy Chain]

i'm afraid i would not taxi for love nor money.

I think Taxi Dancers deserve a medal

Daisy

(A Little Flower who is not for hire)

[David Bailey]

i'm afraid i would not taxi for love nor money.

Well, I wouldn't go that far...

How much love and how much money are we talking about?

[Trish]

Phil Roberts has been known to offer other perks too for the regulars and exemplars such as training days and get togethers with food & drink. There is rarely a shortage of volunteers.

To clarify, I have only known this happen once in the four years I have been taxiing at Ceroc central, although it was an excellent day . They had some big discussions, then we were allowed to stay on for the teachers update and learn all the new moves, and we got into the evening freestyle for free! There are rumours there's going to be another one, but I'm still waiting!

Apart from getting in free that night, and one other admit one (for any Ceroc central venue, but it also can be used as part payment for their freestyles), regular taxis round here usually get one or two admit ones sent in a Christmas card, and also sometimes get cheap admission to workshops if they ask for it! Depending on the venue, most of the CC taxi dancers either work till 10 or in our case 10.15, and are then allowed the last half hour to dance with who they like. I think Phil is pretty good to us really - although I do agree that it doesn't seem fair that the demos sometimes get more - taxis generally work harder and sometimes need danger money after being pulled around by beginners! Perhaps it's to do with supply and demand though, and that if they've got a really good demo they don't want to lose him/her - where they think taxis are ten a penny .

[John S]

Never understaimate what's involved in taking a taxi class - unlike the main lesson, where the teacher can go through a standard script which doesn't really get varied much or even interrupted, the person taking the revision class has to be constantly adapting the lesson to suit the individuals who have turned up that week - and often in a not-very-suitable environment such as a corridor. And then the taxi dancer has to be on duty to go through it all again on the dance floor with the beginners.

However, as Petal said, no-one forces us to be taxis, and most of the time I get a buzz out of it, especially when I see the progress made by dancers like Petal and Peaches, who are now both taxi dancers themselves. I do feel appreciated by Franck and by those beginners/students in Perth who thank Petal and myself after a class, but if I didn't get that warm glow I wouldn't do it.

The recompense we get in Scotland is fair, I think, and with so many crew members across Scotland Franck is looking at a potentially large sum in lost revenue if we all decided to frequent every venue and night for free. But I doubt if many taxi dancers do it just to get an occasional free night, it's an opportunity to put something back. And in the end it's up to each franchise-owner and group of taxi dancers to work out their own financial arrangements (and to decide whether or not to take the bait in this thread and to disclose the terms!)

[Gadget]

This may come out wrong, so a small disclaimer first: I think Taxis do a great job and are essential for the health & atmosphere of a venue.

BUT, I think that the arguments for giving them lots of perks could be applied to some people that have been coming for years and add to the quality of the night for everyone else - but are NOT taxi dancers.
I think a 'rewards scheme' would be an excelent way to pay both taxis and regular members: one point for every class or party you attend, taxi-ing or demoing gets you 10 points, workshops get you two, etc. then you could "cash-in" your points for admitance (10pts) or even merchandise
(With the Database system, it should be relativly simple to implement.)

[azande]

Big Snip~

a part from

unlike the main lesson, where the teacher can go through a standard script which doesn't really get varied much or even interrupted

A good teacher should be able to adapt the speed or the way (s)he explain things to the general ability of the class, and I've noticed it happens with the teachers I demo with.

[Lucy Locket]

2nd attempt at this reply, computer froze last time so switched it off.
job description for ceroc central demos is that they dance with a range of customers afterwards. let's face it they know what they're doing and some dancers would like help from the 'experienced demo'. as a beginner i always asked the demo for a dance as he could lead me & show me where i was going wrong. They are not to appear elitist by dancing solely with the teacher, their partner or their chosen dancers. not good PR. They are on duty the same as i am and the teacher. We are there to help. They are team members as are taxi dancers.

at ceroc central some venues have a rota of demos, it's good to see different people up there with different styles, plus it's an incentive for the customer to aim for 'i'm going to be up there one day'. some teachers have their own demo.

Our venue has a rota of taxi dancers once or sometimes twice a month, and 3 demos who take it in turns. Works well for us.

[David Bailey]

I think that the arguments for giving them lots of perks could be applied to some people that have been coming for years and add to the quality of the night for everyone else - but are NOT taxi dancers.

Yes, like me. I add to quality, I do - just ask anyone

Seriously, that's an interesting suggestion, to promote loyalty. Cerocchilterns does a loyalty-card scheme; trouble is, I keep forgetting my card

For people going mainly to 1 franchise, that sounds like a good idea - although maybe cumbersome, it's have to be totally user-transparent to work.
But I can't see it being massively useful if you vary between venues owned by different franchises - and I really can't see franchisees cooperating in that way.

(With the Database system, it should be relativly simple to implement.)

Well, "relatively simple" is maybe a leetle bit optimistic. I'd go for "practical", or " feasible" myself. But then I'm a pessimist...