Dear Dancers,

You may have heard that the only way to get into Equity is to land an Equity contract, but that the only way to land an Equity contract is to be present at a members-only audition. Newsflash: That popular notion of a Catch-22 is erroneous. Even more important, there is a good reason to be in no rush to say "I got my card!" -- industry shorthand for joining Equity. To uncover the real story for you, I talked with Robert (Bob) Bruyer, Equity's Executive Assistant for Communication and Education. 

First, a Backgrounder
Equity is the union for performers and stage managers in the professional theatre, which includes Broadway as well as venues all over the country. (There are Canadian and British Equity Associations with reciprocal arrangements for members who get jobs across the border or the Pond.) Virtually all contracts include pension and health coverage, transportation expenses and out-of-town expenses. In addition, you may get discounted dance classes at the discretion of studio owners. 

Beyond that, union members enjoy such benefits as overtime pay, workmen's compensation, disability and unemployment insurance, the opportunity to join a credit union, a guarantee of safe and sanitary working conditions, and a mandate for reasonable hours. 

The union is also involved in a variety of support and charitable organizations, although you do not need to be a union member in order to take advantage of most of these services, including Career Transition for Dancers. (I plan to devote a future column to this invaluable resource.)

Let's Talk Money 
Benefits aside, however, be aware that Equity salaries vary dramatically depending on the place and type of theatre. The agreement for Broadway, and for National and International Tours, specifies a dazzling $1180 minimum per week under the "pink contract" for actor/singer/dancer members of the chorus. If you have speaking lines or if you're the Dance Captain, you'll get even more money. Principals, of course, get the highest pay. Theirs is called the "white contract." But Equity productions ranging from summer stock to cabaret to theatre for young audiences usually pay far less. You are free to try to haggle for more than is offered, but a budget is a budget so don't count on getting your price.

Now, How Do You  Get In?
Bob Bruyer outlined three routes:

1. Get hired by a producer who has posted a bond with Equity. No, that's not impossible. True, you can't go to members-only auditions, but plenty of Equity productions hold non-union calls. Fresh talent really does get plucked out of the crowd all the time. (Note: The infamous eligibility rules were eliminated back in June of 1998.) 

2. Get into a membership candidate program by working at a participating theatre. You earn credit for performing as a non-union employee. There is a registration fee which will be applied to your future initiation fee. When you pile up enough credits, you're in.

3. Join Equity via a Four A's Affiliation. This refers to the Associated Actors and Artists of America, the parent AFL-CIO international for all the American actors' unions: the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA), and the American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA). "Joining Equity this way is the easiest of all," says Bruyer. "That's because anyone can walk in off the street and join AFTRA just by signing up and paying dues. After a year in AFTRA, you can join Equity even if you've never held an Equity job, or any professional performing job for that matter."

This sounds like a sweetheart deal, but watch out. "I always warn young people not to join Equity too soon," says Bob Bruyer. "Once you're a member, you can't take non-union jobs. Sometimes arrangements can be made for you to have a Guest Contract or a Special Appearance Contract, but you cannot work without a union contract." To quote from the Equity handbook: "Working without contract is so serious a breach of your professional responsibility that such behavior will subject you to disciplinary action."

Is Membership Right for All Dancers?
Bruyer adds that Equity membership is definitely not a ticket to employment. "As a card-carrying member, you can go to the members-only auditions," he says. "But if you haven't given yourself time to rack up some experience, your chances of beating out a studio full of seasoned pros is probably not all that good." 

Bruyer also points out that for some dancers, Equity membership may never be a wise choice. Let's say you're a ballet and/or modern dancer. You're not a strong enough tapper to be a Rockette with an AGVA contract, and no amount of training is going to give you a Broadway belter's voice. You don't have the perfect body for a big league AGMA company like American Ballet Theatre or New York City Ballet or San Francisco Ballet. But you are eminently employable as a "pick-up" dancer for non-union "Nutcracker" productions and for excellent chamber-sized companies or outreach programs all year long. 

You've been making a nice living like this. You love the freedom as well as the chance to work with emerging choreographers. True, you're paying for your own health insurance. But overall this is a lifestyle that greatly appeals to you. You may even be thinking of doing some choreography of your own or starting a small company down the road. 

Then one day you see a casting notice for the ballet corps in "Phantom of the Opera" on Broadway. You go to the audition and you get the job. You join Equity, plunking down your $800 initiation fee and your $78 yearly dues. Six months later, you're supremely bored with doing Cecchetti tendus eight shows a week. The thrill of being able to say you're dancing on Broadway has fizzled. 

It's almost December, and you would dearly love to guest somewhere as Spanish or Sugar Plum. You've also seen a host of enticing casting notices for non-union companies during recent weeks. Now what? Going back to non-union status probably makes the most sense. (NB: A source at the AGMA offices who wished to remain anonymous said that AGMA members have more latitude than Equity members do when it comes to performing without a union contract. I have been promised a detailed interview with AGMA to get the whole picture for you soon.)

Where Do I Go Now? 
For more information on Equity, visit their web site. There is no toll-free phone number, but you can call the following regional offices to request handbooks:

• National/Eastern Office (NYC), 212.869.8530

• Central Office (Chicago), 312.641.0393

• Western Office (LA), 323.634.1750

• San Francisco Office, 415.391.3838

• Orlando Office, 407.345.8600.