Have Company Hiring Practices changed?

[Pasdetrois]

I believe II companies need to be looked at carefully. Some are the higher level of the school, I believe Houston II is this way. They are still in the school and not getting a wage. Whereas other companies have their II company set up as the lower level of the company where wages are paid. I see dancers transfering from a school II to a company II and in the past have been quite surprised at it. All II companies appear not to be created equal even in the eyes of the dancers if they are willing to stay in the II system with a different company and still apparantly view it as moving up the ladder! Has anyone else seen this happen?

[vagansmom]

Yes, pasdetrois, I believe it is quite common. Some of my daughter's friends her age (23-ish) are still in various levels of trainee/apprentice/company II positions, flipping from position to position, and hoping for a "real" (their word - I think they mean "with a living wage") company job. They finish out their two years in one company's pre-company position only to move on to another. Some have been at this since they graduated high school. For some, they can't get a better position, so they'll take anything that keeps them dancing, no matter what the level.

 

Personally, I don't think any of the titles really matter. I think what matters is if the dancer is getting the chance to dance and improve while they hope for a more secure position either with that company or another one down the road. No matter what the title of their position, if they are not getting this, then it's not a good place to be.

 

And that's not even counting whether they are - :blink:gasp - paid for their dancing.