Morris price

Subject: Morris price
From: GUEST,voice sqad
Date: 11 Mar 17 - 08:07 AM

Hi on women's day this week should women's morris sides be paid less than mens sides when fee for performance is available?   That has been acceptable for this area for a number of years. But is it time to change this.

Subject: RE: Morris price
From: Richard Mellish
Date: 11 Mar 17 - 09:38 AM

In the absence of any argument in favour of the proposal (which would indeed be very hard to come up with) I regard this post as trolling and therefore deserving of no other response than this.

Subject: RE: Morris price
From: GUEST,Peter
Date: 11 Mar 17 - 11:33 AM

Richard - I think that you stopped reading at the question mark. Try reading the whole post.

Subject: RE: Morris price
From: GUEST,Morris-ey
Date: 11 Mar 17 - 01:20 PM

What do you mean by "fee for performance"? and where is "this area"?

Subject: RE: Morris price
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Mar 17 - 06:45 PM

County fair north Yorkshire.

Subject: RE: Morris price
From: Joe Offer
Date: 11 Mar 17 - 06:55 PM

Seems like a legitimate question, Richard. But I would think that not all Morris sides are the same. The better and better-known ones should command a higher fee. And I'd suppose that most of the better-know Morris sides are male, so that poses a problem. For the most part, performers should receive the price that they command. I don't believe it would be a good idea to equalize fees for all performers. If that were the policy, why would anyone bother to hire anyone but the best? What would the less-talented performers do?

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Morris price
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Mar 17 - 07:02 PM

Tend to agree someone of the ilk of Earsdon for instance put on a good performance,display and numbers so would get the better price. But would a women's side of equal expertise expect the same money for a performance and more importantly would organisers of events be prepared to pay it. The general public assosiated morris with men and would expect to see that if it was advertised.

Subject: RE: Morris price
From: GUEST,Morris-ey
Date: 11 Mar 17 - 07:13 PM

Oh! you are a troll. Any Morris side (male, female, gay, straight, bi, transgender, mixed) will negotiate their fee with the organiser. There is no fee structure, twat.

Subject: RE: Morris price
From: GUEST,Martin
Date: 12 Mar 17 - 03:30 AM

No trolling intended. Organisers arrange to hire on public perception and that is that morris is a man thing the only film about morris was about a man's side, morris is always portrayed on tv as men, in the media it is written about as men no reference to women. Therefore Joe Public expect male morris dancers on any advertising for events. As such the male side can attract better fees for their performance.

Subject: RE: Morris price
From: Will Fly
Date: 12 Mar 17 - 03:48 AM

Well, we have mixed and single-sex sides down here in Sussex - all equally good and all equally popular. Chanctonbury Ring are all male and probably part of the Morris Ring (an all-male organisation). Ditchling Morris was started many years ago as a mixed gender team specifically to bring women into Morris dancing. And then there are the Knots Of May, an all-woman team who dance with large floral garlands and are very, very popular.

There's a not a ha'porth of difference in quality between them, and they have full programmes of dancing during the season.

By gum, if we're not careful, they'll be letting women into golf clubs next...

Subject: RE: Morris price
From: Marje
Date: 12 Mar 17 - 03:52 AM

Isn't the usual currency for morris events beer rather than cash? Most "dancing out" at pubs, fairs, etc doesn't command a fee at all. Men will tend to drink more beer than women, so there you go.

I tend to agree that there's some trolling going on here, as it's not a clear-cut matter; all-female dance sides tend to be clog/garland etc rather than the more recognisable Cotswold or Border morris, and these days many Border and some Cotswold sides are mixed. Some men's dance sides have female musicians, and vice versa. I simply don't think differentiated payments are possible, let alone an issue.

Marje

Subject: RE: Morris price
From: Richard Mellish
Date: 12 Mar 17 - 04:10 AM

> Richard - I think that you stopped reading at the question mark. Try reading the whole post.

I apologise. Either I did indeed fail to read the whole post or I was the victim of a glitch that prevented the latter part from being visible.

Subject: RE: Morris price
From: GUEST,Martin
Date: 12 Mar 17 - 04:45 AM

When asked to dance at an "event" beer is not a fee to accept, events are normally pay to attend and as such a morris side is a performer and can expect to be paid money.

Subject: RE: Morris price
From: Mo the caller
Date: 12 Mar 17 - 05:25 AM

I hadn't realised that money changed hands. I thought that for folk festivals it was free camping and season ticket and not much time off to use the season ticket. What sort of fees are paid?

Subject: RE: Morris price
From: Leadfingers
Date: 12 Mar 17 - 05:36 AM

As with ANY non professional entertainment , its all down to negotiation - Same goes for any festival performer , see what they offer (if NYthing , then haggle

Subject: RE: Morris price
From: Will Fly
Date: 12 Mar 17 - 05:40 AM

Well, let's cut to the chase. As far as I'm concerned, any fee is commensurate with the skill and expertise of the performers - whatever the performing medium, bands, morris, solo performers - and nothing to do with gender.

And as with music, so with everything else these days.

Furthermore, I don't give a bugger what the popular "media" do or think. TV producers and journalists perceptions are often wide of the mark. If you want to see their stupidity in action, check out any episode of Midsomer Murders where "folk" music or any other kind of music is featured. Total tosh in most cases.

Subject: RE: Morris price
From: GUEST,Henry Piper of Ottery
Date: 12 Mar 17 - 06:22 AM

I'm not sure that the general expectation that "Morris" will be an all male activity holds true to any great extent these days, I think that most people understand that it is an activity participated in by both sexes, either individually or in mixed sides,...indeed I think many people believe that this has always been the case !!
There is no "scale Fee" for such things, and as Will says, performers will negotiate a fee they are happy with depending on what they have to offer to a potential booker, sex does not, or should not come into it,.. If the fee does not meet your expectations you don't do the job, .....same as in any trade or profession.!!!

Subject: RE: Morris price
From: GUEST,Morris-ey
Date: 12 Mar 17 - 06:44 AM

When we were dancing what we charged depended on what type of event it was: Festivals used to be free camping and tickets for dancers, musicians and partners; private functions e.g. weddings, corporate events would be a negotiated fee; fetes would be fee paid too. Some charity events we would do for nowt.

Subject: RE: Morris price
From: GUEST, topsie
Date: 13 Mar 17 - 05:04 AM

Yes, when I was dancing, a fee would be paid for such events as fêtes, and the money went towards the sides' expenses such as a hall to practise in, and leaflets or posters to put up in pubs where we were going to dance. We got free tickets and camping at festivals (but often couldn't go to the concerts etc. we were interested in because we were dancing), and sometimes we got drink or sandwiches in a pub. We didn't get anything towards travelling to bookings or pubs and we paid for our own kit.

Subject: RE: Morris price
From: GUEST,Ebor Fiddler
Date: 13 Mar 17 - 10:14 AM

We dance in North Yorkshire, as a male-only side and our fee for an event is whatever we can screw out of the organisers. There is no agreed fee system around here that I know of. Who do you dance with voicesquad?

Chris B.