Red Bull win gives dancers wings

Following collective action by members of Equity Committee Dancers Australia, Red Bull have committed to paying all 64 participants for their annual street dance competition – Dance Your Style.

Dance Your Style participants will be paid in line with the Dancers Australia minimum fee. Following a meeting with Dancers Australia reps this week Red Bull also committed to paying participants flights and accommodation at the national finals; and to broaden a dancer’s right to the use of their image in photography and video from the event. The competition is now in line with Dancers Australia’s new Industry Code of Practice.

Professional dancer and Dancers Australia committee member Nadiah Idris said this was a huge win for the Australian dance industry: “World class level dancers are finally being valued for all the years of dedication to their craft. If we are the primary source entertainment, we must be compensated accordingly. We’re just getting started!”

Dancers Australia – Equity's new national committee made up of dance professionals from across the country – recently ran a National Professional Dance Survey, which found dancers are chronically underpaid for the level of work and training they do, and face a wide range of safety issues in the gig-based economy.

The Dancers Australia National Committee says that for years this event has been running and the dancers have been ‘doing it for the love’. “All dancers know we love what we do, but we are professionals. This warrants being paid just like any other profession.”

Follow Dancers Australia on Facebook and Insta for the latest campaign news.