The Cost of Art: Unpaid Labour in the Dance Industry
In an era where social media can make you famous overnight, professional dancers are still struggling to get paid - even while performing in globally recognised projects and events. The viral #PayTheDancers campaign has exposed the persistent issue of unpaid labour in the creative industries, especially in dance. From high-profile gigs to behind-the-scenes work, dancers are expected to show up with talent, discipline, and passion - often without fair compensation. Through my lens as a working dancer, I share the realities behind the scenes, the structural problems we face, and why social media visibility is not the same as value.
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The “PayTheDancers” Movement
The #PayTheDancers campaign gained traction in early 2024 after dancers revealed they were sked to perform unpaid at major events, including music festivals, commercial shoots, and even fashion shows. What started as a hashtag on TikTok and Instagram quickly escalated into a global movement calling out companies for exploiting performers. Posts from dancers detailing their experiences drew millions of views and shares. In many cases, dancers were offered “exposure” - a long-standing excuse that echoes across the creative industries (Hesmondhalgh, 2010). The campaign didn’t just trend - it sparked crucial conversations about value, exploitation, and the economic aspect of artistic labour in the age of social media.
Statistics from the Dance Industry in Australia
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When Passion Becomes a Pay check Substitute
While social media offers dancers a platform to share their work, grow their audience, and build a personal brand, it has also normalised unpaid creative labour. As Duffy (2017) explains, creators - especially women and marginalized individuals - are encouraged to treat passion as payment, not as a profession. Additionally, performers constantly engage in ongoing work of staying relevant online.
Social media’s feedback loop - likes, shares, comments - can make it seem like dancers are thriving, but that visibility rarely converts to stable income. Cunningham and Craig (2019) describe this phenomenon as part of the social media entertainment economy, while creators are platform-dependent and financially uncertain while tech platforms and brands profit.
In this context, dancers aren’t just artists: they’re content creators, personal brand managers, and gig workers rolled into one. Yet they still face systemic undervaluation - especially when it comes to gigs for major brands or productions.
Image by Tim Gouw via Pexels. Free to use.
Reality of Behind the Scenes
As shown in my video, a day as a freelance dance includes physical training, a side or a main job, preparing for performances, and often taking on gigs that are not what we wish to pursue, to stay afloat. Despite the physical and emotional labour involved, payment is inconsistent or completely absent. Hopper et al. (2020) emphasise that independent dancers often experience significant wellbeing challenges, including the pressure to self-manage their physical health, career progression, and financial survival — usually without institutional support or safeguards. Banks (2020) and Cohen and de Peuter (2015) highlight how platform capitalism relies on unpaid or underpaid creative labour, with little regard for sustainability or worker protections.
The video I filmed was just an example what goes into a gig - preparation, travel and performance time - added up to hours, and the pay does not always cover transport. This isn’t unusual. It’s a systemic issue. And it’s exactly what the #PayTheDancers campaign demands we address.
A Call for Structural Change
The #PayTheDayncers campaign is about more than just hashtags - it’s about structural change - demand for recognition, dignity, and sustainable careers in dance. It’s a reminder that fair exposure is no substitute for fair pay. Social media may amplify our voices, but it can also hide how deeply exploitative creative work has become.
If you engage with dance online - whether by watching a reel, attending a show, or booking performers - consider this: Are the artists being compensated? If not, it’s time to speak up.
Support Dancers. Credit Their Work. Demand Better. I am sure more of us feel the same, and it is time something is done about it.
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References:
Ausdance National. (2025, February). Ausdance 2025 pre-Budget submission. https://ausdance.org.au/news/article/ausdance-2025-pre-budget-submission
Cunningham, S., & Craig, D. (2019). Social media entertainment: The new intersection of Hollywood and Silicon Valley. NYU Press.
Duffy, B. E. (2017). (Not) Getting paid to do what you love: Gender, social media, and aspirational work. Yale University Press.
Gouw, T. (n.d.). 5 women in white dress dancing under gray sky during sunset [Photograph]. Pexels. https://www.pexels.com/photo/5-women-in-white-dress-dancing-under-gray-sky-during-sunset-175658/
Hesmondhalgh, D. (2010). User-generated content, free labour and the cultural industries. Ephemera, 10(3/4), 267–284. http://www.ephemerajournal.org/
Hopper, L. S., Blevins, P., Erskine, S., Hendry, D., Hill, R., & Longbottom, R. (2020). Sustaining dancer wellbeing through independent professional dance careers. Theatre, Dance and Performance Training, 11(4), 470–486. https://doi.org/10.1080/19443927.2020.1740312
Taylor, S., & Littleton, K. (2016). Art work or money: Conflicts in the construction of a creative identity. The Sociological Review, 64(1), 6–24. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-954X.12228