An important step to improve the pay of all performers including dancers. But don't order that Porsche just yet!<P><B>Landmark salary deal for West End</B><BR>by Jeremy Austin in The Stage<P>Actors and stage managers working in the West End have been awarded a pay increase six times the rate of inflation in a landmark deal between Equity and the Society of London Theatres.<P>The agreement, drawn up in close consultation with Equity deputies across the West End and ratified by the union's council at the end of February, will take minimum West End salaries to £320 per week and raises the rehearsal salary ceiling to £416.<P>Backdated to January 14, when the previous agreement ended, the new rates will be in effect for four years with annual increases based on the Retail Price Index plus one per cent. The previous minimum rate was £303 with the new agreement amounting to 3.2 per cent rise after inflation.<P><A HREF="http://www.thestage.co.uk/paper/0210/0101.shtml" TARGET=_blank><B>click for more</B></A><BR>

Wage slaves

What the other half earns. Lucy Ballinger in The Observer finds out what it takes to do other people's jobs and how much they are paid. This week: Ballet dancers

Conflicts at the Royal Ballet have emerged in the past week over the lack of notice dancers say they are being given by the artistic director, Ross Stretton, about the roles they perform and the timing of perform-ances.
This conflict shows that dancers need to be versatile as well as mastering great technical detail. There is far more to dancing than standing on pointes and executing a perfect arabesque. Dancers must also maintain excellent fitness, and imbue each performance with emotion.
Dancers have extensive training in classical ballet; the Royal Ballet School provides regular ballet tuition on top of standard academic work for students from the age of 11. Other schools have three-year courses for people from the age of 16. Performing arts colleges also offer tuition.

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