Parris Goebel manager defends $ 200 audition fee for dance team

Brett Goebel, director of the Royal Family Dance Crew, charges eager dancers $ 200 to audition for a job with the company – and says he has no qualms about politics.

“Those who want to be successful and who are talented will know that the auditions are in January, so they will save for it. It’s not a surprise cost, ”said Goebel, who is Parris Goebel’s father and manager. Thing.

Although he said the fees would come as no surprise to longtime company watchers, dance experts and others in the industry called the hearing costs “unpleasant.”

New Zealand School of Dance principal Garry Trinder said he believed the audition fees were preying on desperate young dancers and was unjustifiable.

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“Personally, I find it unpleasant and it’s not the best introduction to the organization,” he said.

“Some charge. Sadly, dance is one of those environments where there are unemployed dancers looking for work, and for this one chance alone they will take the risk.

Goebel declined to say how many dancers he expected to audition this year. The Royal Family are holding auditions at Palace Dance Studios next week.

When asked how many positions they were looking to fill on the dance team, he also declined to answer.

“Ah, how many people audition? Nope. No need to discuss this, ”he said.

The auditions take place over three days, and longtime dance experts said 100 was a conservative estimate of how many people might show up, meaning the fees could easily reach $ 20,000.

There was no information on the number of roles up for grabs on the studio’s websites.

When asked about the chances that someone would get a job through these auditions, Goebel replied, “I don’t need to explain myself to people. I don’t need to justify myself.

“This is our hearing. If people don’t want to pay the fees, then don’t audition. It is very simple.”

He said the royals have been charging for auditions for the past 10 years.

Trinder said he was concerned about the dancers paying not only to appear at the audition, but also to travel across the country.

The expense could not be justified, he believed, as the auditions were to take place in Goebel’s own studio and therefore would have relatively low overheads.

Angel McKellar, who has worked in dance for more than 20 years, warned dancers against paying for auditions.

“If you are asked to pay for it, don’t go. It’s not an audition. If you went to a job interview, are you asked to pay to be interviewed? It’s the same thing.

“You’re auditioning for a job, why would you pay $ 200 to be seen by someone who could possibly offer you a job? “

She also criticized that the ad did not provide more information. He didn’t say who would audition, or what the ideal candidate looked like.

One concern, McKellar said, was that someone would pay $ 200 and be cut in a matter of hours.

“For some, they will take a day off or travel. They pay to lose money, and they could be eliminated in the first round – from there at 11 a.m. “

Parris Goebel is one of New Zealand’s best-known dancers and choreographers. She has worked with stars such as Rihanna and was named a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2019.