Hi Mary:
I don't think I'm in a minority when I say I don't use a contract for private gigs.  By the time I've worked out the details, there's an email trail a mile long and if I had to...I could use that to go to small claims court if I don't get paid.  In 30 years of calling I've been fortunate to not have had any issues.

As far as Covid is concerned...if I were taking any gigs right now, then I would make it very easy for the organizer to bow out at the last minute if: local Covid numbers go up, someone gets sick, or they decide it's too risky to have a dance.

One reason for a cancellation clause in a contract is to protect you from loss of income in the event you didn't take another gig and the first gig cancelled.  I think the chances of any caller right now being asked for 2 gigs on the same day is pretty slim...so in this instance you're protecting yourself from loss of income during a pandemic while the Delta variant is infecting the vaxxed and unvaxxed,  Covid numbers are still rising all over the country and in person events are risky.

But none of that relates to your question.  Your question was, "What to ask for a cancellation payment".  That is entirely up to you, questions I would ask are "Are you working?", "Do you have enough money in savings if you're not working?", "Will you rely on this gig money to feed yourself or your family?", "How much preparation work will you do prior to this event ie, being reimbursed for your time when you prep for their event-- learning special dances, practice, working with musicians or preparing music selections, etc."  So if it takes you X hrs to prep for the event, take the full event fee and divide by the time (gig time + your prep fee + travel) to get your hourly pay then multiply by X hrs of your prep time.  That might be a reasonable cancellation amount.

Personally I would be grateful if the gig were cancelled because I wouldn't want to be liable for telling everyone to "Go into the middle with a whoop and a holler", and then find out someone was positive.

Sorry if this is a little snarky...I just now received notification that someone, at an event that I declined to go to, tested positive today.  There were several people I was close to at that event...so now we wait.  You just never know...

Stay safe out there everyone.

Donna
Email: dhuntdancer@aol.com
Cell:  215-565-6050




-----Original Message-----
From: Mary Collins via Contra Callers <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net>
To: Caller's discussion list <callers@sharedweight.net>
Sent: Tue, Aug 17, 2021 7:17 am
Subject: [Callers] Covid cancellations

May have been talked about already so forgive me if it has. I have been contracted to call a wedding in Oct. Currently covid numbers are rising in my area and the bride, groom and I have talked about vaccines (yes), alcohol (no) and what if.

Normally I do not require a deposit but I do expect payment upon arrival at venue. The question is: what to request as cancellation payment. 

What do others put in your contracts regarding this?

Thanks in advance.
Mary Collins
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