I recently left the Board, so I will speak in the past tense:

1) In the last 14 years, we (the dance organizers) never cancelled a dance due to weather - people seem to come anyway, in Vermont.  However, sometimes the owner of the venue closed (cancelled) due to the weather.

2) As soon as cancellation was known/decided: We tried to contact all performers (including a paid sound technician) before they left home, and explained that we prefer to reimburse only the performers who have already expended money/time.

3) Discussed the situation with each performer.  Often performers are willing to forgo any payment, once they understand our hand-to-mouth circumstances.

3) In the last 14 years, we always tried to maintain a bank balance large enough to cover a "total loss" of one dance (pay all performers, but have no income).  But we never had more than one performer, per cancelled dance, accept/ask for payment ($100 - the guaranteed per-person minimum at the time).

Brian Appleberry

re: Queen City Contras, Burlington, Vermont

     (Dances are once per month, year-round.)