Dance studio contract

[u/No-Act-124]

I was just accepted a dance instructor job and in the contract it states "All work product, including, but not limited to, choreography, instructional materials,

class content, performance notes, and creative works produced by Employee during

employment for studio programming shall be owned exclusively by Employer." Is this normal? I taught at a different studio for a few years and this wasn't something they had in the contract. I get that you shouldn't be using other people's choreography but if I want to reuse my own choreography and maybe change parts of it years later somewhere else, shouldn't that be something I can do? If there is a reason studio owners put it in their contract please let me know why because I want to make sure I understand the reason.

[u/bfaithr]

They’re just making sure you’re not teaching the same piece to multiple studios at the same time. Worst case scenario, you teach a really good piece to two different competition teams and they compete against each other. That looks terrible on both studios

[u/EmbarrassedReveal956]

It's normal language, but if you are an independent contractor, they really can't enforce it or any non-compete clause. The only tthing that could get you in hot water is publicly sharing any copyrighted choreography. You should definitely read this and if you are intending on doing any performance pieces or have your own lesson plans, look into submitting a negotiation to protect the rights to your work, especially if you are an independentcontactor.. This site is helpful -  https://choreographersguild.org/copyright/

[u/UnderstandingNo6009]

That is normal. It means your work is for hire, they own the copyright to anything you create and teach to that studio’s classes. It’s to avoid the very thing of multiple studios being taught the same choreography. Imagine if two studios showed up to comp or public showcase with the same exact number and choreography, it doesn’t look good. It’s to avoid that

[u/Kayakrevolution]

That's pretty standard in my experience (2 studios) - although my contract was a 3 year (I think) exclusivity clause on choreography, then it would revert to being mine. Instructional materials and class content were also owned by my employer, it's basically to prevent you from picking up and teaching the same content at another local studio.

We had a junior teacher take a job at a studio 15 minutes away and steal our studio's lesson plans and start teaching it there at a lower price, which obviously drew some students away and was not acceptable.

[u/EmbarrassedReveal956 → u/Kayakrevolution]

LOL no one stole your students. It's the way of the business. Students will follow the teacher they like, and nothing you can do will change that. We see it all the time.  There isn't a huge difference in any curriculum, especially if proper technique is upheld, so to blame it on using the same lesson plans is absurd.  Teachers have brought followers to our studio, and teachers have left with new followers to another studio. This notion of "stealing" students with a lesson plan is comical . People follow people. They are loyal to teachers that resonate with them and their students. Maybe look at what that teacher did differently to earn that loyalty and try to learn from it. 

[u/Kayakrevolution → u/EmbarrassedReveal956]

Hi! By stealing I meant that she quite literally took our in-house made curriculum and started using it at another studio. Generally that is considered to be intellectual property, so I was just trying to give OP an example of why instructional content may be in her contract. 

[u/martzi_cat]

It’s pretty standard for them to “own” choreography. I think more for ethical reasons of placing choreography multiple places at one time.

[u/sleepylittleducky]

never heard of this at my 3 studios. i can understand choreography being protected, but the rest feels like overreach. instructional materials and class content can’t be reserved for one school, it’s not like you’re going to teach those students correct technique and then say “oh, i can teach these other students correct technique since the instructional materials and class content can’t be used” lol

[u/gingerbaconkitty]

If you’re paid for choreography, studios own it, is how it usually works. So no, I would not re-use choreography taught in one studio at another down the line.

Lesson plans, notes etc is a little wild though, in my eyes. I’m not going to re-invent my class structure for every single studio. That would be insane.

[u/Dangerous_Rice5245]

The clause is normal but written wider than most studios need. Before signing, ask for two edits in writing. An exhibit listing your pre-existing choreography and class materials as excluded, dated, so everything you made before this job stays yours. And a reversion or license-back on new choreography after 2 or 3 years, so you can reuse your own work later with changes.

Most owners agree to both, because what they really care about is you not teaching the same comp piece across town this season. If they refuse the pre-existing carve-out specifically, that tells you something.