About Economic Justice & sliding scale/tiered tuition
I strive to offer my work within a framework of community care and reciprocity/”right relations”. I offer sliding scale tiered price options for classes and workshops, to embody my values of inclusivity and economic justice, while also generating a sustainable livelihood to support my family.
Since multiple realities of economic access and privilege exist, I use a model of 4-5 tuition tiers, so that participants with more can help those who need some support to come to the dance floor.
Tiered or “sliding scale” pricing relies on truthfulness, respect for complexity/nuance, and accountability. I do not ask for income verification. I trust folks to be honest. The community I want to be a part of is one where accountability and community care are central values. I believe this is where trust can grow - an integral ingredient for the deep work we do together.
I learned from Alexis J Cunningfolk about the concept of “sacrifice” vs “hardship” when considering economic access, which I find helpful in illustrating some nuance around determining need. “If paying for a class, product, or service would be difficult, but not detrimental, it qualifies as a sacrifice. You might have to cut back on other spending in your life (such as going out to dinner, buying coffee, or a new outfit), but this will not have a long term harmful impact on your life. It is a sacred sacrifice in order to pursue something you are called to do. If, however, paying for a class would lead to a harmful impact on your life, such as not being able to put food on the table, pay rent, or pay for your transportation to get to work, then you are dealing with hardship.” Folks coming from a space of hardship, qualify for the lowest end of the sliding scale, or a partial scholarship (more info about scholarships is below).
In the spirit of access and supporting those who appreciate visual learning tools, I'm including the above graphic (created by the brilliant Worts + Cunning Apothecary), to illustrate how a sliding scale works. There are three bottles. Each bottle contains sentences that describe a person's current financial experience and economic class. The bottle on the left represents the upper end of the sliding scale spectrum. Folks who identify most with the statements in the far left bottle qualify to pay for class/workshop tickets at the upper end of our sliding scale. The middle bottle represents folks who sometimes can pay for the upper end of the sliding scale, sometimes the middle, and sometimes the bottom half. The bottle on the far right represents the lowest end of the scale and folks who qualify to purchase class/workshop tickets from the bottom of my price spectrum.
tuition tiers i offer:
Sustainability Rate
By choosing this rate, you support me to cover basic costs. Thank you for supporting me to make this offering available.
This rate may be for you, if you:
…have the capacity to meet your basic financial needs
…can pay your rent or mortgage and other monthly payments
…are generally able to purchase new items and experiences for yourself
…can afford to take trips and go on trainings.
Supporter Rate
By choosing this rate, you directly support me to offer below-cost rates to participants with limited income. Thank you for supporting others to take part!
This rate may be for you, if you…
…own your own home and/or live comfortably without financial worry
…have investments and savings or have received an inheritance
…have access to money in times of need or emergencies
…have the desire to help make this work more accessible to others.
Generosity Rate
By choosing this rate, you are giving me the space and time to continue to create the most meaningful experiences, and bring more movement offerings like this to you. Your generosity also enables others with less means to take part, including through scholarships, and for this I am extremely grateful.
This rate may be for you, if…
…the Supporting rate would be applicable to your personal circumstances, but you’d like to give more
…your company finances your participation partially or entirely
…you are committed to making this movement work more accessible to others.
Supported Rate
If you have limited financial capacity, you may wish to choose this rate. The contributions I receive at this level go toward covering costs and are supported by contributions at the Supporting and Generosity Rate.
This rate may be for you, if you…
…stress about meeting your basic needs, but still regularly achieve them.
…may have some debt, but it does not prohibit attainment of basic needs.
…may have access to some financial savings and/or some expendable income.
Access Rate
If you have extremely limited financial capacity and paying for this class/workshop would be a significant hardship, you may wish to choose this rate.. The contributions I receive at this level go toward covering costs and are subsidized by contributions at the Supporting and Generosity Rate.
This rate may be for you, if you…
…are experiencing housing, employment, or income instability
…live pay cheque-to-pay cheque and lack money in times of need
… would otherwise be unable to attend the class/workshop, due to the cost.
For the basis for the framework and languaging of the above tuition tiers, I give great thanks and acknowledgement to Deborah J Lewin, Bence Gáspár, Audrey Boss, and Majero Bouman. I also thank Worts & Cunning Apothecary, Kaia Kindness, and Christina Graham Smith for modelling the way, and educating me about sliding scale economic justice-based tuition models.
In addition to offering tiered tuition prices, I also offer 2 Partial Scholarships: A Diversity and Inclusion scholarship, and a Financial Aid scholarship. Work trade places, and 50% Reparations discount codes for classes are also available.
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION SCHOLARSHIP
I offer scholarships to help increase the diversity of our dance floors. This scholarship is for those who belong to racial, religious, cultural, sexual orientation, gender identity, geographic, and ability groups that have traditionally been underrepresented populations in the movement/meditation field.
With this Scholarship, I am working towards co-creating dance floors that are reflective of the places where we practice. If you identify as Black, Indigenous, Person of Color (BIPOC), LGBTQI+, gender fluid, differently abled/disabled, and/or live in less wealthy regions, you are eligible for this scholarship, and I would like to hear from you. Please send me an email answering the following questions:
a) What class/workshop are you applying for a partial scholarship for?
b) What group that has traditionally been underrepresented in the field of mindful movement and conscious dance do you belong to or identify with?
b) What is the total amount you can afford to pay for this class/workshop?
FINANCIAL AID SCHOLARSHIP
The purpose of the Financial Aid Scholarship is to give access to people with fewer resources. If you identify as Black, Indigenous, Person of Color (BIPOC), LBGQT+, gender fluid, differently abled, and/or live in a less wealthy region, you can also apply to the Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship. Funds are limited and will be given to those who meet the purpose of the Fund(s) most clearly.
The purpose of the Financial Aid Scholarship is to lower tuition costs so that dancers who don’t have access to financial resources can join us. The application process is very simple.
1. Find a quiet place where you can sit in meditation or move in meditation undisturbed for 5-10 minutes.
2. Breathe for several minutes and let yourself settle either into your seated practice or your movement practice, until you have a sense of quiet. Then please consider the question:
”How much can I afford to pay of the tuition, no more and no less, at this time?"
Please consider your own true needs, and all others who need help too.
After completing your meditation, please let me know:
a) Which class/workshop you are applying for a Financial Aid Scholarship for.
b) How much you can afford to pay.
c) Please include a short description of what you would like me to know about you and your scholarship request. You may wish to briefly answer some/all of the following questions.
What brought you to this number?
Is your income below average for the area you live in?
Are your expenses higher?
Do you provide for others?
Any other challenges?
What region do you live in?
Is the region experiencing economic or other challenges?
If so, what are they?
Do you identify as being from a community or background that has been systematically marginalized or excluded from holding power? Depending on where you live, this exclusion could be based on race, ethnicity, the colour of your skin, gender, sexual orientation, ability/disability, or other.
How will this program help improve your life and your ability to serve others?
While I may not be able to give the entire reduction that you request, I do my best to help all those who wish to participate, with something. Scholarships are subsidized and supported by community contributions via our Supporter and Generosity tuition tiers.
I give thanks and acknowledgement to Kathy Altman and Open Floor International for devising this scholarship model and process, and teaching it to me as a young producer and teacher back when I started.