MEAA’s Dancers Australia National Committee has approved a 4.75% increase to the Dance Industry Code of Practice for the 2026–27 financial year, in line with the Annual Wage Review increase handed down by the Fair Work Commission.
The above-inflation increase applies from 1 July 2026 and lifts minimum rates and entitlements for professional dancers, dance teachers and choreographers covered by the Code. Hourly and weekly rates, allowances, recording payments and vehicle use payments have all increased.
The Dance Industry Code of Practice is a key benchmark document for the sector, particularly for freelance, independent, project-based and commercial dance work. It covers both employee and contractor or subcontractor dance professionals across a wide range of settings, including government-subsidised, commercial, freelance, independent and experimental work.
Under the updated Code, professional dancers engaged for less than 38 hours are to be paid $54.11 per hour for rehearsals. Performance rates now range from $84.85 to $104.87 per hour for live work, and from $53.02 to $65.98 per hour for screen work, depending on experience and classification level. Weekly rates for dancers range from $1,504.21 to $1,787.23.
Freelance dance teacher rates range from $33.94 per hour for Level 1 Dance Teachers to $147.98 per hour for Level 8 Senior Dance Teachers. Choreographers are entitled to be paid for the hours spent creating a work, with the choreographer rate set at $54.11 per hour for up to 12 rehearsal hours, or the relevant weekly rate for work over 12 rehearsal hours. The Code also sets out a separate choreography fee, recognising choreography as a creative product as well as a service.
Social media work is also addressed. If a company asks a dancer to take over its social media account for marketing or promotion, the request and terms must be made in writing, the dancer has the right to decline, and time spent doing the work must be paid. Where a company asks a dancer to use their own personal social media accounts for marketing or promotion, those negotiations must be separate from the dancer’s contract discussions.
The Code’s AI provisions are among its most timely updates. Signatories agree not to use a dancer’s image, name, voice, likeness or movement to create synthetic recordings, digital doubles or machine-learning material without the dancer’s knowledge and consent. The Code also requires good faith efforts to protect digital files containing a dancer’s image from unauthorised access, including where recordings are stored in the cloud.
Beyond rates and image rights, the Code sets out minimum calls, superannuation, penalty rates, contracts, cancellation terms and workplace conditions. It includes a zero tolerance position on discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment, bullying and blacklisting, and sets standards around breaks, facilities, injury leave, insurance and safe flooring.
The Code’s annual increase mechanism states that rates rise each 1 July by the March Quarter CPI figure, the Fair Work Commission’s Annual Wage Review increase, or 4%, whichever is greater.
MEAA has advised that the updated Dance Industry Code of Practice is now available. For more information, contact dancers@meaa.org.
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