SHHH!
You're going to think I'm crazy. But, humor me for a moment.
If we are all like pieces of paper with invisible white crayon drawings on them, then dance is a huge tub of colored water. We could continue to walk around every day, invisible to each other. But I think it is about time we dip in and really see the people around us.
This is a startup. We are, by definition, looking for people passionate about —in fact, obsessed with— a specific mission. The belief that binds our team: dance is a forgotten medium at scale in America, and it is simultaneously the singular medium (like water) by which we, as humans, can uniquely come to know each other on a deeper level without any spoken words, and innately transfer ideas and feelings — something that is needed in today's digital world, where we increasingly thirst for real life human connection. What happens during a dance can make a person believe in things that exist outside of it — the greater ideals and virtues of life: love, courage, imagination; that mankind can be good, that things can change.
Each of us sees a glimpse of good or bad in someone when we take their hand for a dance.
And we are looking for people to hire who can cherish the sacred responsibility of taking someone's hand, and revealing to them a 'white crayon' image worth believing in.
Now, what does this mean practically? If changing lives is not for you, then this job is not for you. If it sounds interesting, read on.
Dance is not a casual lifeskill anymore. It is something restricted. We have this idea as adults that we have to give up time and money to be able to do it properly. Let me tell you: it doesn't have to be this way. I'm the founder, Piper, writing this, and I have a vision of an event where strangers of all backgrounds and ages can dance with each other within minutes. (If you haven't yet, visit the About page.)
Though the instructional aspect of dance is minimized with our incorporation of the traditional ceilidh format, it seems that that teaching aspect might never be able to be fully removed from the dance experience. But the concept of making more invisible the guiding hand is central to what we're trying to do, so that people can just relax and enjoy themselves.
That is partially why we need you: Talents. Talents are people who seem like guests but have really been given secret training and instructions for an event beforehand. What they do with these instructions will hopefully encourage everyone else to follow suit without them.
Think of it like this: no one likes being told what to do. But we are trying to get people to do something that hasn't been done before.
In Scotland, if you were an American and you'd just heard a Scottish dance called and felt slightly unsure and stupid, that fear would've had to disappear quickly — your partner would likely be a Scottish person who's done this before and you'll realize you have to rise to their level. And you can. You do. It's just human nature. Conversely, if you were surrounded by equally confused Americans, you might all throw up your hands and laugh at the errand. Similarly, in an effort to capitalize on this effect and minimize instruction, instead of telling gentlemen to take a lady's hand, if there's a wave of men who suddenly begin to gently approach and each ask for a lady's hand (if the ratio is high enough) other men will do the same instinctively. It is like positive peer pressure.
We also just need really good people. People of whom it can be said that dancing with them feels like seeing this beautiful crayon image being revealed before you. That can take many forms: maybe you are exceptionally charismatic, or kindhearted; hopeful, or lovely or funny, or even just really good-looking.
If this sounds like something you want to be part of, reach out immediately to Piper at info@tentalentsevents.com to arrange an interview.
(We're building something incredible...)
FAQ's:
Will I get paid? Equity?
Yes! If you are recruited, you will be compensated for your time: hourly for training ($15/hr) and hourly for events ($50-100/hr).
There is a possibility to negotiate for equity in the company.
Is there training?
Yes! There will be training sessions prior to your first working event. You will be compensated for your time at these sessions. During the training period, you will be taught our expectations and standards, including how to put into practice our philosophy on hospitality. You will also be instructed in the dances that will be called and given time to practice what is required to accomplish any magic moments for that specific event.
Is this part-time or full-time?
This is a part-time employee position. You will not be classified as an independent contractor because training is required. However, the time commitment will be restricted to training and events, amounting to less than 15-20 hrs/month. You may very likely work a full-time job and still be a Talent.
You can expect to dedicate a few hours each week to training for 4-6 weeks preceding your first event, and a few hours (1-3) preceding each consequent event, in perpetuity. Training will begin once enough people have been hired as Talents. Then, you can expect to work roughly 4-5 hours per event, with about 1-2 events occurring per month which you can select to attend (as many or as few as you'd like) based on your personal schedule.
What if I'm not located in the DFW area, but am still interested?
If you are the right fit but not in the right area now, we want to stay in touch! We're planning to expand in the future, and if things ever change we'd love to reconnect. For now, email us specifying your location so we can see where demand is.