Auditioning
Carnival Cruise Lines is starting their yearly audition tour, so I thought it would be a good time to tell you about Carnival as a dance opportunity. I spoke with Kerry Stables the Manager of Carnival Productions. It was a miracle she could find the time to talk to me with the workload of overseeing 16 ships, 33 shows and another five ships coming out by 2004. 

Carnival rarely comes to Las Vegas to audition but if you've been reading your Callback, you know they will have made a trip to Vegas by the time this article comes to print. Don't worry. Carnival auditions in Los Angeles, New York, Toronto and England, where they seem to find most of their talent. They also have agents in Russia and Australia scouting for new prospects. 

Kerry told me, "Carnival will accept video submissions, so send quality video and show your versatility, especially if you sing and dance." The contract is usually a nine-month contract but there are the occasional six-month contracts. There are full medical benefits and after six months there is a free cruise for friends or family. Going the extra mile, Carnival Cruise Lines offers a retirement plan for performers who have been with them for ten years. Ten years at sea can be considered the equivalent to twenty years of work on land and so your dance pension begins. Pretty nice huh?

The Shows and The Life
The shows vary from one ship to another based on the target market for that ship. There are Rock and Roll shows, Vegas Revues, Broadway type Productions and French Revues. A ship geared toward a younger crowd may have a Rock and Roll show on board and the type of dancer hired would also have to fit that venue. To ensure the shows are varied Carnival has four main choreographers, Kerry Stables, Nick Navarro, Joan Palethorpe and our own Minnie Madden. Dancers hired will rehearse on board, which allows the new cast to watch the quality of the present show. It also means that the new cast will receive full pay and not the dreaded half-salary rehearsal pay.

If you're doing a weeklong cruise you will perform two separate productions. You will perform the first production twice nightly on the second night of your cruise and the second production twice nightly on the fourth night of your cruise. You will have a "cruise duty" and you will be paid extra for that duty. The duty may consist of working in the library, working a bingo tournament or just a friendly face to meet and greet passengers. 

Living arrangements are two dancers to a cabin and they will make special arrangements for performers in a relationship. Dance Captains and Production Singers will receive their own cabin. You will eat in the Staff Mess. Don't confuse this with the Crew Mess. It's a step up believe me. The Staff Mess will have better food and waiters in training will serve you. 

But What's the Pay?
Kerry was uncomfortable talking about salaries but assured me the pay was the same for all dancers. Lead Singers, Dance Captains and Adagio specialists will be paid more. Kerry did say that Carnival was not the highest paid Cruise Line and it wasn't the lowest paid but somewhere right in the middle. It is very easy to find out the pay from other dancers that have worked for Carnival but since she was uncomfortable stating it for this article, I will respect her wishes. 

You should know that cruise ship salaries for new dancers range from $390 to $900 dollars a week. You will receive raises after the completion of two contracts. At the end of each contract, you will be evaluated as a performer. Dancers staying on for another contract with Carnival will be allowed to present three choices from Carnivals sixteen ships and worldwide tours for their next cruise. 

If performing a variety of shows, working for different choreographers and cruising the world is interesting to you. Send a video submission to Kerry Stables Production Show Manager Carnival Cruise Lines 3655 N. W. 87th Ave. Miami, Fl. 33178 Or just continue to read Callback for an audition notice near you. Next time we'll look at Mic Thompson's "Micsmatch Choreography and Showbeat Productions."