10 replies to this topic

[BalletNut]

SFB has fired principal dancers Joan Boada and Parrish Maynard, and corps members Jonathon Shockley and Michael Eaton.

More info:
http://www.sfgate.co...01/BA146621.DTL

Apparently, they will not be leaving immediately, but at the end of the season. They will be missed.
[we must have been posting at the same time]

[Alexandra]

If we can keep this within the realm of acceptable speculation I gather that Boada has been much injured? (He's never been on one of the company's tours to D.C., and then come here, on average, every other year, if not every year.) Was Maynard also often injured?

(It seems the dancers' contracts aren't being renewed for the next season, not that they're being fired on the spot. This often happens for a variety of reasons, including a good dancer who is no longer able to perform for reasons of age or injury.)

[BalletNut]

Yes, Boada had many injuries, not sure about Maynard and the corps dancers. However, the lay-offs are mostly because SFB can't afford to pay these dancers.

[Rachel Howard]

Sorry guys, I'm deleting this posting after realizing I had inaccurately referred to the non-renewal of contracts as "firings." Apologies all around.

[Calliope]

Boston Ballet is laying off dancers as well (corps)
seems that corporate America's pink slips have trickled over into the artistic world

[Paul Parish]

Rachel -- how come you do me this way?

I don't know what I can say except it makes me feel sad.... i really feel for the dancers right now, and don't want to say anything that could be taken wrong. I will say, I feel it most with Maynard, since he's refined himself so remarkably since he came here, and become not only a spectacular showman but also a dancer who can LAND as softly as he can jump high. ANd added depths of artistry in characterization -- he was the most poetic of all the Albrechts I saw.... I was really moved by his performance.

[Brioche]

Rachel says:

The Boada firing is shocking

then:

and now, after years of rarely performing but drawing a paycheck he gets canned.

So how then is that shocking? Do you think any non-profit organization (or for profit for that matter) can really afford to keep anyone one the payroll if they aren't actually doing their job????? The current (arts) econonmy simply can't afford that kind of action.


I will miss Maynard greatly.

[Rachel Howard]

Deleting this one as well for the same reason.

[Rachel Howard]

Feel I should add--"shocking" sounds a bit stronger than I attended. "Surprising" is more like it. And certainly I sympathize with the sad necessity of cutting arts budgets at this time.

[dirac]

Regarding Boada, I don't feel surprise or shock, I regret to say.


My sympathies go out to the dismissed dancers, and I wish them the best. Very sorry to see Parrish Maynard go, especially. This may be reflective – unhappily so -- of the depth of the bench on the men's side that we see in the company right now.

[Alexandra]

I've deleted a post on this thread, which offered information that differed from the press reports. The information may well be accurate, but we'll wait to confirm it with the company or the paper. (In this case, a link to discussion on another web site falls outside our "No gossip, please" rule.)

A belated thank you to Rachel for your correction above

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