Phillip Morris and Dance at Kennedy Center

[perky]

I just learned that Altria (a.k.a. Phillip Morris) has underwritten the entire 2005 ballet and dance season at the Kennedy Center. This leaves me with very mixed emotions. Glad that ballet has some much needed funds for the season, including Suzanne Farrell's restaging of Balanchine Don Quixote. Unhappy that Phillip Morris has the be the corporation to grant it.

Ballet, which uses the human body to express music, emotions and at the best of times illuminates the soul. Big Tobacco, whose product weakens and eventually kills the human body. It doesn't seem right. Is it a neccesary evil? How do Kennedy Center regulars feel about this?

[bart]

Perky, you raise a very interesting ethical question. I identify with your concern. I thought immediately of a local ballet company -- and seeing dancers and the artistic director sitting outside the theater (when not actually performing) smoking and relaxing. As a long-ago smoker (now ex-) I admit to finding that very seductive. I also noted that the majority in this group are always women.

[carbro]

Phillip-Morris, even before adopting its alias, Altria, had a long history of generosity to the dance community. It is a very sticky question, but I'm tending to think that for these not-for-profit organizations whose public funding seems to shrink with every budget cycle, tainted money is better than -- well, witness the recent woes of Dance Theater of Harlem and multiply it.

So far, I have not seen any credits along the lines of "Phillip Morris is the official cigarette of Fumata Ballet Co." That may be the point where I'll find it completely indefensible.

Full disclosure: Unlike the iron-willed bart, I have not been able to kick the habit, but my brand is an RJR product.