64 replies to this topic

[Mme. Hermine]

Jeffrey Taylor wrote:

http://www.express.c...National-Ballet

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I WONDER what John Talbot, Chairman of ENB’s Board of Governors, saw in front of him on the Coliseum stage last Thursday? It was certainly not what I saw, a company clearly head and shoulders above the almost fatal artistic and financial morass inherited from previous directors...


However, what planet was John Talbot occupying on the opening night of their current London season, a brilliant and exciting affair? ...He had already dismissed artistic director Wayne Eagling, the man responsible for the inspiration and guts we celebrated last week. Since his appointment nearly seven years ago, Eagling has salvaged the company from almost certain liquidation.
As the audience repeatedly rose to its feet around him, did the question “why?” never cross Talbot’s mind? Rumour has it that Chairman Talbot tried to rid himself of Eagling at the end of last year, but the dancers said no. This time an allegedly surprise manoeuvre succeeded.

[Mme. Hermine]

The Dancing Times quoted a letter by a number of ENB supporters who asked, they said, to remain anonymous:

http://www.dancing-t...hywastewayneenb

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Dear Editor –– Lady Harlech, the former Chair of English National Ballet, once said: “The ENB Board was a shambles… they behaved pretty badly.” Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose… The recent removal of Wayne Eagling from the artistic directorship of ENB demonstrates an inept lack of judgment by the current Board. It is well known in ballet circles that Eagling was forced to “resign” and is gagged to say nothing about how the Board has treated him – so much for the accountability of a publicly funded arts organisation. The Board also refuse to state publicly – or even to members of the company – its reasons for dismissing Eagling, and so they might, for if they did they would have to hang their heads in shame.
What planet do the Chair, John Talbot, and his colleagues live on? Most companies would give their swan’s eggs for a director of such quality, vivacity and imagination

[aurora]

I must be missing something. None of the things you've cited seem to prove your point. There are suggestions she had been flagged for the post before it was available, but those come from commenters on articles. The board treating the former director horribly doesn't constitute evidence that Tamara Rojo did anything wrong.

[Mashinka]

Margaret Willis's interview with Rojo http://www.dancemaga...-2012/In-charge  is subtle in the extreme, but it's clear that Ms Willis is all too aware of the back story here.

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In 2011, The Royal Ballet announced a search for a new director to take over from retiring Dame Monica Mason. Rojo applied, though claims she had no expectations. She says, however, that it was invaluable to go through the process of applying and being interviewed. (Kevin O’Hare, a former Birmingham Royal Ballet principal dancer and Royal Ballet administrative director, took over in July.) Then she got wind last fall that the ENB Board had asked director Wayne Eagling to resign (for reasons still unclear). The dancers, appreciative of his effort to establish a company of top technicians, petitioned and he kept his job—but not for long. In early 2012, he was again asked to leave, and this time the order stood. After a somewhat hurried application process, Rojo’s name was the one bandied about by speculators, so there was little surprise when the announcement was finally made.

What was actually being bandied about was the fact that Rojo had been interviewed for the job the previous December, i.e. before Wayne Eagling was sacked.  Put bluntly an ENB insider leaked the story because he was disgusted by the actions of the ENB board towards Eagling.  Also please note that the original moves to sack him were made last summer as by 31st July he was confirmed as remaining in the post following protests by the company members, therefore she was actively petitioning for the job "last fall" when Eagling's position with the company was supposed to be secure.

[Helene]

Sorry, but the "Dance Magazine" article doesn't say that: it says that somehow Rojo found out that the ENB board was planning to force his resignation a second time last Fall, she contacted them, they interviewed her for a job that wasn't yet open, and when the job was open, they hired her.

If the board had already forced his resignation once, but he kept his job because of dancer support, and she got wind that they were planning to do it again, it makes sense that would conclude that they were serious about it this time, and it would stick.  Did she break into a Board meeting and steal memos about the second forced resignation?  Probably not.  The Board let it slip, deliberately or inadvertently, but if it was the latter, they could have put her off when she approached them, and even have decided that to hold it against her.  So either they planned to find a replacement before they had an opening, or that happy opportunity fell into their lap, and they took advantage of it.  Given the circumstances, and the likely disgruntlement and dissatisfaction among the dancers the sacking would bring, it was a good tactic on their part to have a short selection process and a pre-vetted candidate.

She has nothing to be surprised about if they use the same sleazy tactics on her to find her replacement, just as Tsiskaridze should never be surprised if this should backfire on him in a similar way going forward.  He seems to have been caught by surprise that in the electronic age, the petition would have been kept secret, though.