Bolshoi Labor Contract

[Buddy]

“A progress report on the labour agreement being drawn up in the Bolshoi Theatre….indicates that it will be ready within the next three weeks or so.

“Bolshoi ballerina Marianna Ryzhkina tells Izvestia that work on the new agreement has been going slowly but carefully, as Urin has been listening to the dancers’ complaints and suggestions, Not all have been dealt with as the dancers proposed, but she says, “When it comes down to it, we are listening to each other.”

http://www.ismeneb.com/Blog/Entries/2014/3/19_Warmer_times_ahead_for_Bolshoi_dancers.html

(thanks to Balletco for this post)

[fiddleback]

Thanks, Buddy!

Interested followers of the Bolshoi should take the time to follow your link.

Some subsequent links from yours describe another very interesting situation at the Mariinsky. The apparently archaic pay system and pay scales are discussed, along with the battle between management (Valery Gergiev) and the rank and file.

http://www.ismeneb.com/Blog/Entries/2013/4/28_The_going_rate_for_a_Mariinsky_Swan_is_62.html

http://www.ismeneb.com/Blog/Entries/2013/4/29_We_are_not_slaves,_Mariinsky_dancers_tell_the_world.html

[Helene]

Although most of the mainstream press in North America has dropped almost all coverage once the Dmitrichenko et. al. trial was over, Ismene Brown has continued to follow the state of Russian ballet in the Russian press and has posted many summaries and translations on her blog:

http://www.ismeneb.com/Blog/Blog.html

She tweets whenever there's a new post, for those who want to get push notifications:

https://twitter.com/ismeneb

[Amy Reusch]

What does it mean that the dancers are now allowed Continental Breakfasts when on tour? That they are now allowed in their per diem some published cost of a continental beakfast in the area they are touring in? How much could the price of a cup of coffee and a roll be? They had to negotiate for that??

[Buddy]

Excuse me for a second, Amy. This a brief reference to Maria Alexandrova, whom I recall from years ago being a voice for moderation and mutual respect at the Bolshoi.

"The ballet representative is the prima ballerina Maria Alexandrova, whom her colleagues want to be chairman, and who is reported to be an effective and consensual communicator with performers and teachers, and fearless in approaching the management."

In regard to fiddleback's mention of the Mariinsky, maybe this can influence some resolution there also, The last time I checked, Daria Pavlenko was representing the dancers.

[Cygnet]

...In regard to fiddleneck's mention of the Mariinsky, maybe this can influence some resolution there also, The last time I checked, Daria Pavlenko was representing the dancers.

After what the Bolshoi has been through, this is very encouraging news. They seem to be making some progress in labor relations and they're forging ahead. Hopefully, in the near future there may be legislation that uniformly addresses all of these matters for all of Russia's theatres.

In the meantime, one has to remember that the 'culture' and dynamic at the Mariinsky is a very different animal than that of the Bolshoi. The Maestro holds all the high cards, makes all the decisions and is backed by his direct link to power. Fateev has a free hand with the Ballet precisely because he doesn't make waves with the Maestro. Dasha Pavlenko simply stood in as a substitute representative for Pykachev at the time when the letter was delivered to Gergiev and the Ministry of Culture was cc'd. As for Konkov he's is in the corps de ballet; and as such that doesn't command respect from the Maestro. Pavlenko is a Principal and she was publicly smacked down by the Maestro for daring to publish the Mariinsky's working conditions. The letter was published on behalf of the corps de ballet; that said, to date there has been no further movement on this because Gergiev knows how to effectively shut down dissent.

Please see this thread for a full summary: http://balletalert.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/36449-mariinsky-open-letter-to-minister-of-culture/

[Amy Reusch]

I remember when the Kirov returned to NY after their over long hiatus, they were given sufficient per diem to eat... I wish I remember the numbers but it was something ridiculous like $8... Luckily, there were many receptions so they had something to eat, but still...

Sorry for asking the petty details, but remembering how an orchestra member of another Russian group fainted (hunger & exhaustion) and was hospitalized on one of those criss-cross the USA tours only a few years ago.