3 replies to this topic

[Ari]

Dancers of the are demanding talks with management over the way the company is run, according to BBC News.

Quote

Performers are reported to have become increasingly infuriated with artistic director Ross Stretton's management style, which often sees them kept in the dark about who will be taking the stage in which productions.

The Evening Standard also has a story on this.

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It is understood that members of the Royal Ballet in the performers' union Equity considered passing a vote of no confidence in Mr Stretton. But they have instead asked union executives to raise "a number of serious concerns" over Mr Stretton's management style with Tony Hall, executive director of the Royal Ballet's home, the Royal Opera House. A meeting is set for next Tuesday.

And the Independent also covers the story.

[Brendan McCarthy]

The Independent story is the original one. The BBC and Evening Standard merely recycle the Independent report.

[Alexandra]

I've moved this over from Links for discussion.

A key paragraph from The Independent -- and thanks for the clarification, Brendan:

Quote

Members of the Royal Ballet in the performers' union Equity have held meetings at which they came close to passing a vote of no-confidence in Mr Stretton. Instead, they have asked union executives to raise "a number of serious concerns" over his management style with Tony Hall, executive director of the Royal Ballet's home, the Royal Opera House.

A meeting is understood to have been set for Tuesday. Neither the union nor Mr Hall would discuss in advance the matters to be raised, but sources close to the company said the dancers' main concern was over casting decisions. "There are a number of serious matters, but we want the union to tackle the way productions are cast," a source said. "There is a complete lack of information. We never know whether we will be involved in a production or when that will be.

There must be something else going on here that the dancers don't yet want made public.  Casting complaints are serious, but not enough for a vote of no confidence.  It will be interesting to learn what the "number of serious matters" are.

[Shirley]

It will be interesting to see if the other complaints are made public after the meeting.

The casting for this past summer season has had the most changes I have  known but one interesting aspect of cast changes (for me) is that no reason was given for the changes in cast sheets. It was noted that dancers have been replaced but reasons were not given. It was only be through reading ballet sites on the internet that I knew that some dancers were injured. Most disappointing for me to find out that it was a crazy schedule that stopped Darcey Bussell from being able to dance in Don Q.  

I know we are lucky that  casting is given so far in advance and it must be a nightmare for the directors to do that but since we have that information  would it really be that hard for the RB to give reasons for dancers being replaced. They used to do that!