nanushka
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Everything posted by nanushka
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I understood what comments you were responding to. What I didn't understand was how the physical nature of the dancers' work is at all relevant to the particular allegations being made in this case. What has been alleged here would seem to me inappropriate in any workplace, no matter how physically involved the employees are with one another due to the nature of their work. And if coworkers choose to become involved in romantic or sexual relationships with each other — no matter how much of a "tradition" there may be of that — they are still obligated to act professionally in the workplace and to treat their coworkers with dignity and respect, for example by not engaging in harassment or abuse, sexual or otherwise.
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So far as I understand them (I haven't yet had time to read the entire complaint), the allegations in this case have nothing to do with the fact that NYCB dancers touch each other all day long. The types of behavior being alleged in this case should, I think, be considered inappropriate and damaging in any work environment — law, academia, the arts...heck, even the adult film industry. I simply do not see how the frequent physical contact of dancers is at all relevant (at least, as a mitigating factor) in a consideration of this case. (Also, what are the rules being "imposed" or even suggested that don't make sense?)
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It's pretty standard for an employer to engage in some internal investigation following the raising of sexual harassment claims and similar alleged abuses, I believe. It may not be a criminal investigation (they're employers, after all, not the police), but it's still an investigation. Behavior that constitutes sexual harassment may not even itself be a crime (though sometimes it is); and yet, the employer is still expected (i.e. legally required) to respond to the allegations — for instance, with an investigation — and to take appropriate action. Major companies such as NYCB have many people on staff who have expertise in areas other than Balanchine technique.
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I wonder if NYCB had any heads-up that this lawsuit was likely. Do the two suspensions really remain viable responses for the company now? Can Ramasar and Catazaro really return to the stage as soon as winter season? How will audiences receive them? (Obviously the workplace dynamics are also a concern.)
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Maybe. Or maybe that was just a situation in which three employees behaved badly and the company took action to remedy the problem, just as one would expect in any well-functioning workplace. We don't know the details, so there's no way to be sure. As for "Many say the company is dancing better than ever" — I'm not sure I've heard quite that. I've heard (and seen during the last winter and spring seasons) that the company is dancing quite impressively, and especially given the preceding turmoil re: Martins.
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Hmm I guess in my mind those various things just don’t connect in that way. The breakups (and leaving to pursue a different type of career? really?) don’t seem like NYCB things. They seem like Fairchild/Peck and Fairchild/Veyette things. They don’t reflect on the company at all really, for me personally. Unamicable breakups are so very common. I don’t see institutional dysfunction there. I doubt much of the general (ie non-BA type) public is connecting those dots either. Just my sense, though.
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Yes, so far, based on available info about this occurrence, I don’t see evidence of anything “dysfunctional” about the organization. It seems that there’s a protocol in place for situations such as this, and it was carried out fairly smoothly. Obviously, there’s a lot we don’t know, and some of that may suggest otherwise, but — well, we don’t know that.
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I'd be interested to know of past suspensions (specifically for inappropriate behavior) of dancers in major ballet companies, as I have a sense that such suspensions have different ramifications and are treated/viewed differently in different professional fields. Does anyone have a sense from past examples of what this might mean for a dancer's career (and particularly for that of a dancer with principal status)?
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I've watched again and again the Gelsey Kirkland Midsummer PDD (with d'Amboise) on YouTube. Magical.