cobweb

Interesting question. I'm also curious about how union regulations may have played into all this. Presumably the union would have been involved in the investigation. Would union regulations also have affected what punishments could be doled out?

Be that as it may, I still don't know why we can't assume the company may have acted reasonably, considering that they did an investigation and therefore, have a lot more information than we have.

The company has conducted an investigation. Hopefully it was impartial. They are privy to information that we don't have. The company is currently directed by four youngish people, who are under a mandate to establish a healthy culture, particularly in regards to issues around sex and power. In that light, can we not assume that they acted reasonably? They may not be hoping this "blows over," as someone mentioned up-thread. They may actually have tried to do what they thought was right. We don't have the facts, we only have allegations from one side of the situation.

vipa - your autocorrect is doing the same thing mine does. Ramasar becomes Ramadan. I don’t know how many times I’ve had to repeatedly change that over the past few days!

I'd add, we also don't know what Finlay's version of events is. He has yet to respond. Presumably this will come out in court. He may contend that she did, in fact know about the recording, and or consented to them being shared. Or he may have some other defense. We have no idea whether he has a version of events that would cast things in a different light. I agree it looks bad for him, just pointing out that we don't know his version of events. Also, as to whether the company has responded appropriately, we really don't have any basis to judge that, either. They acted on the basis of their investigation and its findings, of which we have no knowledge. A lawsuit is filed from the perspective of one person, who is by definition aggrieved. That person's lawyer will naturally cast things in the light most favorable for the complainant, and worst for the party being sued. The complaint can't be considered a neutral, factual document. Hopefully NYCB's internal investigation was more impartial than one would expect from hearing one side of a lawsuit/complaint.

Re the errors in the complaint, careless lawyering, etc. If any of you are familiar with the New York law scene, who is the lawyer, does he/she have a known track record of similar cases?

Thanks for the clarification, fondoffouettes. I can see I should get the details before I comment. It’s easy to conflate, or inflate, the issues.

I haven’t had the heart, or time, to read the complaint just yet. Maybe there are details in there that would make me feel differently. But as far as I know, Catazaro and Ramasar, in their private communications with Finlay and possibly others on a text chain, expressed some raunchy and crude sexual sentiments about women including some colleagues. Again, I’m talking strictly about Catazaro and Ramasar here, not what someone else might have said. They are also accused of swapping photos of women they slept with, who probably didn’t know or consent to the photos being shared. I agree they definitely should not have done that, and maybe that is what the suspension is about. I do not hold their sexual wishes, or the fact that they expressed it to each other, in however crude the terms, against them. I am quoting vipa above because I usually agree with her views and I am struggling to sort out my thoughts about all this. I too believe in separating art from artist. Both of these men approach women with care and honor on the stage. That is what matters to me.

I haven’t read the complaint, but as I understand it, Ramasar and Catazaro are accused of swapping intimate photos and expressing their sexual desires about women they know. That’s very different from filming somebody having sex without their knowledge. I do wonder, if it’s true, what was Chase thinking? Or will he contend that she did, in fact, know?

What I plan to do is wait, see how things develop, see what other information comes out, see what the response is, and let my mind has sift through this onslaught, then take it from there.

I would not avoid them. I'm there to see the dancing. On that basis, I'd go out of my way to see Amar, and take Catazaro more or less when he appears on the program, or not. If Finlay has a drinking problem, that explains some of his problems with stamina, technique, and partnering glitches recently, and what a shame.

There are definitely multiple Craig Halls. In fact, I think one of the dancers married someone by that name last year. If it were the Craig Hall on the interim team, that surely would have been noted prominently.

With all the sordid news coming out, I'm glad there's some good news. The casting does indeed look exciting. Glad Harrison Ball is back!

I guess I should read the complaint, but I'm wondering what liability NYCB will have. Miss Waterbury, I gather, is a former SAB student and unaffiliated with NYCB. Whatever Chase did with/to her would seem, from a legal standpoint, to be at a remove from NYCB. (And I assume that filming sexual activity with the knowledge of only one of the partners is a crime, but can anyone confirm that?) Even if there is a "fraternity-like" atmosphere at NYCB, can the organization be held liable for what an employee does on his own time?

I personally would have no trouble still seeing Ramasar's beauty. This is just depressing, though. Arts organizations are on shaky enough ground already, they can't afford to be fighting lawsuits like this, and neither can they afford to lose top talent.

So I returned for a final viewing of Carousel, a week ago tonight... the night when I got home excited to see Amar back at NYCB soon, and then the news about him, etc., came out. But a few final thoughts about Carousel. I have really loved this; it's left me a weepy mess each time. I'm hard-pressed to think of another work of art, in any format, that has such a direct and immediate impact on my emotions. I leave the theatre in a state of catharsis, having cried more or less for two and a half hours. In terms of singing, I especially love the rich, resonant voice of Joshua Henry - when he hits that high note "... or DIE!!!" at the end of the first act, I feel flung back against my seat. The reprise of "How I Loved You" - is this number not on the cast album?? (or is it just not on the version posted to YouTube?) Also loved the totally delightful Lindsay Mendez, who I would be happy to see again in anything. Also have to mention that I have enjoyed the sexy Andrei Chagas as the Fairground Boy. On to the plot points. Trying to figure out why this visually appealing, beautifully sung production is closing so early, I consider the abusive central relationship. But can't quite figure out why this is a problem. Sure, it doesn't fit in with the #metoo movement, but did the Billy-Julie relationship ever fit in with the times? When Carousel opened in 1945, I doubt that little girls in the audience were thinking, I want to marry a man like that when I grow up! The way the Billy-Julie relationship is presented, it's ugly. Very ugly. I notice that Julie is not presented as a passive victim. Again and again people around her confront her - "Julie, do you like him?" "There's some of them you just can't help." "Common sense may tell you that the ending may be sad." Etc. Every time, she definitely asserts herself to stay with him. Just rambling here. If anyone has any readings to suggest (that don't presume a background of musical training), I'd be interested to read about the genesis and psychology of this show. Just really glad I experienced this!!

Meunier fan, if you would care to elaborate on the pockets of concern that you saw in this summer's performances, I for one would find that very informative. I learn so much from the informed critiques I hear on this board.

The more I follow the discussion here (being newer to the NYCB scene than many of you), it sounds like Lourdes Lopez is obviously a top choice. But the delay has me puzzled. If they were going to hire someone like Lopez, it seems like they would have done so by now. Apparently the Board didn't have any notion of a succession plan, which as others have noted, given Martins' age, seems irresponsible. (McKenzie is younger, but let us hope that the situation is more planful over at ABT.) Even assuming there was no plan, the length of time it's taken to get things moving along in a serious way seems surprising. Does that mean that the obvious, most qualified candidates signalled they were not interested, leading the Board to plan on a longer, more comprehensive search? Just baffled about the delay.

Trying to recall who were last year’s apprentices. Is this the whole batch of them, or was there anyone not continuing on?

Whoops. I guess I didn’t read social media too closely!! Just hopeful?

Rehearsal videos, yes. Vacation frolicking, no. There was a trip that several of them took a few years ago that really pushed me to unfollow. Back to the topic.... who will replace Catazaro to partner Isabella laFreniere in Diamonds?

I agree about the use of social media being a mixed blessing. At one point I avidly followed a bunch of the NYCB dancers on Instagram, but ultimately I found it very unsatisfying. For one thing, you don’t know what’s really going on. What appears to be a beautiful relationship is actually far more complicated and/or troubled than depicted, as becomes evident in divorces and broken engagements, and even “team changing.” Also, scenes of dancers frolicking on vacation and backstage antics was really starting to dull the spell onstage. I unfollowed the whole lot of them some time ago. While it’s interesting to hear that Maxwell and Ramasar are still together, who knows what really may be going on there.

I'd love to see In the Upper Room and Symphonie Concertante, and I'm curious about the new Dorrance piece, but unfortunately, studying the casting and programming (since there is a dancer I absolutely must avoid), leaves me with not a single program to see. Sad!

With Catazaro out of the picture, I wonder what are the chances for an Isabella LaFreniere debut in Diamonds (since they were rehearsing it together). Maybe Silas Farley could do it? Also, I got served up an ad for Jewels. Looks like they are using a clip from Rubies with Emily Kikta. Hope we get to see her!

Still no subscription tickets!!! Is anyone else still waiting?