Longtimelurker

I hope that the company can figure out a way to get around whatever it is that is preventing them from streaming footage from past performances. I also agree with many of the negative sentiments here regarding the online gala, but I also hope that we are in the minority and that the company was successful in their fundraising efforts.

Well said as I also felt like there was something "off" about the tone of this event. It just seems like a gimmicky attempted cash grab. Other companies have been demonstrating the artistic value that they bring to the world and subtly letting people know how they can support the future of those institutions. I wish ABT would do something similar. Did the company not record some of their performances? I would think that they would have in order to have content for advertisements and have archival footage for future reference. Also, although they are not as well-funded as NYCB, I would think that ABT would be able to survive since they have significantly cut their costs by not paying their dancers. Although that's not a decision that I agree with, since they own their rehearsal studios and won't be paying rent for the Met and Koch while not performing, the only significant fixed cost I can think of is their administrative staff. I can't imagine that the staff costs even over an extended period would be more than their endowment and other sources of funds. Perhaps I am not seeing the whole picture, however, and I'm not a financial expert, particularly in the arts and non-profits.

I received this too and was confused as to what it is as well. I really hope that they start streaming some of their performances soon.

Why will not see an 8 week Met season again? Very sad if true

Thank you for such a detailed recap of ABT’s financial situation. Hopefully the company can get to a point where it is more easily able to weather economic downturns.

Why is that to be expected? Some others have mentioned that NYCB is stronger financially, but is the difference so large that not paying the dancers is necessary? I recall that some smaller companies are paying their dancers during their cancelled seasons (Colorado Ballet for example), so I would have a hard time believing that those companies are stronger financially than ABT. I think that not paying dancers should be an absolute last resort for a dance company. Perhaps ABT is being penny wise and pound foolish in the message it is sending regarding the value that it places on their dancers, and this could result in the company having more difficulty in attracting top talent in the future. They work too hard and are too skilled to be treated in a disposable manner. Is the financial situation at ABT really that bad?

They weren’t supposed to be on a lay-off as they had tours to Chicago, Detroit, Durham and the Abu Dhabi scheduled for the spring that were canceled. That’s a significant amount of income for the dancers to lose if the company is not compensating them and would be financially devastating if that sets a precedent for how they would handle the cancellation of the Met season. nanushka, I just noticed in the NYCB Spring Season Cancellation thread that you posted that they would continue to pay their dancers. I truly hope that ABT is taking care of their dancers in the same manner!

Does this mean that the company is not paying its dancers during this period?

I am happy I didn't see any of those performances as Jane Eyre was the worst thing I have seen at ABT and am surprised that Mackenzie chose to stage this. I agree on most of the criticisms that have already been posted, but I also found the choice to have 2 different dancers play Jane to be confusing and unnecessary.

I also think his remarks are probably based on insider information that many of us are not privy to. For example, I think that most of the public didn't know that Finlay had previously been suspended until the article in the New York Times today. I don't think it's a stretch to think he probably has known about that for quite some time.

That was a incredibly strong statement of support regarding the values of the company made by the dancers. The narrative that Waterbury needed to speak out because the female company members were unable to themselves must have been insulting. I'm glad that false narrative has been put to bed with this statement. Bravo to Tess and the whole company for making this stand with their moving words!

These posts don't sound like what I would expect to hear from women working in a dangerous workplace where rape, sexual assault and domestic violence are rampant and tolerated by management -- especially Lovette's video where you can feel the sincerity of her comments in a more visceral way than you can when reading a written post. This sets up an interesting contrast between what is alleged by Waterbury versus the increasingly public support conveyed by the women of NYCB. Although the courts will have final say, for now I am inclined to side with the women who work in the company and have a better understanding of the workplace environment and culture.

These accounts further confirm my negative opinions and suspicions about this individual. One can see from his post on February 11, 2013 that he was involved with an event for ABT.

Yes I understand they may have to amend that part of their defense, but does it actually matter from a legal sense if the messages were exchanged during work hours? From a logical point of view, I don't see how the timing or location of where personal messages were sent would change the company's responsibility for their content.

Thank you for pointing this out. I admire the attitude she is taking toward this situation, especially in light of her comment at the end that there is much to this situation that the public is unaware of. I think many of us who only have publicly available information have been quick to judge the dancers and condemn the company.