ENB - article in The Times

[Anna C]

9 minutes ago, alison said:

Just to quibble here, but the burst appendix part preceded the better facilities part by quite a way, which may change the angle of the story.

 

Ah, my mistake.  Apologies. 

 

But yes, being so demanding of oneself that you ignore injury - even a sprain - is not a constructive form of perfectionism and should never be lauded.  IMHO of course. 

Edited March 1, 2018 by Anna C
Clarity

[alison]

Quite.  But that doesn't stop dancers from doing it: I don't think it ever has done, and maybe it never will.

[Anna C]

27 minutes ago, alison said:

Quite.  But that doesn't stop dancers from doing it: I don't think it ever has done, and maybe it never will.

 

Absolutely. But as MAB says; there's personal choice, then there's being encouraged or manipulated into doing it, which IIRC was one of the original allegations.  

[Guest]

The story which began in The Times and was continued in Rojo's interview with The Standard last week has now been taken up in the Spanish press. The translations in the links below are pretty dire but there is mention of claims that funding cuts represent the underlying reason for so many dancers leaving. This can surely not be the case as the numbers this year are the same as last.

https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://www.elmundo.es/loc/celebrities/2018/03/01/5a97c7f1ca4741b6298b45c5.html&prev=search

https://www.elespanol.com/corazon/famosos/20180301/bailarina-tamara-rojo-acusada-hacer-bullying-companeros/288721536_0.html

 

 

[MAB]

What a hoot!  No mention of spending cuts in the Standard or the Telegraph was there?  As former chancellor and current Standard editor George Osborne introduced spending cuts when he was in government I'm not surprised the Standard didn't run with that excuse.

 

Actually I don't see how the cuts affect ENB, according to our fellow poster Li Tai Po they certainly have not affected Ms Rojo's salary and in a time of recession for us all why aren't the dancers at RB, BRB et al not staging a mass exodus too?  Excuses, excuses, excuses.

[nevsky]

In her Evening Standard interview, Tamara Rojo said that Isaac Hernandez "has won all the awards you can possibly win". Because this was queried, and in the interests of fairness, I have now looked this up.

 

Online records show that Hernandez was awarded the following junior prizes/medals:

YAGP 2003: Best Male Dancer Junior Age Division

Cuba 2004: (unclear but various bio-pics of his mention 1st Prize)

Moscow 2005: Junior Male Bronze

Jackson 2006: Junior Male Gold

 

He was also awarded the Alexandra Radius prize which recognises dancers in The Netherlands in 2014.

 

It is difficult to be sure, and this is in no sense a criticism of him, but it appears that Hernandez's guest appearances at the Paris Opera Ballet (Solor and Basilio) have been after he joined ENB.

 

During my searches, I also came across a big feature on Hernandez in the Evening Standard (August 2015 - very early in his time with ENB). What he says there is interesting in the context of how things have developed:  https://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/theatre/isaac-hern-ndez-the-hottest-ballet-boy-to-hit-london-since-carlos-acosta-10436964.html

 

[Anna C]

Here's an interesting statement on Scottish Ballet's website that has just popped up on my Twitter timeline:  https://www.scottishballet.co.uk/articles/behaviour-in-the-ballet-world

[Harwel]

44 minutes ago, Anna C said:

Here's an interesting statement on Scottish Ballet's website that has just popped up on my Twitter timeline:  https://www.scottishballet.co.uk/articles/behaviour-in-the-ballet-world

 

What a great interview - well said Mr Hampson. 

[Sharon]

Well said Christopher! His final two sentences in particular "dancers, are not behaving badly" is what a lot of us agree with.

[Bruce Wall]

Interesting to see that Mr. Robison is dancing with SFB in Frankenstein again:

 

Thursday, March 8, 2018 - 7:30 pm

Choreography: Liam Scarlett
Music: Lowell Liebermann
Conductor: Martin West

Victor Frankenstein: Aaron Robison
Elizabeth Lavenza: Frances Chung
The Creature: Vitor Luiz

 

There is not asterix against his name as 'a guest' ... but I'm sure that may be because he was, of course, a Company member when this work was first shown there.  I so look forward to his upcoming ENB performances.  I thought he was excellent in the last ENB mixed bill.  

[MAB]

Christopher Hampson's reference to Millennials is particularly interesting, for them putting up and shutting up is no longer an option.

[MAB]

This is the Dance Magazine article that Mr Hampson refers to:

 

http://www.dancemagazine.com/tamara-rojo-isaac-hernandez-2540834080.html

 

 

[Erica]

It is all very nice but can anybody tell me how can Scottish ballet dancers put forward whatever grievances (true or invented) they might have? To Christopher Hampson choreographer? To Christopher Hampson Artistic Director? To Christopher Hampson Executive Director?

[bangorballetboy]

12 minutes ago, Erica said:

It is all very nice but can anybody tell me how can Scottish ballet dancers put forward whatever grievances (true or invented) they might have? To Christopher Hampson choreographer? To Christopher Hampson Artistic Director? To Christopher Hampson Executive Director?

 

I would suggest grievances are most likely dealt with in accordance with the company's grievance procedures.

[Lizbie1]

22 minutes ago, Erica said:

It is all very nice but can anybody tell me how can Scottish ballet dancers put forward whatever grievances (true or invented) they might have? To Christopher Hampson choreographer? To Christopher Hampson Artistic Director? To Christopher Hampson Executive Director?

 

To be honest, I just find it refreshing that he publicly recognises and acknowledges that this is a problem in the ballet world.

[MAB]

27 minutes ago, Erica said:

It is all very nice but can anybody tell me how can Scottish ballet dancers put forward whatever grievances (true or invented) they might have?

 

In my experience employees do not "invent" grievances, in fact they are most likely to suffer in silence - putting up or shutting up in fact.   Over a period of time such employees usually make the decision to move on.  Exactly what unprecedented numbers of ENB employees are doing.

 

 

[Guest]

I see that the Dancing Times has acknowledged the recent press coverage of ENB.

 

Also in the DT is an article by Gail Monahan (ex RB Touring Company) about the importance of the corps de ballet. The highlighted quote is as follows: "

 

"Long gone are the days of dancers being seen and not heard, and the danger of allowing company morale to languish is that it not only damages the workforce but also threatens those in management too".

 

 

Edited March 6, 2018 by Guest
typo

[Erica]

2 hours ago, bangorballetboy said:

 

I would suggest grievances are most likely dealt with in accordance with the company's grievance procedures.

And to whom, do you think, whoever is in charge of grievances reports to?

[Sim]

12 minutes ago, Erica said:

And to whom, do you think, whoever is in charge of grievances reports to?

Probably to the Board of Scottish Ballet.

[Jan McNulty]

2 hours ago, MAB said:

 

In my experience employees do not "invent" grievances, in fact they are most likely to suffer in silence - putting up or shutting up in fact.   Over a period of time such employees usually make the decision to move on.  Exactly what unprecedented numbers of ENB employees are doing.

 

 

 

MAB I would love to fully agree with you but sadly over the years I have occasionally witnessed people not exactly making up grievances but way over-exaggerating situations.  Although I suppose that brings us back to perception on both sides of the divide.

[bangorballetboy]

44 minutes ago, Erica said:

And to whom, do you think, whoever is in charge of grievances reports to?

 

I'd imagine the executive director and then the full board of directors, noting that anyone with a personal involvement would be excluded from such matters.

[capybara]

Erica - I can't help wondering what you are trying to get at here. Is there something bothering you which you need help with?

 

I have been a Board member in two situations where individual postholders were compromised and the procedures provided for members of the Board to take over the grievance or disciplinary processes. It seemed to work to the satisfaction of all parties. 

[Geoff]

This morning's Daily Mail:-
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-5480365/Artistic-director-English-National-Ballet-having-love-affair.html

Edited March 9, 2018 by Ian Macmillan
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[akh]

On 3/5/2018 at 18:06, Sharon said:

Well said Christopher! His final two sentences in particular "dancers, are not behaving badly" is what a lot of us agree with.

Here here

[Jan McNulty]

1 hour ago, Geoff said:

This morning's Daily Mail:-
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-5480365/Artistic-director-English-National-Ballet-having-love-affair.html

 

Yet another sensationalist rehash from the Daily Fail!  I did read it but wish I hadn't bothered...

 

I don't know what is or isn't going on at ENB so I am commenting on the "quality" of the feature.

[MAB]

 I wouldn't call it a re-hash at all, for the very first time someone has finally put some meat on the bones as to why the  Rojo/Hernandez affair has upset so many within the company:

 

"Meanwhile the female dancer claimed it had been frowned upon for other members of staff to become romantically involved with one another. ‘Ironically, about a year before Tamara and Isaac got together, a woman dancer and ballet master were in a relationship,’ she said.

‘She was led to believe it was a conflict of interest and that either she had to leave or they had to marry. They both resigned and ended up marrying — and are still together to this day."

The comparisons with the RSC and Glyndebourne are laughable, Antony Sher is one of the most famous actors of our time and has been connected with the company long before his husband become the director.  At Glyndebourne De Niese, a singer in demand internationally, isn't featured enough there in my opinion and I'm mightily disappointed she won't be reprising her role in  Giulio Cesare this season.

 

[Guest]

The problem continues to be that people with first-hand experience of the problems and those who have close second-hand knowledge cannot put careers at risk by writing on here about specific instances.

[Ian Macmillan]

In which case, isn't further banging-on here pointless?  What is someone like myself, with no connection whatever to ENB, to conclude - other than that 'something may be amiss' there?  I don't feel any better informed today than when this thread started over a month ago.

[capybara]

1 hour ago, Ian Macmillan said:

In which case, isn't further banging-on here pointless?  What is someone like myself, with no connection whatever to ENB, to conclude - other than that 'something may be amiss' there?  I don't feel any better informed today than when this thread started over a month ago.

 

Noone is under any obligation to read this, Ian. I would hope you agree that it was perfectly reasonable for a link to be provided to the article in The Mail (which does refer to something 'new') and for there to be some subsequent comment.

 

Some of the recent entries on here feel to me like cries from people who need help but who don't quite know what to do. It may be that the very existence of this thread provides a feeling of support.

[Guest]

A further article - related to, but not just about,  ENB:  http://www.dancemagazine.com/mistreatment-in-dance-2544075277.html?share_id=3407849

[Melody]

Not sure if there's anything new in it, but there's also an article in the Guardian.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2018/mar/13/ballet-director-tamara-rojo-defends-relationship-dancer

[capybara]

I think that there is something new insofar as the article refers to Rojo defending herself against the accusations during the Press Conference.

[loveclassics]

The Times has now jumped on the band wagon with an article entitled 'Hypocrisy row over love at English National Ballet' claiming that ballet master Jose Martin had to leave the company along with his future bride Kerry Birkett because the AD disapproved of love affairs between company members.  Not exactly news since this happened in 2013.   As I remember, Ms Rojo and Mr Martin were good friends when they were both at the RB so it sounds a little unlikely.

 

Marriages between dancers are commonplace: after all with the typical dancer's work load when do they get a chance to meet anyone outside the business or even outside the company?

 

Linda