Chisato Katsura gofundme campaign

[Naomi M]

Chisato Katsura, First Artist at Royal Ballet has been injured for 3 years working hard to get well and her medical expenses are getting large, so she is asking for help with this fundraiser.

 

https://www.gofundme.com/f/rb-dancer-recover-from-injury-back-on-stage?utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1&utm_medium=social&utm_source=instagram

[Richard LH]

Such a difficult period for her..let us hope she gets whatever help she needs to return to the stage soon.

[capybara]

Chisato was one of the prime movers behind the performances at the Docks in 2020 when all other dance was on hold.

[FionaM]

She is a lovely and talented dancer.   
 

See this Gamzatti excerpt for just one example https://www.instagram.com/p/4rQXFcxEHv/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

 

I’m reminded that both Fumi Kaneko and Lauren Cuthbertson had lengthy periods out with injury / illness and look where they are now.  Chi could be another.  I do hope she can return.

 

She seems determined, after what must have been a very challenging time mentally.  

Edited August 25, 2022 by FionaE
Formatting

[Peanut68]

I have every sympathy with this but am aghast that a dancer & employee of RB is not covered for such treatments relating to dance injuries through medical insurance or compensation of a kind…..

[Jan McNulty]

19 hours ago, Peanut68 said:

I have every sympathy with this but am aghast that a dancer & employee of RB is not covered for such treatments relating to dance injuries through medical insurance or compensation of a kind…..

 

I believe most dancers have to have insurance that will cover long term injuries as surely companies cannot keep on paying out for the same thing for 3 or more years.  Insurance companies probably do not pay out for ever either.  It's sad but it's life.

 

I know it's different but most companies of any kind will not support someone for more than a year.  When I worked in the civil service we were covered for 6 months on full pay and 6 months on half pay, which was considered uncommonly generous by anyone who worked for a private company.

 

Fingers crossed that Chisato does eventually make a full recovery from her injury and returns to the stage.

[capybara]

Chi now needs £402 to reach her £2,500 target.

[Jan McNulty]

She's down to the last £73 needed.  Hopefully Chi will have achieved her target in the next day or so.

[Guest oncnp]

She has done and will start treatment next week. 

[TurningPointe]

Yes, Chi has now achieved her target and, as ONCNP said above, she will start treatment very soon in Spain.  I wonder why Spain and not the UK?  Speculation could be cost and/or support from family/friends.  Not sure.  I just hope that she recovers and can get back to doing what she loves and identifies with (ballet). 

[Jan McNulty]

Hello TurningPointe and welcome to the forum!

[TurningPointe]

On 26/08/2022 at 07:09, Jan McNulty said:

 

I believe most dancers have to have insurance that will cover long term injuries as surely companies cannot keep on paying out for the same thing for 3 or more years.  Insurance companies probably do not pay out for ever either.  It's sad but it's life.

 

I know it's different but most companies of any kind will not support someone for more than a year.  When I worked in the civil service we were covered for 6 months on full pay and 6 months on half pay, which was considered uncommonly generous by anyone who worked for a private company.

 

Fingers crossed that Chisato does eventually make a full recovery from her injury and returns to the stage.

This is a very interesting topic.  I will, however, stick my head above the parapet here and will respectfully disagree but will support my argument as follows if I may.  

 

Ballet, the most physically demanding of the performing arts, has become more athletic than ever before.  There is now an expectation about this level of physical athleticism and also for dancers to be able to perform simultaneously mixed repertoire (classical and contemporary) from choreographers, ballet management and, of course, also the audience.  I am not entirely sure that many people are aware that in the course of one working day, dancers may be rehearsing ‘’Beauty’ followed by a McGregor piece (extreme contemporary style), and then have a rehearsal of (say) ‘Fille’ or another classical piece.  Professional dancers work very long hours, many more weekly hours than a tube or a train driver, particularly when they also do matinees and evening performances.

 

Whilst ballet companies in the UK have now the support of sports sciences and healthcare units to underpin their injury prevention and treatment, the evidence shows that injuries have not decreased.  In fact, if you examine the most recent academic papers on the subject (e.g.: Bolling et al, 2021; Mattiussi et al, 2021; Shaw et al, 2021)  issues surrounding how ‘injuries’ are defined (it depends who you ask….) and the perennial problem of pushing/dancing through pain, and injury reporting within companies and how workload and recovery periods are scheduled (or not) remains a challenge. This is all happening in the context of a hyper-competitive, short career, where opportunities to dance a certain role (or having a contract) may not be offered a second time.  By the time dancers are offered a contract with a company, vocational ballet training had already set in and shaped their disposition and behaviours.  Given what is already known (not just anecdotally but also from experience and also from more recent evidence-based studies) and that the body is central to the ballet dancer’s task, wouldn’t it be fitting for ballet companies to offer their employees (ballet dancers) a more fitting health and salary continuance plan to cover what it has become in recent decades a ‘high risk’ occupation.  Make no mistake, there was always a risk, but this has now been enhanced.  Of course, profiling each individual dancer at the beginning of the season, and knowing the repertoire for the season ahead, helps and will assist with strengthening bodily weaknesses that would have been overlooked in the past and prevent injuries that otherwise would have occurred without this knowledge and preparation.  This is a very positive, welcomed, change.  However, taking out adequate health and salary continuance cover should not be the individual dancers’ responsibility, but their employers.  The employers are setting the standards and the workload schedules.  These injuries, the evidence shows,  are largely incurred in the process of rehearsing or performing for the employer.  Professional ballet, rather than recreational dance, by its own nature goes against the human body’s design. It follows, therefore, that it may not be entirely appropriate to compare it with the health or salary continuance cover practices for largely cognitive occupations where employees are more likely to spend most of their time working behind a desk.

 

Not everybody has the high profile, means, support, or the contacts that some principal dancers have to fund their treatment and rehabilitation.  How many professional dancers’ careers (who are not principals, or well known) would have been affected and curtailed? Let’s not forget about their overall wellbeing (physical and mental health)?  Should the provision of appropriate health and salary cover be the individual dancer’s responsibility, or their employers?  As I’ve said at the beginning, this is a very interesting topic. 

[TurningPointe]

45 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

Hello TurningPointe and welcome to the forum!

Thank you so much Jan!  

[Skinted]

7 hours ago, TurningPointe said:

This is a very interesting topic.  I will, however, stick my head above the parapet here and will respectfully disagree but will support my argument as follows if I may.  

 

Ballet, the most physically demanding of the performing arts, has become more athletic than ever before.  There is now an expectation about this level of physical athleticism and also for dancers to be able to perform simultaneously mixed repertoire (classical and contemporary) from choreographers, ballet management and, of course, also the audience.  I am not entirely sure that many people are aware that in the course of one working day, dancers may be rehearsing ‘’Beauty’ followed by a McGregor piece (extreme contemporary style), and then have a rehearsal of (say) ‘Fille’ or another classical piece.  Professional dancers work very long hours, many more weekly hours than a tube or a train driver, particularly when they also do matinees and evening performances.

 

Whilst ballet companies in the UK have now the support of sports sciences and healthcare units to underpin their injury prevention and treatment, the evidence shows that injuries have not decreased.  In fact, if you examine the most recent academic papers on the subject (e.g.: Bolling et al, 2021; Mattiussi et al, 2021; Shaw et al, 2021)  issues surrounding how ‘injuries’ are defined (it depends who you ask….) and the perennial problem of pushing/dancing through pain, and injury reporting within companies and how workload and recovery periods are scheduled (or not) remains a challenge. This is all happening in the context of a hyper-competitive, short career, where opportunities to dance a certain role (or having a contract) may not be offered a second time.  By the time dancers are offered a contract with a company, vocational ballet training had already set in and shaped their disposition and behaviours.  Given what is already known (not just anecdotally but also from experience and also from more recent evidence-based studies) and that the body is central to the ballet dancer’s task, wouldn’t it be fitting for ballet companies to offer their employees (ballet dancers) a more fitting health and salary continuance plan to cover what it has become in recent decades a ‘high risk’ occupation.  Make no mistake, there was always a risk, but this has now been enhanced.  Of course, profiling each individual dancer at the beginning of the season, and knowing the repertoire for the season ahead, helps and will assist with strengthening bodily weaknesses that would have been overlooked in the past and prevent injuries that otherwise would have occurred without this knowledge and preparation.  This is a very positive, welcomed, change.  However, taking out adequate health and salary continuance cover should not be the individual dancers’ responsibility, but their employers.  The employers are setting the standards and the workload schedules.  These injuries, the evidence shows,  are largely incurred in the process of rehearsing or performing for the employer.  Professional ballet, rather than recreational dance, by its own nature goes against the human body’s design. It follows, therefore, that it may not be entirely appropriate to compare it with the health or salary continuance cover practices for largely cognitive occupations where employees are more likely to spend most of their time working behind a desk.

 

Not everybody has the high profile, means, support, or the contacts that some principal dancers have to fund their treatment and rehabilitation.  How many professional dancers’ careers (who are not principals, or well known) would have been affected and curtailed? Let’s not forget about their overall wellbeing (physical and mental health)?  Should the provision of appropriate health and salary cover be the individual dancer’s responsibility, or their employers?  As I’ve said at the beginning, this is a very interesting topic. 

I agree with this. At least from my perspective of watching the situation re injury in my dc’s company in Europe, where physio had to be sourced by the injured dancers themselves and paid for out of their own salaries. State funded physio was available but in limited sessions and often at inconvenient times when the dancers were to be at work. Also the equipment offered at these physio establishments were quite archaic. As a result my dc paid for their own physio at times to suit so they didn’t miss any time from work as this didn’t go down well with the company management. We regularly funded these physio sessions as without them  our dc would have undoubtedly been off work. The company dancers were under great pressure to turn up at work and be available to dance, injured or not. This is just one of the many reasons my dc decided they’d had enough and resigned. I have to say they now seem much happier that they’re pursuing other dance and fitness related fields where they’ve realised there are some bosses who value their worth. 
I’m not suggesting that all companies are like this, just giving our experience of it. 
 

[Stephenwolf]

There is a very strong rumour that Chi will be returning to the stage next Wednesday (February 8th), which could mean that she may be appearing in The Sleeping Beauty that evening. I hope that's the case, because after what she's been through she should be given every opportunity to perform, however minor the role may be. Also, I have a ticket for that performance, and if she does appear, no one will be cheering louder than I will be.  

[LinMM]

Let us know!! 

[Rob S]

I reckon it will be the woman that asks if all the ladies can gawp at the baby

[Richard LH]

On 03/02/2023 at 22:54, Rob S said:

I reckon it will be the woman that asks if all the ladies can gawp at the baby

She will be a Lilac Fairy attendant, and a Marchioness, for this part of the SB run. Best wishes for her return after so long!

[Ondine]

And here she is as White Cat, last night's SB, scroll through photos.  Hopefully now all fully recovered, it must have been a dreadfully worrying time.

 

 

[capybara]

2 hours ago, Ondine said:

And here she is as White Cat, last night's SB, scroll through photos.  Hopefully now all fully recovered, it must have been a dreadfully worrying time.

 

 

 

Chisato has been very prominent when being an 'attendant' or 'friend'. I've missed her and am so happy that she seems to have recovered fully from her long term injury.

[Ondine]

Fun fact:  Chisato Katsura was the cat in the 2010 film of Peter & The Wolf, made while she was at the Royal Ballet School. Typecast! 🙂

 

It was broadcast I recall during lockdown, and very welcome it was too.  One of the ROH #OurHouseToYourHouse series.

 

 

Cast

Sergei Polunin (The Wolf)
Will Kemp (Grandfather)
Kilian Smith (Peter)
Charlotte Edmonds (Duck)
Laurine Muccioli (Bird)
Chisato Katsura (Cat)
Royal Ballet Sinfonia; Paul Murphy
Choreographer: Matthew Hart

 

Here she is, in this short 'promo' clip!

 

 

Edited May 16, 2023 by Ondine