English National Ballet has ‘lost a third of its dancers in two years’ amid complaints of verbal abuse and a hostile working environment.
Former dancers felt pressured to work while injured and claimed their complaints fell on deaf ears when they reported it to management, according to The Times.
Sources said the dancers held Tamara Rojo, the artistic director, responsible for the company’s culture.
Sources at ENB said dancers held Tamara Rojo (pictured right), the artistic director, responsible for the company’s ‘verbally abusive and hostile’ culture
Current and former employees say they feel uncomfortable with her romantic relationship with senior dancer Isaac Hernandez (pictured), who is 16 years her junior
Critically acclaimed Ms Rojo, who became artistic director in 2012, has been universally praised for changes she has made at ENB.
But current and former employees say they feel uncomfortable with her romantic relationship with senior dancer Isaac Hernandez, who is 16 years her junior.
Staff have complained that their boss’s relationship with Hernandez could be a conflict of interest.
Current and former employees say the relationship between them could be a conflict of interests
Management was made aware of disgruntlement within the organisation and concerns about the relationship between Ms Rojo, 43, and Hernández, 27, as revealed in documents seen by The Times.
Their relationship ‘changed the dynamics of the company — and not for the better,’ one source said. ‘That was one of the reasons several people left.’
Several other people also confirmed that this was a factor in their decisions to resign.
Management was made aware of disgruntlement within the organisation and concerns about the relationship between Ms Rojo, 43, and Hernández, 27, as revealed in documents seen by The Times
Their relationship ‘changed the dynamics of the company — and not for the better,’ one source said. ‘That was one of the reasons several people left’
There are several examples of relationships within British cultural organisations that could potentially cause a conflict of interest.
At Glyndebourne the executive chairman Gus Christie is married to Danielle de Niese who often appears in productions.
The Royal Shakespeare Company’s artistic director Gregory Doran, is wedded to Sir Antony Sher, who is one of the country’s top Shakespearean actors and frequently has star roles in plays.
One source said ‘there was nothing reported back about the concerns written down about the management issue’.
In a statement, ENB said that it had worked with Ms Rojo to ‘implement improvements’ for dancers and employees.
‘Recently these have included significantly increased medical provisions, such as access to sports scientists and psychologists, nutritionists and ice bath facilities; clearer and more generous reporting lines for dancers and more training for their managers.
‘We take the safety and wellbeing of our dancers and everyone who works with us extremely seriously. We are committed to providing a safe environment, free of harassment and bullying of any sort, and respond to any specific concerns that are raised,’ ENB told The Times.