Financial woes have placed it in a paradoxical position
Ballet B.C.’s continuing financial woes have placed it in a paradoxical position: it has to create new works to draw audiences but if it doesn’t perform until 2010 its financial support could be in jeopardy, reports Straight.com. The ballet is struggling to pull together its 2009–10 season amid poor ticket sales and disappointing fundraising results. It was particularly hard hit by the National Ballet’s recent cancellation of its national tour of The Sleeping Beauty between Sept. 17 and Oct. 3 given that it had planned on building the first half of the season on touring companies. The company will be conducting round-table discussions with subscribers, sponsors, and members of the arts community over the next few months, says interim executive director Andrew Wilhelm-Boyles: “There’s certainly a perception—and perception in this case is reality—that Ballet B.C. has, over the years, not always done the best job of remaining in close touch with its audiences and with the other parts of the dance community and with the arts community in general.”
Straight.com