Dancers’ Union To San Francisco Ballet: We’re The Product, So Pay Us Like It

Alan Gordon, national executive director of AGMA: “Orchestras have always been paid better than opera singers or ballet dancers, and we think that’s wrong. People don’t go to the ballet to hear the orchestra. They go to the ballet to see the dancers. … We don’t want you to give less to anybody, but we don’t care what you give them because we want more.”

Minnesota Orchestra CEO: Well, Of Course We Want Osmo To Stay, But …

Michael Henson: “Ultimately, if Osmo decides to go, that is his decision. We want him to stay through to the end of his contract. However, in the longer term, we have to look after the health and well-being of this orchestra. … [We] cannot let two concerts at Carnegie Hall determine the future of the organization.”

Algerian Dancers Seek Asylum In Canada Following Islamist Threats

“Seven members of the Algerian National Ballet have been granted refugee status in Canada, and the claim of an eighth is being reviewed, after they deserted and asked for asylum following performances in Ottawa and Montreal. The dancers sought refuge on the grounds they had been threatened by Algerian Islamists, whom they said equate ballet with homosexuality and ‘depravity’.”