The Syracuse City Ballet (SCB) has fired five of its eight full-time professional dancers ahead of its biggest show of the year.
On Nov. 10, eight professional dancers wrote to the executive staff and board of directors to express concerns about their physical and emotional well-being, as well as that of the student dancers involved in the highly popular performance of “The Nutcracker.”
According to a statement provided by the dancers involved, issues had simmered between the dancers and the executive staff for over a year regarding not only the artistic direction of the company but the safety of the dancers.
After the board made no meaningful changes, the dancers went on strike but kept discussions open with the executive staff and board of directors regarding how to proceed with the performance in a way that addressed the dancers’ concerns.
The striking dancers say that the board rejected all proposals and continually threatened to fire the dancers.
“We outlined many proposals. We want to make it so clear that we were desperate to do ‘The Nutcracker.’ We were trying so hard to get back in the studio. We wanted nothing more than to be dancing and rehearsing and especially working with these kids,” former SCB dancer Cara Connolly told CNY Central.
One week after going on strike, seven of the dancers involved were fired and one was placed on administrative leave. Two returned to work under the pressure of the board, leaving five dancers without a job.
Problems seem to have stemmed from issues with the company’s artistic director Caroline Sheridan, who took on the role in 2022, having joined Syracuse City Ballet as a company dancer and assistant ballet master in 2019.
Dancers had long expressed concerns that Sheridan did not have enough experience for the position and would often put dancers at risk when it came to performing certain moves.
“There were several instances where we felt like we were absolutely not to go over her head. And so we had no recourse for any kind of issues that came up. We had to go directly to her. There were a few instances that got really hostile, and it made us all feel like we couldn’t – we had nowhere to go with our issues,” Connolly said.
When this issue was initially brought to the board, it was largely ignored according to Connolly.
The final straw for many of the dancers was when a student dancer involved in “The Nutcracker” was allegedly cornered by the artistic director after posting on Facebook her concerns with the company.
“The breaking point involved a minor being kind of accosted verbally and asked to tell on what other students were saying disparaging things about the company,” Connolly said.
It is alleged that Sheridan asked the student dancer to spy on her fellow dancers to see if they shared the same sentiments concerning how the company was run. Once one of the professional dancers learned of the incident, they went to Human Resources, who allegedly did not act on the issue.
This ultimately led the eight dancers to go on strike.
The Syracuse City Ballet will still hold its performances of “The Nutcracker” scheduled for Dec. 1-3 at The Oncenter.
Sheridan has since been put on administrative leave and their human resources office is currently under investigation.
One parent shared her daughter will not be participating if Sheridan makes her way back.
Katie Hurne’s 15-year-old daughter Emma is best friends with the student dancer who was allegedly accosted by Sheridan.
“I emailed the board and said, my daughter, Emma will not be participating in rehearsals if Caroline Sheridan is there.”
CNY Central has reached out to Syracuse City Ballet but has yet to receive a response.
“The company is saying that this is an artistic issue. It is not. It is a health and safety issue,” Connolly said.
We did not feel like we could say anything. We didn’t feel like we could safely rehearse. We didn’t feel like they were treating the children properly.
“We are not performing ‘The Nutcracker,’ which is heartbreaking, truly. But we are still dancing. We’re we’ve been talking amongst ourselves, talking with the outpouring of friends and family and people we don’t even know who have come to support us,” Connolly said.
The internal strife between the dancers and the board ultimately led former board member Nicole Zarra-Enck to resign from her position on Nov. 29, 2022. She shared her resignation letter with CNY Central:
“There is a certain narrative being told at the Syracuse City Ballet. It is one that is not based in honesty and well intentions of the success of the company. I have never been so insulted and treated with such malice and disrespect. My intentions were for the better of the company, always. Yet I have been continually told that I am disrespectful that I continually go over the head of the chain of command. My communication with the staff and board members has been direct and honest. If I have a question I have been directed where to go and currently am being reprimanded. I do not work for the Syracuse City Ballet I volunteer my time and offer my advice based on my background knowledge of ballet and company experience.
Our opinions are just that, opinions and our advice fall on deaf ears. I joined the board at turbulent times, I ask you now why are there so many complaints of others being “confrontational.”
Upon joining the board I was told the former Artistic Director was not fired, he was simply not asked to continue. Upon his request to interview, he was told that he can interview but he will not be brought back. This was not unanimous board decision. Our founder was removed creating uncertainty and foundation and treated in such an awful manner. The artistic Director that was hired was inexperienced and unqualified in the role she was taking on, again not an unanimous decision. Our meeting with the dancers to hear about their unrest and concerns gave us valuable insight to present to the staff. All the suggestions and concerns we the board advised the staff to implement were essentially ignored and the new structure is quoted as “polite and tolerable” of each other. The failure of leadership only shows the arbitrary nature of behavioral policies and whether they will be enforced.
I ask you, if everything is so good then why is the artistic side of the company miserable dancers, parents and staff. Today, the photographer who has been with the Syracuse City Ballet for years is being accused of being confrontational, and difficult to work with when his contributions have been free and to be utilized at our own discretion. Now, I am being accused of impropriety by the Artistic Director and the Executive Director. I have the emails, texts and eye witnessed conversations about such events. I am an honest person and the level accusations is not only defamation of my character, but morally wrong. I can only wonder now if some of the accusations of those before me were merely differences of opinion that could not or would not be tolerated by the current leadership.
We are so concerned with policy, bi-laws and structure that we have become blind to the deconstruction of the company.
We as a company have strayed so far from It’s goal of bringing something beautiful to the people of Syracuse that I can not longer in good conscience serve as a member of the board and offer my resignation.”