Ouch!!!

Ouch indeed! For one, I certainly know some very press saavy dancers, not to mention those that can be saavy in four languages. A lack of a way with words is hardly restricted to the dance profession - there are some brilliant scientists who end up sounding like mindless prats in interviews. Press saavy is a matter of personal talents, not profession.

Kate

Luke Jennings is I think the first national ballet critic to air his views over the situation:

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/theatre/200 ... e_bnp.html

___________________________________________________________

When I woke up this morning I heard on the 7 o'clock LBC news that a demo was to be held against Simone Clarke today.

This is turning into a disaster for ENB, they really are caught between a rock and a hard place. Today's performance of Giselle is listed on the ENB's website as a 'child friendly matinee', I dread to think of the effect on small children of a braying mob of professional protesters.

Did anyone attend this performance?

On 22 December, Luke Jennings wrote:



If only he had been right and Clarke had not given that interview to "The Mail on Sunday", which has kept the issue bubbling along, with a follow-up article in The Guardian etc etc.

From A.P. via The Guardian:

Protesters rally against 'BNP ballerina'
Press Association/Guardian Unlimited

Anti-fascist protesters staged a noisy demonstration outside the home of the English National Ballet today as "BNP ballerina" Simone Clarke prepared to take the stage.

click for more

Richard Barnbrook, BNP councillor for Barking and Dagenham, went along to give Clarke moral support. He gives us this gem:


Oy vey!

A little late on that ....Clarke and Chang already have a daughter.

Kate

OK, now that's what I don't get about this whole situation. How can she be a part of a political party that openly objects to something she has already done? Am I missing something? Is she just blatanly ignoring that part of the party's platform? I'm confused.

And to clarify what I said above. I agree that many people in many walks of life are not nedia savvy. I'm just saying that I've met more dancers who have no clue about the impact of words than , say, actors or opera singers who deal with words as part of their art.

It got ugly...

While I certainly don't agree with anything the BNP does or represents, I find it completely appalling that the anti-BNP protestors actually stood up and protested during the ballet performance! Have they no respect for the other performers or for the fact that the performance on stage had nothing to do with Clarke's politics. I hope they are banned from ever attending any performances in that theatre again.

Click here for more from the BBC.

And from The Guardian.

I echo comments made elsewhere in wondering whether these protests might now result in ENB being forced to take some action, whether it be immediate or when contracts come up for renewal. They really can't afford to have people protesting during performances, and aside from banning previous offenders it's hard to search people for 'protesting tendencies'...

I am sad that it has come to this... certainly by naivety or a misplanned attempt at publicity, Ms. Clarke has put herself in a very unfortunate position. Especially so for someone who is employed by a company that is part funded by tax-payer pounds. But she deserves the respect of proper debate in proper forums and the decency to have her dancing skills judged independently of her political views. Any punishments or reprimands should be solely the right of her employer as per agreed upon contracts and any protests should be limit to places where it does not disrupt the lives of innocent coworkers and dance patrons.

Kate

Simone Clarke wasn't looking for publicity, The Guardian outed her, her piece in the 'Daily Mail' was an act of self defence.

her politics are misguided but, once again, she isn't doing anything outside of the law or,probably, the terms of her contract.

personally i think ballet could do with a little protesting outside, although perhaps not about the BNP.

"...she isn't doing anything outside of the law..."

A lot of legal acts constitute dismissable offences,

"...or,probably, the terms of her contract."

And your basis for this bold statement, Michelle? We have already established one precedent here for such a contract clause, and for any media engaged entity, I would expect it as standard, otherwise why bother having a press department.

Anyway you want to spin this sad story, fascism and the arts do not mix. Certainly history has proven that fascism is a recipe for hatred and disaster. Simone Clarke has placed her career and company is serious jeopardy.

Because being a member of a legal political party is protected by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights or, more precisely, wait for it..........

Article19 of said document.....

http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html

so dismissing her because other people don't like her political affiliations would be legally questionable, not to mention unethical.

All because it's legal doesn't mean it's right: January 30th, 1933.

But dismissing her because she talked to the press before contacting the company's press representative - if that violated the terms of her contract - is certainly legal. And it's always a good idea to make sure you read a contract carefully before you sign it...and somehow I don't think her union (if they are part of on) is going to come rushing in on this one.

And it's the law of the country that matters - like it or not - if the Universal Declaration of Universal Rights was binding in any form we wouldn't have Bush's laws or dictators or wars in Iraq, Middle East, Somalia etc., UN corruption, child soldiers etc. etc. It's an idea, unfortunately not one that we will live up to anytime in the near future.

Kate

Further as to what is legal, I think that should Ms Clarke loose her job with ENB over this, she may well be able to sue the Guardian under the Data Protection Act of 1998. Scroll down to Sensitive personal data 2 (b) that clearly refers to “political opinions”

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1998/80029--a.htm#2

In other words she is entitled to private political opinions and not to have them made public. The Guardian reporter was clearly in breach of this act.