i know i'm in agreement with you, babs, but i'm not sure what you're getting at with the 'business' comment.<P>michael: you are saying (it seems to me) that YOU personally won't be satisfied until you see the resignations of two people. i personally can take no action whatsoever in this regard. nor, i imagine can anyone else reading this. <P>at the same time, you are saying that these two people (and another) do not read or care what might be said about them on the internet. so, what's the point of this harangue?<P>i am completely 'with' babs, that you are doing glasco a great disservice by continuing this, in the minds of anybody who DOES read criticaldance. <P>if you care about HER, i sugest you find out what she IS doing, and publicise THAT......the rest is old news, well and truly thrashed to death. let the lady have a life!

James Kudelka and Valerie Wilder would love this issue to go away. It is my hope that someone in the Canadian government or the media would read this and take the appropriate action. James Kudelka and Valerie Wilder should resign. Please read the previous below posting and let me know if their untruthfulness should result in their resignation or at the very least a government inquiry on their conduct. <P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR> The National Ballet of Canada moves more truthfully than it speaks. I wish I could take credit for those words of wisdom but they belong to the late Antony Tudor—in the context of man of course. Below is a spoonful of truth for the NBoC. Open wide! Of course, that’s much easier written than done. You’d have better luck feeding a pill to a member of the feline race! Below is a passage from arbitrator Christopher Albertyn’s interim award to Kimberly Glasco lifted verbatim courtesy of <A HREF="http://www.kim-glasco.com." TARGET=_blank>www.kim-glasco.com.</A> <P>“When Ms. Glasco received notice of the non-renewal of her contract and her dispute was made public, Ballet spokespersons took the position that Ms. Glasco never raised financial concerns or the Swan Lake production with the board. For example, Ms. Wilder, the Ballet’s Executive Director, interviewed on January 5, 1999 on a radio program, ‘This Morning,’ broadcast by public radio throughout Canada by the CBC, said the following: ‘Ms. Glasco never did speak up at a board meeting, ever... The minutes will show it. Her claims are absolutely incorrect. In fact, they are baffling, quite honestly. She not only had never spoken up about our new production of Swan Lake, she never spoke up about fiscal responsibility or any such topic.’<P>The same position was advanced by the Ballet in an article in which Ms. Wilder was quoted in the Toronto Star, on January 7, 1999, and, on January 11, 1999, on the television program, ‘The National’, which is broadcast throughout Canada by the CBC. (This can be viewed in its entirety at <A HREF="http://www.infoculture.cbc.ca." TARGET=_blank>www.infoculture.cbc.ca.</A> Click on ‘Dance,’ ‘James Kudelka renews contract’ and then scroll down to ‘Brawl at the Ballet’ and click on it. During the interview Wilder said: ‘She (Glasco) never did speak out at a board meeting.’)<P>The position adopted by the Ballet was erroneous, and it appears that the Ballet has not publicly acknowledged the error. From a reading of the minutes it is clear that Ms. Glasco did raise these matters at two board meetings, as described.” <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>I want to know how much James Kudelka makes. I want to know how much Valerie Wilder makes. I want to know why creating dance has taken a priority over the talent on stage. I want to know why the NBoC let Johan Persson and Jaimie Tapper go to the Royal Ballet. I want to know why Kudelka has eliminated the ballerina has the focus of ballet. I want to know why he chose a pregnant Jennifer Fournier to dance Cinderella over Kimberly Glasco. I want to know why the subscriber standby seating policy changed with no warning AFTER subscribers had renewed their seats. I want to know why the NBoC’s Telemarketing, Publicity and Development departments told members of the ballet that Glasco (1) never danced in the Nutcracker, and (2) could not master the steps of a difficult pas de deux with the Prince. One employee actually said Glasco feigned an injury to get out of opening night. In fact, Glasco could not perform because of a legitimate ripped tendon in the small muscle of her calf. And she has the MRI to prove it! I want to know why the NBoC is using quotes by the Toronto Sun to sell themselves. I want to know the answers to a hundred more questions. Kudelka and Wilder should do the honorable thing and resign. I also want Kimberly Glasco reinstated IMMEDIATELY!<P>------------------<BR>Michael Goldbarth<P>[This message has been edited by Michael Goldbarth (edited November 09, 2000).]<p>[This message has been edited by Michael Goldbarth (edited November 10, 2000).]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Please read the previous below posting and let me know if ...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>really sorry, michael. just simply no longer interested.

Here's an article about the NBoC debt position:<P> <A HREF="http://www.nationalpost.com/artslife/arts/story.html?f=/stories/20001030/445339.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.nationalpost.com/artslife/arts/story.html?f=/stories/20001030/445339.html</A> <p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited November 10, 2000).]

By business I mean that yes, even dance is about the bottom line (the difference being that sometimes the goal is break-even, not make a profit), that there are bosses and their are workerbees - bosses hire and fire people. Now, when you make up a business organization that is filled with passionate peole devoted to their art, there's sometimes fireworks. The board of directors hired (and can fire) their employees, who in turn hire and fire their employees.

Dear Grace: Really sorry to read you’re not interested in the truth. Nobody else appears to be either. I still maintain that if the NBoC was a business listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange—both Wilder and Kudelka would be out of jobs.<P>------------------<BR>Michael Goldbarth

michael - i'm not interested in pursuing something i can do absolutely nothing about - nor can you, by posting this stuff. seriously, we all know you care deeply about this, but you seem to be expending the energy that comes from your passion for this situation, in a way that can only further damage the lady you say you care about. and achive absolutely nothing useful. you write as if we at criticaldance are in positions of power over NBoC staff......<P>why don't you take your protests to people who can actually make a difference, whoever they may be.......?

1. I'm really excited that this kind of conversation can take place on this board. I left another dance site because this would've been squelched, deleted and locked up long ago! <BR>2. I appreciate Michael's passion about this matter and I'm sure if we ever meet we'll have a contest about who is the MOST passionate about this incredible art form called dance/ballet. <BR>3. I've been with the company I work for for only 4 months and I've seen 10 people go- some quit,some were fired, all weren't happy with the direction they or the company is going in. My point, Glasco isn't the only one who has faced this "injustice" but her story can and has inspired some really wonderful discussions and threads here about "upper management" and it's abusive nature. <BR>4. And yes, I agree with those that suggest Michael use his passion in a more positive manner and create some goodness from it - he obviously cares very, very much about it. In my book it's all Kharmic and all those involved in the Glasco affair and others like it will "face the music" one of these days and when they do we'll all be happily involved doing what we love to do- encourage,promote and shout from the mountain tops why we love the wonderful world of ballet, dance and theatre. <BR>xo<BR>DH <p>[This message has been edited by DavidH (edited November 11, 2000).]

In defense of myself, I would like to pointe out that this posting was called “NBoC $4 million in the hole.” My first few writings on the topic concerned the NBoC’s financial situation. What prompted me to write in once again about Kimberly Glasco was some media reports in Toronto. They were quite negative about Glasco-emphasizing how the NBoC is moving on. Kimberly Glasco did nothing wrong and the NBoC admitted their wrong doing by settling the lawsuit. I know $1 to 1.6 million is a lot of money but as Mr. Schneider said "the bully won and the audience lost." The NBoC is definitely a dictatorship. When some people spoke out about the Glasco situation at a board meeting that was the end of the meeting. <P>I admit I am one to hold grudges for a long time. Hence, I will not be supporting the NBoC with donations as long as Kudelka and Wilder are in charge. If there’s any justice in the ballet world, they will one day face Irving Berlin’s music. Now that I’ve made that declaration, Kudelka will probably create a ballet in tribute of Irving Berlin! <BR><P>------------------<BR>Michael Goldbarth

michael, i had second thoughts about my post, realising it may come off as just plain rude, when what i really mean is to be practical and helpful in directing your passion where it may be effective. i learned long ago to honour the saying/prayer:<P>"Give me the courage to change the things I can, the serenity (or whatever it is) to accept the things I can't, and the wisdom to know the difference."<P>-mental blank - haven't had breakfast yet!<P>very happy to see someone put that straight, please....<P>apologies for any offence, which mercifully you don't seem to have taken: thanks!

version I have always heard was:<P>Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,<BR>The courage to change the things I can.<BR>And the wisdom to know the difference.<P>And Michael, I'd write what you said about why you are not making a donation and send it to them! You could even write a check of $00 or even a penny if you were really needing drama... But write the NBoC and tell them!<P>

DavidH,<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>...we'll all be happily involved doing what we love to do- encourag,promote and shout from the mountain top about why we love the wonderful world of ballet, dance and theatre.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>I can't agree more!

i admit, michael that your passion has stayed in my mind - even though i can't do anything about it! <P>and i have to concede that, if this had happened at the australian ballet, i'm not sure i'd be at all satisfied either.....<BR>but i also wouldn't be wasting my energy on a discussion board about it. if i honestly felt there was anything i could do, i'd be out there, doing it....go on, michael - there must be many many people who feel like you do - but you'll have to get out there in canada - not on this board - to find them.<P>good luck!<P>and no, that isn't a way to tell you to ....you know....disappear..... .....but to get active!

I, for one, have written dozens of letters to the NBofC and its Board at each step of the Glasco saga, begging them to stop the lying about Glasco, admit they made an error and to reconcile for the benefit of the relatively tiny ballet community in this hockey town (Toronto). From the above postings it should be clear to all that in the end the lies were only (I can't say "admitted" because it was more like)"self-contradicted" after two years of denials....long after the damage was done and the ballet fans had moved into two distict camps. We remain in those two camps because the day after the financial settlement was announced, on the NBofC website was posted a statement to the effect that they were vindicated because this was all about the authority of the artistic director. This is a lie. It was about the authority of Canadian labour laws, about good employees, and about neurotics in positions of power.<BR>Kimberly Glasco cannot be hurt by those of us who are left living in the aftermath INSISTING that those persons who tried (and with the help of an insurance company who funded the settlement) succeeded in destroying her career. Within a month of her dismissal a company insider told me that "she will never work again because no dance company will ever touch her." Why? "Because James Kudelka has contacts in every company all over the world, and she doesn't".<BR>After two years of taking class with no performances, at age 40, with all of her former "friends" in the company gone (I think it fair to say many of them out of fear for their own jobs seeing what has happened to Glasco)her career is over. She will no doubt get on with her own life outside of performing...but the same people who destroyed her career are still in their jobs and can do the same thing again-only this time they will have to hide it better. Those of us who care about dance and dancers find this scary and we will not just let this go away until it is safe for dancers in this town. <BR>I suppose I turn to this forum to get support. To find out from others....how can we make sure this never happens again? If it was a fire or safety hazard that ended the Glasco career things would be done to remove the factors that caused the injury. But the cause of Glasco's injury was people in positions of power and THEY'RE STILL THERE1

welcome schneider - its good to see another voice here who cares about this issue. i think i can imagine what you describe - and if that happened here, it would be so dreadfully detrimental to ballet as a whole - to audiences, and to funding, and to people's willingness to care about dance at all, any more - because it was SO protracted, SO ugly, and as you both say, the result so unsatisfying...<P>i can also imagine that it could divide the dance community, in such a way as to lessen enthusiasm and support there, too, and to alienate people from their national company - that, it seems to me, is something that should never have been allowed to happen. very sad. <P>i have no idea what you can actually DO - there is power in numbers though....i suppose letter-writing is a fairly invisible activity, possibly less effective than some other avenues, but i'm not the one to know how you should proceed.....<P>thanks for your imput.