| Show Ballet Cont Cant from front tracts will be renewed in winter 2004 Parish recalls he told me he knew I wanted to step up to the big peoples people's table as he called it to be one of the senior or featured dancers with the company and he gave me a list of things I needed to do in order to do that She says his chief issue was seeing her performing out full in other words dancing at top performance level in rehearsals rather than marking the steps or sketching them out out no no matter matter matter mat mat- ter how many hours rehearsals lasted In her second second second sec sec- ond season Parish was rewarded with a lead role in inGis Gis Giselle lle Then came the injuries a pulled hamstring an ag aggravated aggra ra- ra spinal disc a sprained ankle Last fall rail her doctor told her she had damaged damaged damaged dam dam- aged the cartilage in her right knee and should stay off it But Webre was preparing Nutcracker the company company's s first fast new production of the holiday chestnut in 42 years and Parish didn't want to drop out She performed several different different different dif dif- ferent roles during its 2 2 1 week run acquiring a new injury swelling around the second metatarsal of her left foot causing piercing pain if she put weight on it she says She had to pull out of the company's February pro pro- gram The The said three other company members needed sur surgery ery and could not dance in in The The Nutcracker among them principal dancer Jason Hartley who underwent underwent underwent under under- went his second knee surgery in three years With some dancers Septime can give you leniency because weve we've been with him a lot Hartley says With the younger dancers he wants to see them out full-out more so than is necessary necessary necessary essary in my opinion The dancers are getting older and dont don't want to live paycheck to paycheck says dancer cancer Erin Enn Mahoney People are starting to think of their own future In the US U.S. people automatically think artist translates to suf suf- suffering suffering suffering fering starving broke Why should it be that way In December the dancers contacted Parish says During one NLRB proceeding proceeding proceeding pro pro- the question arose of whether apprentice dancers would be part art of the union Both Paris Parish and a new hire named Brian Corman Gorman had been apprentices at other rep represented resented companies companies companies compa compa- nies so called both to the stand representative tive Eleni Kallas says their testimony was absolutely Paris factual Afterward Parish says some of the dancers said Oh you should've seen Septime's face when you got up to testify Th The e NLRB B ordered the ballet ballet bal bal- let to hold an election and on Feb 14 the dancers voted to allow to represent them One dancer who officials say had wanted to get out of the company company company com com- pany had already left All AU the others had their contracts renewed for another year Except for Parish and Corman Gorman During her contract meet meet- ing Parish says Webre expressed concern about her technique Pressed for specifics he cited an instance from her first season when she did not perform a turn from a kneeling position ashe ashe as ashe he wanted I said Were there any other ones and he said No The next morning she was devastated to learn her contract contract contract con con- tract would not be renewed To be told that based on the fact that you dont don't do a pirouette pirouette pirou pirou- ette from the knee like I want you to Im I'm not going to rehire you it was quite a blow Corman Gorman 24 who had danced leading roles here from the outset was also told he would not be rehired Within days of these meetings meetings meetings meet meet- ings filed its charge on the dancers dancers' behalf In April the company abruptly canceled a tour to Italy after negotiations with broke down Clown over how the dancers would be compensated compensated compensated com com- on the trip The next day Clay Corman Gorman says he was summoned to a meeting where he was told his contract contract contract con con- tract would be renewed after all Corman Gorman says they also discussed discussed discussed dis dis- cussed the union matter but declined to comment further He remains part of the case The labor board is aware that he was rehired but the fact that they were fired has effect on an intimidating everyone else says Gail Lopez-Henriquez Lopez the me attorney attorney attorney ney representing Were pursuing it to show the other employees they cannot cannot cannot can can- not be subject to that kind of ol intimidation I want to dance dance is in my heart I love being onstage says Parish Losing a job fob is particularly poi poignant nant for dancers because their dancing lives are brief Ten 15 years in rare instances that's 20 the window window win window win win- dow of time for a dance career Legal proceedings can drag on for years But something even larger is at issue OJ say oJ specializing special special- a professor sp the at in la laor or issues izing University California at University University of Berkeley The right to j jis join din a union core democratic right is a all should chew cherish eha that we We ra We are area orp n a says simply a not gS democracy because we hold elections elections but because we are a strong open hold civil you society can hold meetings and org organize around issues If you cant can't undermined organize youve you've foundation of the very democracy I I |
