Hazel Friedman
THE future of dance at the Performing Arts=20 Council of the Transvaal (Pact) – South=20 Africa’s largest arts council – is in=20 jeopardy after a spate of shock=20 resignations by senior ballet staff and=20 dancers. This comes amid growing panic over=20 the future of the Pact ballet and=20 contemporary dance companies. =20
At the heart of the latest crisis to hit=20 the beleaguered council is the mysterious=20 Schedule One. This document – which Pact’s=20 board members say they have never seen -=20 contains the names of those members of Pact=20 who are entitled to retrenchment packages=20 from a controversial trust fund set up by=20 Pact’s old guard.
The latest names in the lengthening litany=20 of resignations are those of Pact ballet=20 mistress Liane Lurie and Pact ballet=20 administrator Martin Raistrick – the=20 estranged husband of the ballet company’s=20 artistic director, Dawn Weller-Raistrick.=20
Both resigned last week, after decades of=20 service as dancers and members of senior=20 management. They have refused to comment on=20 their reasons. Pact CEO Alan Joseph cited=20 “dissatisfaction with the restructuring of=20 the ballet” on the part of Raistrick, and=20 “victimisation” on the part of Lurie.
Several dancers, who requested anonymity,=20 have left Pact citing as reasons=20 “victimisation, nepotism and uncertainty=20 about the future”.=20
In addition, emerging choreographer Susan=20 Abrahams has resigned from the Pact=20 Contemporary Dance Company. A former close=20 friend of artistic director of the company=20 Esther Nasser, Abrahams recently laid a=20 complaint against Nasser for unfair labour=20 practices.=20
But Abrahams herself was brought before a=20 disciplinary inquiry for insubordination=20 and given a final warning. She has=20 subsequently resigned because “the future=20 of Pact looks hopeless due to the power=20 plays and victimisation taking place within=20 the company”. Nasser has refused to comment=20 on the matter.=20
Because of the drastic reduction in state=20 subsidies to Pact under the new regime,=20 both Pact ballet and the contemporary dance=20 companies are, according to sources, set=20 to close by the end of March.=20
A new independent company incorporating=20 both has been planned in their wake.=20