Over the past few weeks, tensions have risen around New York City Ballet principal Amar Ramasar’s casting in the Broadway revival of West Side Story, set to open February 20. Ramasar is currently embroiled in a lawsuit surrounding the sharing of sexually explicit photos. In light of a protest against Ramasar’s casting scheduled for tonight […]

Last Friday, through an appeal to an independent arbitrator, the American Guild of Musical Artists successfully reinstated NYCB principals Amar Ramasar and Zachary Catazaro, previously fired for allegedly circulating sexually explicit texts containing nude photos. AGMA opposed Ramasar and Catazaro’s terminations in order to prevent the setting of a dangerous precedent that would allow dancers […]

Would New York City Ballet address the elephant in the room? At the company’s annual fall gala last night, where the focus is ostensibly on newly-commissioned ballets and high-profile fashion collaborations, it was impossible not to wonder whether there would be any direct acknowledgement of the turmoil broiling behind the scenes: namely, an explosive lawsuit […]

Update: Additional perspectives have been added to this story as more responses have come in. When news about the lawsuit against New York City Ballet and Chase Finlay emerged last week, plaintiff Alexandra Waterbury, a former School of American Ballet student, told The New York Times: “Every time I see a little girl in a […]

Former School of American Ballet student Alexandra Waterbury, 19, is suing New York City Ballet and her ex-boyfriend, former principal dancer Chase Finlay. Finlay resigned suddenly last week , and principals Amar Ramasar and Zachary Catazaro were put on unpaid leave for the remainder of 2018 because of “inappropriate communications” of a “personal nature.” Waterbury’s […]

New York City Ballet will be three male principals short this season. Due to “inappropriate communications,” Amar Ramasar and Zachary Catazaro have been suspended without pay until 2019, and Chase Finlay has resigned, effective immediately, according to The New York Times. (Finlay’s name has already disappeared from the company roster on nycballet.com.) A statement from […]