Sacramento Ballet Cancels Shows, Lays Off Dancers; Board President Says Ballet Will Return This Fall

Correction: 12:45 a.m. May 21: The Sacramento Ballet plans to return in Fall 2015.

UPDATE 3:55 p.m.:

Capital Public Radio Arts Contributor Jeff Hudson says the dancers will still offer a show, at another venue.

The ballet board president says the early end to the season was necessary, if the ballet was to "continue to be financially responsible."

The Sacramento Ballet plans to return in Fall 2015.

Sacramento Ballet has furloughed their dancers for the last three weeks of the contract. And that means that they're canceling their 'Beer and Ballet' performances, which are informal performances that would typically happen at the ballet studios.

The dancers have put together a new organization on a short-term basis called 'Capital Dance Project' that will do a May the 30th  performance at the Crest Theater. So they will get to do the dances that they had been preparing for 'Beer and Ballet.'

~ Jeff Hudson / Capital Public Radio

UPDATE 2:26 p.m.: The Sacramento Ballet has ended its season early and sent dancers home unpaid for the remaining few weeks of the schedule.

"Sacramento Ballet has furloughed their dancers for the last three weeks of the contract," says Capital Public Radio Arts Contributor Jeff Hudson. "And that means that they're canceling their 'Beer and Ballet' performances, which are informal performances that would typically happen at the ballet studios."

Hudson says the dancers will still offer a show, at another venue.

"The dancers have put together a new organization on a short-term basis called 'Capital Dance Project' that will do a May the 30th  performance at the Crest Theater," says Hudson. "So they will get to do the dances that they had been preparing for 'Beer and Ballet.'"

The ballet board president says the early end to the season was necessary, if the ballet was to "continue to be financially responsible."

The Sacramento Ballet plans to return in Fall 2015.

 ~ Alan Ray / Capital Public Radio

Original Post 9 a.m.: The Sacramento Ballet has laid off its dancers and canceled its popular "Beer and Ballet" performances. 

Sacramento Ballet Board President Nancy Garton says the dancers are being laid off about three weeks before their seasonal contracts run out.

She says the move was necessary to continue to be financially responsible and noted that the organization managed to make it through its regular subscription season.  

Some of the dancers have formed another dance group that will perform at the end of the month at the Crest Theater.

~ Capital Public Radio Staff