37 replies to this topic

[Dismuke]

Very sad news - the Texas Ballet Theater (i.e., former Fort Worth Ballet) is in financial trouble and needs to raise between $1 and $1.5 million within the next couple of months or they will be forced to close their doors. Apparently the company has been hit by a decline in donations and has a lot of unpaid bills mounting.

Here is one article about how the dancers are pitching in to help save the company and their jobs:

http://www.star-tele...ory/840524.html

I have attended several of the company's productions over the past few years and have always been very impressed. That a company of such caliber is based here in Fort Worth is definitely something the city ought to be very proud of - and for those who enjoy bragging rights, for almost 20 years now, a professional ballet company is something that Dallas has not had but Fort Worth has. For obvious reasons, the company, in recent years, has sought to fill that void in Dallas by having performances there in addition to its performances in Fort Worth. But, despite its Dallas presence, according to recent news articles, 75 percent of the company's donor base is in Fort Worth.

It would be a huge loss for quality, local live entertainment options if the company were to fold - and it would take many, many years, if ever, for another one to be formed and rebuilt to take its place.

Anyone here with deep pockets and a concern for the arts, might want to consider helping out. For those of us whose pockets are not so deep, here is an offer by a generous individual and his wife to match contributions up to $100. This offer has been posted to the dancer's myspace site but it does not include an email address to get in touch with the person who made the offer. However, I was able to follow the link at the bottom of his message to www.swearingen.com If you click the link to "Our People" you will find his name in the list. Click on his name and you will see his email address. I am not sure how long his offer will be open - but as long as it is open, it is a way to effectively double your contribution. [EDIT: Someone from the dancers' myspace site is looking into whether this offer is good outside the circle of people the person initially distributed it to. Once they get back to me, I will let everyone know]

[safly]

(Just shootin from the hip here)

It is sad, but they need to go bankrupt and clean house. There appears to be just too much money mismanagement or fiscal irresponsibility. Organizations like THESE need to step it up and get a real fundraiser, PROS that do this stuff all the time. Or just do it for the LOVE OF IT ALL. I hear Barack is helpful in paying other peoples debts. They simply need to be ran like a professional organization. Top Down. Or sit down. Maybe that Joshua kid can lend them a buck or two, perhaps a fundraiser show. Dancin is dancin to me. Why not?

Sure their artistic quality will be limited, but in order to survive, YOU HAVE to reflect upon those mistakes and avoid them at all costs and BUST YOUR TAIL to get funded BY ANYONE. I MEAN BUST YOUR TAIL! I have not been a huge fan of their management in the past, particularly with their hiring practices and decision making. They have simply lost so much homegrown FW or DFW talent throughout the years, and have chosen a certain "look" or "style" that is just not fun to watch anymore, almost "sickely". The last Nutcracker I enjoyed was at Casa Manana, and it was full of these innocent lil talented kids and volunteering parents, all giving their darndest to make a great show. That to me was loads of fun to watch. And on the cheap too.

It's a complicated world the Arts are, and to be 100% privately funded is too daunting of a task, and they ought to leave it up to the PROFESSIONALS. This cry for help in the FWST is just a one trick pony stunt about to be a deadhorse. Sorry, but reality is a BIZ%$&**!

I don't mind seeing a well financed travel ballet company just storm on in and captivate the crowds here at Bass Hall with our amazing symphony. Even for the grand Daddy of em all, The Nutcracker.

Debt is debt, and they should have planned for these times or called time out seasons ago. Very late in the game (season) to be crying for help. Cold but honest.

(And if you want to cut and paste these comments on a future post then be my guest, even if you may think that they border on the Anti-Fort Worth or Anti-ARTS. Just giving an opinion here and not ashamed of it.)

[Dismuke]

It is sad, but they need to go bankrupt and clean house.

I am sorry but that is NOT the way to go about it.

We are not talking about some little Dolly Dingle dance recital. If TBT goes bankrupt, it is gone, for good - and all of the artistic talent that makes such a company possible and still have viable careers ahead of them will leave the area for other cities where it will be possible for them to get paid for what they do. Even if another company were to form from scratch sometime down the road, it would take YEARS for the company to grow and become viable enough to be able to afford to attract similar talent and to put out an artistic product comparable to the existing company. The best and ONLY hope is to save what we have.

There appears to be just too much money mismanagement or fiscal irresponsibility.

You make a very serious accusation and you do not back it up with one single scrap of evidence.

Organizations like THESE need to step it up and get a real fundraiser, PROS that do this stuff all the time. Or just do it for the LOVE OF IT ALL....They simply need to be ran like a professional organization.

They may or may not need to revamp their approach to fundraising. I have no idea. But if so - then going out of business is sure as heck not going to solve any problem.

I have not been a huge fan of their management in the past, particularly with their hiring practices and decision making.

Well I don't have any opinions about the company's management from the business side of things. Other than attending performances every so often, a myspace friends link and the donation I made a little while ago, I don't have any connection to the organization nor do I really keep up with it that closely. Maybe the management is excellent; maybe it is horrible.

What I DO know is they have an OUTSTANDING artistic product. I also know that they made one HECK of a hiring decision when they brought Ben Stevenson in as their Artistic Director. Stevenson was responsible for transforming the Houston Ballet into one of the more highly respected ballet companies in the United States. As far as I am concerned, bringing him to Fort Worth was one heck of a coup for the company.

The loss of the level of artistic product put out by the company would be a HUGE loss for the area and certainly for those whose knowledge and tastes are......shall we say.... a bit more refined and beyond a "Dancin is dancin to me" mindset.

If, in fact, there are fundamental problems on a business management level - well, IF that is the case, that is something that needs to be fixed. One does not cure a sick patient by allowing things to become terminal.

They have simply lost so much homegrown FW or DFW talent throughout the years,

If that is, indeed, the case, it is not especially abnormal.

First off, you are talking about a profession where there are more talented people who WANT to be professionals than there are available professional positions (despite the fact that the pay rate is pretty pathetic compared with other professions which require similar levels of training, discipline and dedication). The competition for available jobs in such companies is very intense - and such companies recruit dancers on a national and even international playing field, not a local one. In some cases, homegrown talent may not make the cut and is forced to look for opportunities elsewhere. In other cases, homegrown talent may not WANT to stay in the area if they are able to sign with a larger and more prestigious company in another city.

In that respect, it is no different than acting or broadcast journalism. There are a LOT of homegrown actors and broadcast news types who leave the area either to get their start at the bottom in less prestigious markets or because they have a viable shot at the big time.

and have chosen a certain "look" or "style" that is just not fun to watch anymore, almost "sickely".

I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. One might have been able to make that case YEARS ago when Paul Mejia was in charge on the artistic side of things and the company pretty much had an "all Balanchine all the time" format which was tiring for some people, including myself. That certainly has not been the case under Stevenson. As far as I am concerned, their repertoire in recent years has been fairly diverse in terms of attempting to appeal to different tastes - which is why I attend some performances and not others according to may own personal tastes in what I like to see. There is certainly nothing "sickely" about it.

The last Nutcracker I enjoyed was at Casa Manana, and it was full of these innocent lil talented kids and volunteering parents, all giving their darndest to make a great show. That to me was loads of fun to watch. And on the cheap too.

There is nothing wrong with such offerings which can range from "Dolly Dingle" recitals to performances by serious amateur companies of students preparing for an eventual professional career. Even on the Dolly Dingle level - more power to them if everyone is having a good time. I certainly am not going to look down my nose at any of it. Nevertheless, there IS a significant and VAST difference between such amateur offerings and a talented professional company. And for someone who is knowledgeable enough to know the difference - well, I am sorry, such offerings are NOT an acceptable substitute. Pee wee football games are lots of fun for lots of people too. But that does not mean that they are an acceptable substitute for someone who wishes to see the sport executed on a major league level.

Imagine if the Texas Rangers or the Dallas Cowboys could not make a go of it here in the Metroplex and moved to another city. Imagine the howling we would have here on this board and on local radio about the lack of "prestige" our area would have. Imagine how hard core fans would react if they were told that "football is football to me" and that there are plenty of junior high school and high school games for them to attend. Somehow I don't think that would go over very well. Indeed, we regularly have threads here whining about how horrible it is that Dallas has professional sports franchises while Fort Worth does not. But for years Fort Worth had a top quality professional ballet company while Dallas did not - and I suspect I am perhaps the first person here to make note of it let alone brag about it.

Well, the situation with TBT is really no different. We are talking about a "major league" professional company. The loss of such a company is DEFINITELY something that will reflect poorly on both Fort Worth and Dallas in terms of attracting new residents and businesses who are concerned about available cultural amenities. The Fort Worth/Dallas area will become the largest metropolitan area in the United States without a professional ballet company. And, if that is allowed to happen, that is likely to remain the case for quite some time. Even if you are not into the performing arts, that is NOT a very good reflection on the quality of life amenities in our area.

[RD Milhollin]

[quote name='Dismuke' date='Aug 19 2008, 01:25 AM' post='49693']
I am sorry but that is NOT the way to go about it.

We are not talking about some little Dolly Dingle dance recital. If TBT goes bankrupt, it is gone, for good - and all of the artistic talent that makes such a company possible and still have viable careers ahead of them will leave the area for other cities where it will be possible for them to get paid for what they do. Even if another company were to form from scratch sometime down the road, it would take YEARS for the company to grow and become viable enough to be able to afford to attract similar talent and to put out an artistic product comparable to the existing company. The best and ONLY hope is to save what we have.

[quote]

Agreed. While I don't regularly make ballet performances I do recognize that the presence of a professional company is the mark of a healthy cultural environment. Since many performances are in Dallas and the majority of the funding comes from Fort Worth (asuming what was written above in this thread) the fund-raising strategy to save the troup should be obvious.

[bburton]

They will go bankrupt; it's a foregone conclusion at this stage: they are in a death spiral. The kinds of money they need now will not be forthcoming. A basic principle of philanthropy is that donors want to invest in the future -- in improving and extending services; few are interested in bailing out, what can only be characterized, as past mistakes.

The blame for this unfortunate situation should be laid at the feet of the Board. They like most boards of nonprofits -- especially the performing arts -- have probably been focused much more on the quality of the product delivered to the community rather than upon the hard budget decisions behind the scenes needed to keep a complex organization profitable. In the defense of these board members, however, many are selected for their community visibility -- not completely as figureheads, but not for their business acumen either. Once an economic downturn occurs, this fatal flaw is exposed, and almost always then, things have to become much worse before they have any chance of improving.

[Dismuke]

They will go bankrupt; it's a foregone conclusion at this stage: they are in a death spiral. The kinds of money they need now will not be forthcoming.

It is NOT a forgone conclusion. If they raise sufficient amounts of money, they will not go bankrupt. And if they make their case to enough people who are in a position to spare enough money they will raise the money. It is as simple as that. Good god - where on earth would we be if all of the people in charge of getting something done in this world had such a fatalistic attitude?

Undoubtedly you are correct in that it is difficult and a challenge. And perhaps "conventional wisdom" might suggest a bad outcome. But go ask Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama about conventional wisdom. If everything was destined according to conventional wisdom, we would be reading in the paper about Hillary's latest poll numbers right about now.

There is a LOT of money in a metropolitan area of six million people even during a down economy - and TBT has yet to fully exploit the possibilities that exist on the Dallas side of the area. All they have to do is find the right people fast enough. One does not accomplish something like that, or anything else for that matter, by being fatalistic and giving up before one even starts.

A basic principle of philanthropy is that donors want to invest in the future -- in improving and extending services; few are interested in bailing out, what can only be characterized, as past mistakes.

I think there is probably a great deal of truth in that. But the reality is that this IS about the future - it is about whether we will have a local professional ballet company in the Metroplex and whether or not we are going to have the "honor" of being the largest metropolitan area in the United States without one. Those civic leader types in Dallas who are so fond of talking about being a "world class city" need to pause and think about this for a moment - world class cities have ballet companies. Even a much smaller city such as Tulsa has a successful ballet company. It does not speak well for our area if, when all is said and done, such a company can make it there and not here - especially given that, if TBT goes under, it will be the second ballet company of that size to do so within 20 years when the one in Dallas went under.

As for the future, the article in the Dallas Morning News points out that they are anticipating a significant uptake in ticket sales once the new Winspear Opera House opens - and that will help provide Dallas area visibility which should help them in terms of increasing the donor and fundraising base. (The article also mentions that the fundraising efforts towards building the opera house impacted their ability to raise funds from the same donor base.)

The blame for this unfortunate situation should be laid at the feet of the Board.

That is ultimately true with the success or failure of ANY organization. And, of course, hindsight is always 20/20 perfect.

They like most boards of nonprofits -- especially the performing arts -- have probably been focused much more on the quality of the product delivered to the community rather than upon the hard budget decisions behind the scenes needed to keep a complex organization profitable.

I think there is some evidence to suggest that you are probably correct. The Dallas Morning News article states that the company eliminated its Development Director position a few years ago. If the Development Director position at the time was not profitable for the company, that was a sign that the director needed to be replaced. I don't know anything about the circumstances or what the logic behind the move was - but if you are an organization that depends on donations and contributions for your survival, having a strategy and an ongoing effort to make sure that there is a stream of new donations in the pipeline is crucial.

The Morning News article also mentions that, two years ago, one of the company's long-time donors who regularly gave the company $1 million per year stopped contributing. Considering that the company's budget is $6.5 million, that is a huge blow. Replacing a donor of that size is a challenge for any organization. Unfortunately, it is just a fact of life that the survival of pretty much all non-profit organizations depend on a small handful of very large donors. Having a large base of enthusiastic donors who contribute smaller amounts helps out a lot - but when all is said and done, it is usually the large donors who make up the gap.

I am sure there are a lot of things that can be said about what could have and should have been done in the past. But the only benefit of such conversation is the lessons one can abstract from them and apply going forward. The company clearly needs an infusion of new donors and supporters. If tapping their existing supporters was enough, my guess is they would have already done so and we would not be seeing the dire headlines. My general assumption is that any new supporters with very deep pockets will presumably ask a lot of questions as to what happened and what the company's strategy is going forward before they will make a sizable investment. My guess is that long-time existing donors are also asking lots of questions and demanding answers right about now. If it is true that the present problems are the result of mismanagement rather than a combination of unfortunate circumstances, then I think it is very likely that key contributors will demand that the necessary changes and reforms be made.

When I started this thread and made my little pitch for people to help out and support, I certainly knew the odds of the posting being read by someone with pockets deep enough to resolve the situation were extremely slim. The vast majority of people here are in the same position as myself in that a very modest donation is all that I can properly afford. My donation, in and of itself, amounts to jack diddly squat - it would pay for no more than a very few hours of somebody's payroll. Small contributions alone are not going to raise all of the money that they need. But if the dancers' fundraising effort is successful in bringing in lots and lots of small donors such as myself - well, THAT is going be a very strong signal that enthusiastic support for the company DOES exist within our community and that the community DOES value the company. If they manage to get 10,000 individuals to contribute $25 - well, that would only be a quarter million dollars and nowhere near enough to solve the problem. But the fact that they managed to get 10,000 new people to fork over even a small amount of money would be a powerful selling point when it comes to persuading the necessary large donors and, most especially, corporate donors that the company DOES enjoy widespread community support. bburton is correct in that large donors need something to buy into. If a large enough number of people respond to the dancers' efforts, then that enthusiasm and community support is something for them to buy into - in addition, of course, to an outstanding and under appreciated artistic product.

So I will make my little pitch again - if the prospect of our area becoming the largest metropolitan area in the United States without a professional ballet company strikes you as being something that is desirable to avoid, then please consider making a contribution. Even if all you can afford to spare is $5 or $10, it DOES make a difference for the reasons I have mentioned. It takes about three minutes to make a contribution by credit card: simply go to: http://www.texasball.../supporttbt.htm and follow the instructions. Do it now while you are thinking about it as most people will forget about such things if they wait for later. Someone from the dancers' myspace site is checking out whether that matching contribution offer is valid for contributors outside the circle of people he originally sent it to - once they get back to me I will let everyone know. If you are really all that concerned that the organization will not survive to the point of being reluctant to make a small donation consider this: much of the company's debt is to organizations such as Bass Hall which would take a nasty hit if the company goes under. So in a worst case scenario, your contribution WILL end up going towards supporting local performing arts. And, hopefully, your donation will help demonstrate a sufficient level of community support that will encourage others to help out.

Above all the situation is NOT hopeless. Keep in mind that the Dallas Symphony almost went out of business in 1974 and actually had to temporarily suspend performances. They were in FAR more trouble than TBT is in today. Imagine the loss over the decades had people back then talked about "death spirals" and taken a fatalistic attitude and thrown in the towel.

[mmiller2002]

Ben Stevenson's been pretty spendy with money that he apparently didn't have (for example Dracula, very elaborate, impressive, but expensive). Shame on the board if they knew, but let him continue to spend.

Just last week they said they couldn't go to China because of $70K. Then it was $800K of debt, now its $1-1.5M needed.

It would be a shame for a ~50 year old company to fold. They should have left Dallas on their own. They don't seem to support it like Fort Worth does, the Dallas perfs become a money drain.

[mnmassie]

True, it looks like the debt keeps climbing. However, I'm sure they're taking into account the upcoming season which theoretically starts in just a few weeks. Ballet is extraordinarily expensive business - and it's the little things that you don't think about that can really add up. Like pointe shoes. $40,000 in SHOES for the Nutcracker performances alone! A typical prima ballerina can go through a pair of shoes in a single performance. And that's just the shoes...not sets, costumes, tech, marley, hall rental, etc. Then the administrative costs for performances AND the schools. So every little bit helps - even if it's just enough to buy a pair of shoes.

I hope they can stay alive. They’ve been around in all of their entities entirely too long and it’s my personal belief that you can’t call yourself a major city or cultural center without a ballet. Arlington doesn’t count! Quite frankly, I don't always get it...we can build huge football stadiums for public schools that rival what most colleges have, but god forbid we support the arts!

And the truth is, loosing the ballet will create quite the ripple effect through the arts community. It's been reported that they're the largest paying customer of the Symphony. The symphony loosing $350,000 will have pretty serious effects on their record of always running in the black. Same goes for monies paid to Bass Hall.

The Ballet (as many arts organizations) has been through rough patches in the past and always managed to pull through. They've got an amazing artistic director and several talented dancers. Obviously to rack up this type of debt, several factors are in play but it's too late to start laying blame. The bottom line is...when times in our general lives are tough - economic downturn, soaring gas prices, etc. - it is the arts that we can turn to to give us a few moments lifted away from our worries and troubles. We can't let this facet of our amazing, cultural center be shattered.

[safly]

I couldn't have said it better BBURTON. But while I have the floor.

I agree on many points some posters have said, one cannot deny the fact that these organizations are meant to operate in the red. And using the FWST to pitch a woe is me article about their state of business is not only offensive, but borders conflict of interest for their obvious relationship. Hello, TBT gets money and spends on advertisments, and to whom? You get it now.

The fact of the matter is, that entire management which kept taking money in and toting more expenses OUT, needs to be shown the exit door right out of town. The FWSymphony may feel somewhat of a ripple effect, but they are endowed for about 200 times what they are owed by TBT, I am almost sure of. TBT, not so much. BUT, I will guarantee this, if TBT goes belly up, i am sure SOMEBODY will still fork over the money to put on a NUTCRACKER that showcases both talented organizations.

I don't worry too much about these "poor" and "hungry" ballet dancers who would just be devastated by a cancelled season. MOST of them have other real paying jobs, and that is how the market dictates here in Texas. I'm sorry, but a $1500 quail hunt or skeet shootin fundraiser (like in the past) is not going to get regular folks to "flock" on over to their distress signals. Year in and year out. It was a great idea that was poorly executed and PRICED.

DIS, My "dancing is dancing" comment was directed towards a fundraising idea (outside the box) that FW's own Mr. Joshua, winner of this year's FOX's SYTYCD contest, could possibly be a part of in order to create a major fundraise that could end up being a smash hit for the everyday FW'ian. Why not CASINO NIGHT? But I just don't see the marketing machines trying to give that kind of effort. So, tough you know what says the kitty. Hey, isn't that dance troupe supposed to make a splash here iat the NOKIA Center, why not latch on to their show in offering back up dancing or even solo dance performances with some local musicians and artists. Great exposure, some hard work and THEN YOU GET PAID!

They have been in a downward spiral since as long as I've known TBT. So if it is TBT or The Russian Ballet coming in and putting on a wonderful show, I could care less of which one gets it done. But if money is just being thrown about like it grows on trees, then I have a problem with that, if that is ultimately the case. Empty seats is undeniably another. Haven't they heard of comps or discretions. You know, get JOE T GARCIA (gulp!) to donate a special event at their restaurant for a fundraiser, then plaster their name all over those programs, or do a FOLKLORICO dance session around Cinco de Mayo with their underwriting approval. Or coincide Best of FW Week (restaurants and bars) to donate 10% of sales to TBT and or the TCounty Arts League (does that exist? If not then WHY NOT?). You know, when certain LL organizations can't keep their heads above water, they either sink or THEY SWIM. And that's LITTLE LEAGUE, some little kid's dream playland and sport. I think it is time for TBT to get their butts in the shark infested waters of FUNDRAISING Inc. and learn how to SWIM and BUST THEIR FREAKIN TAILS, especially if they are so "passionate" about the Arts and having a great PRODUCT, basically BE RESPONSIBLE for your own outcome and GET DRIVEN! It doesn't look good when there is a potential for possible internal fiscal irresponsibilty or possible misapropriations, and then they CRY WOLF to BE SAVED!

I am just amazed at how VERY HONEST they are to JOHN Q PUBLIC when it comes to getting that ONE MAGICAL DONOR. Look if they were the shiznit already, that wouldn't be a problem. It just translates to me that "getting that one magical donor" is just LESS WORK OR EFFORT on their part to stay afloat. Is this fundraising or WELFARE here???

And then they spend like it's MONOPOLY money. Like my boy John Stossel says, "Give Me a BREAK!"

[mnmassie]

A couple of rebuttal comments. And in the interest of full disclosure, I was once a professional dancer myself and understand the full circle of issues more than most.

I agree on many points some posters have said, one cannot deny the fact that these organizations are meant to operate in the red. And using the FWST to pitch a woe is me article about their state of business is not only offensive, but borders conflict of interest for their obvious relationship. Hello, TBT gets money and spends on advertisments, and to whom? You get it now.

That our longstanding professional ballet has become so in the red that they may be forced to shut down is newsworthy and should be published. If the writers/editors make it look like a plea, that's the choice of the newspaper...not the organization.

The fact of the matter is, that entire management which kept taking money in and toting more expenses OUT, needs to be shown the exit door right out of town.

Obviously, something has gone horribly arwy to let the budget get so out of control. But destroying the entire organization isn't going to fix it either. Throw the baby out with the bathwater much? Whether or not someone will do a Nutcracker has absolutely nothing to do with saving an important part of the cultural fabric in this region.

I don't worry too much about these "poor" and "hungry" ballet dancers who would just be devastated by a cancelled season. MOST of them have other real paying jobs, and that is how the market dictates here in Texas.

Dance is their real job - 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. Just like any other "real" job. 12 hours a day during Nutcracker performances. For those that do have second jobs, they're just that - a supplemental second job, not the main one. However, I can understand where you would think they've got some other "real job." When I was putting in 40-50 hours a week in a dance studio, I still often had people ask me what my "real job" was. So many don't think that being a dancer is. Cancelleing the season IS a devastating job loss for them. Unlike many other professions where you can just apply somewhere else, the ballet runs in seasons. Once a company has auditioned and hired, that's it and you're out of resources and prospects until the next year.


I like your idea of using other styles of dance to help fundraise for the ballet. I think dancers of any style should help out each other. And some of your other "out of the box" ideas aren't bad either. Maybe YOU should become TBT's new Director of Development!!! It's still posted on their website!!!

[Dismuke]

Ben Stevenson's been pretty spendy with money that he apparently didn't have (for example Dracula, very elaborate, impressive, but expensive). Shame on the board if they knew, but let him continue to spend.

Fort Worth Weekly has a nice article that responds to and rebuts the above. See: http://www.fwweekly....sp?article=7127

- - - - - - -

Behind Your Ballet

Contrary to popular rumor, TBT’s creative teams have done their share to keep the company afloat.

By LEONARD EUREKA


Like all nonprofit performing arts institutions, Texas Ballet Theater has its hobgoblins to battle: meeting projected attendance figures, coming in under budget, generating new fans and potential donors — all part of the fight to keep the wolf from the door. For the most part, the company — one of the oldest and most respected in the country — has performed valiantly. But ballet doesn’t pay its own way, and TBT has recently found itself in danger of closing its doors, but not because of any failings by Artistic Director Ben Stevenson.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, however, is dumping most of the blame squarely in his lap. Last week, writer Andrew Morton quoted anonymous sources as saying Stevenson’s “penchant for lavish productions has pushed expenses into the red” and that the former artistic director of the Houston Ballet “is overly fond of story-length ballets, works that can average $300,000 to produce.”

Give me a break. That’s what the man was hired to do, and he does it very well. Over the last 40 years, Stevenson has built an international reputation staging evening-length classics and original ballets, and when he came to Fort Worth a few years ago, he brought with him access to a warehouse full of million-dollar productions that he had amassed during his 25 years in Houston.

TBT practically jumped at the chance to bring him here and raid this treasure chest, hoping to expand audiences here and in Dallas. While some ballet-goers might find the repertory tiresome, most of us, including Joe and Jane Public, adore it and turn out in droves for performances, something that doesn’t happen with programs made up of smaller works, as fine as they are.

TBT Board Chairwoman Robin Arena said that earned income is up 54 percent over the last three years, an incredible growth rate. The final performance of Coppelia last fall had to be delayed 25 minutes to accommodate last-minute ticket buyers, who waited in lines that stretched throughout the lobby of the company’s regular venue, Bass Performance Hall. Almost all 16 performances of Nutcracker sold out here last season, and all six outings in Dallas drew massive audiences.

Another sell-out was Dracula, an evening-length production that the Star-T says ran $100,000 over the allotted $350,000 budget. However, the actual allotted budget was much higher, because the $350,000 amount submitted to the board by then-managing director John Toohey was incomplete and, according to Arena, left out a number of expenses. For example, just putting naked TBT dancers on an empty stage for a series of shows in both cities costs about $400,000. All of the other regular operating expenses — hiring stagehands, tech crews, publicity agents, the symphony — push that amount higher. For Dracula, rental fees for the sets and costumes totaled $50,000 — peanuts for a million-dollar-plus show — and Stevenson, as he does regularly, also waived his usual choreographer’s fee. TBT could have opted to nix the live music, but tape-recorded music tends to trap dancers in set tempos and stifle spontaneity.

Still, according to Arena, private contributions are down. A well-intentioned but flawed decision by the board to hire independent fund-raisers in both cities without a central development director has not worked. Corporate contributions are steady, Arena said, but individual gifts are off. Ironically, funds for the 2009 and 2010 seasons in Dallas’ new Winspear Opera House are already pledged, which takes the heat off raising money here. It’s this season that’s the sticking point.

The dancers themselves are doing their part. They’ve begun their own fund-raising campaign, Get Behind Your Ballet, and will make a special appearance at the Galleria in Dallas at 5 p.m. on Friday to promote the company’s September opening in Dallas at the Majestic Theater. Excerpts from the upcoming program and a Q-and-A session will be offered on the first floor of the Galleria near the entrance to Grill on the Alley. The dancers also will hold a garage and bake sale at TBT’s Fort Worth studios (6845 Green Oaks Rd., next to Bally’s Total Fitness) from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sat., Sept. 6.

“We’ll do anything we can think of to help the cause,” said dancer Mark Troxler, who is a major force behind Get Behind Your Ballet. “Dance is our whole life.”

Contributions may be made by calling the TBT offices at 877-828-9200 or by visiting www.texasballettheater.org. You can contact the dancers’ group at www.myspace.com/getbehindyourballet or getbehindyourballet@yahoo.com.

[Dismuke]

According to an article in the Star Telegram, the company is going to perform its upcoming season without live music as a cost cutting measure.

See: http://www.star-tele...ory/848544.html

The article also mentions the ripple effect that would impact other performing arts organizations if the TBT were to close its doors:

"Using recorded music means that the ballet will not fulfill its rollover contract with the Symphony for $350,000, and will leave the Symphony with seven idle weeks for its musicians. The ballet will also not be using the Dallas Opera Orchestra."

Certainly Bass Hall would also be impacted in terms of revenue if the TBT were to go away.

[Okie-JR]

Isn't the Ballet Theatre renovating part of the Ellis Pecan Building on Main St? That looked to be a building that was not going to be hit by the TRV project (thankfully, it is a cool building). Any thoughts on what would happen to the building if the Theatre goes under?

[edperc]

While the effects of a collapsing TBT will certainly have its rippling effect on other arts orgs, in some cases the effect is less financial than artistic - for instance, in the case of the FWSO. The Ballet makes up 6 weeks of the FWSO's 52-week season. That's 11.5% of the FWSO's season length. What $350,000 represents finacially, though, is less than 3% of the symphony's total operating budget. The fact is the orchestra has, for many years, been practically subsidizing their own collaboration with the Ballet. What's going to hurt more is the orchestra will be forced to replace these typically professionally high calibur weeks with concerts in gymnasiums and inferior small town 'auditoriums'... While we value that kind of service to the our community and others nearby, it simply makes it harder for us to concentrate our efforts on holding a high level of performance standard...

I feel terrible for the TBT dancers. They're gifted and especially hard working. Dancing is both their passion and primary source of income. It's my hope, and belief, that they'll pull through. Let's not forget that they shut down operations for half a season in 2002 and managed to reemerge.

[safly]

I got a feeling that somebody from HOUSTON will bail them out. I wouldn't mind seeing B Group dancers from H-town roll on in and do these shows WITH REAL MUSIC of course. You can still get the funding backers from Houston (plenty of) to bankroll this season. Or TBT can sit on the lap of Chesapeake and smile like a kitten.

Honestly, I do feel bad for the talent as they have little to do about the money side. But somebody needs to think outside the box here, especially in these times. As for the FWSO now having to resort to more lenghtier terms in fulfilling their community service efforts, perhaps both organizations can get together and run a few shows for the regional communities while raising SOME much needed funds. Every little bit helps and volunteering one's own talents for such a cause is noble.

There is a huge difference in fundraising and garnering support. Yet both seem to be intertwined at peak output.

Either way, something "artistically" or "fiduciarally" (a word?) has to give or be established.

Back the Ballet! COINCIDENCE?

[safly]

A couple of rebuttal comments. And in the interest of full disclosure, I was once a professional dancer myself and understand the full circle of issues more than most.

I agree on many points some posters have said, one cannot deny the fact that these organizations are meant to operate in the red. And using the FWST to pitch a woe is me article about their state of business is not only offensive, but borders conflict of interest for their obvious relationship. Hello, TBT gets money and spends on advertisments, and to whom? You get it now.

That our longstanding professional ballet has become so in the red that they may be forced to shut down is newsworthy and should be published. If the writers/editors make it look like a plea, that's the choice of the newspaper...not the organization.

The fact of the matter is, that entire management which kept taking money in and toting more expenses OUT, needs to be shown the exit door right out of town.

Obviously, something has gone horribly arwy to let the budget get so out of control. But destroying the entire organization isn't going to fix it either. Throw the baby out with the bathwater much? Whether or not someone will do a Nutcracker has absolutely nothing to do with saving an important part of the cultural fabric in this region.

I don't worry too much about these "poor" and "hungry" ballet dancers who would just be devastated by a cancelled season. MOST of them have other real paying jobs, and that is how the market dictates here in Texas.

..........

Maybe YOU should become TBT's new Director of Development!!! It's still posted on their website!!!

I could use a very practical yet possibly careless comment regarding that point. But I must decline.

Isn't the Ballet Theatre renovating part of the Ellis Pecan Building on Main St? That looked to be a building that was not going to be hit by the TRV project (thankfully, it is a cool building). Any thoughts on what would happen to the building if the Theatre goes under?

I think they bounced from that.

[Dismuke]

What's going to hurt more is the orchestra will be forced to replace these typically professionally high calibur weeks with concerts in gymnasiums and inferior small town 'auditoriums'... While we value that kind of service to the our community and others nearby, it simply makes it harder for us to concentrate our efforts on holding a high level of performance standard...

That is definitely one of the things that has always made tickets to the ballet an exceptionally good buy: one also gets a live music concert thrown in for free. The lack of live music this season is sad - but once they are able to put the current crisis behind them, I am quite sure that live music will be one of the very first things restored.

[Dismuke]

I got a feeling that somebody from HOUSTON will bail them out.

That would be great - I am sure they would take support from wherever they can find it.

I wouldn't mind seeing B Group dancers from H-town roll on in and do these shows WITH REAL MUSIC of course. You can still get the funding backers from Houston (plenty of) to bankroll this season.

It would be great if more touring companies made stops in Fort Worth or Dallas. But I would rather see our own A Group over some one else's B Group or even their A Group.

What I want to see is Ben Stevenson do for Fort Worth/Dallas what he did for Houston. The prospect of him doing just that is something I think is exciting - and that this is now in jeopardy would make the possible demise of the company an even greater loss.

If they pull through, I sure hope what is happening right now does not scare away Stevenson and their better dancers come next season. Dancers, like athletes, are considered long-in-the-tooth and usually retire when they they reach their 30s. Unlike big time athletes, however, professional dancers do not earn enough money to be able to set aside "nest eggs" which, if they are responsible, will provide them financial security for many decades to come. So obviously, they have to look out for their own interests and do not have a lot of career time to spend on dead ends. That's why, even if the immediate crisis is resolved, it is important that they find people who are willing and able to provide support in the long run.

I read a news story that someone has pledged to give $500,000 over the next 5 years. That is GREAT news. The other good news that has come out in the press is that their ticket sales have been up 54 percent over the past 3 years. Besides the quality of the final artistic product, ticket sales are VERY important when it comes to evaluating such a company. What good does it do to put on a outstanding artistic product if only a handful of people ever see it? That ticket sales are growing is evidence that there IS an increasing amount of demand and support in our area for what the company has to offer. That is a GREAT sign for the company's long term prospects if they can only get past this crisis. The new opera house in Dallas which opens in 2009 should help them even more.

I do know from first hand experience that somebody in the company is on the ball when it comes to selling tickets. As a result of my buying single performance tickets, I get VERY regular snail mails and emails with information about upcoming performances and season ticket information. They also telemarket me on a basis a bit more regular than I actually like - though I am always polite and give the rep my time as I DO support their efforts and recognize that such measures ARE a sign that they are serious about drumming up ticket sales. Their reps are always polite and they do their best to persuade me to buy season tickets, which for various reasons, are something that simply do NOT work for me. By contrast, I think I get about one mailing per year from the Dallas Opera and nothing more.

It looks to me like their primary problem is that they were not as on the ball with fundraising as they should have been and certainly not as on the ball as they are with ticket sales. A look at the job description on this two year old ad for a Director of Development shows just how important a position this is and why filling it should have been a huge priority. Assuming there is someone competent in that position, that job ought to be a HUGE profit center and not a cost center in terms of the company's finances. The fact that they do not already have a planned giving program is a sign that there is much more that can be done. I donate to another non-performing arts non-profit organization which has an annual budget just a little bit higher than TBT's. It is an organization that has almost NO earned revenue such as ticket sales and the like - so ALL of their money MUST come from fundraising. As a result, that is always a huge priority for them. I regularly get mailings about their planned giving program - which basically consists of information about estate planning and life insurance policies with the non-profit as the beneficiary. The whole subject gives me the creeps and I find the mailings to be somewhat ghoulish - but the reality is that WILL pay off for the organization in the long run. When the stock market was high, they also sent lots of mailings about the significant tax advantages of contributing appreciated stock instead of cash thus potentially putting certain contributors in a position to donate more than they otherwise could. By necessity, they are VERY creative when it comes to motivating and retaining donors and supporters.

The sad reality for most performing arts organizations is that they are very much like politicians in that they have to constantly have their hat out and be begging for money. What I think is good news is that, based on what I have seen in media, the ONLY major shortfall of TBT is they have not had their hat out as much as they should have. Everything else in terms of artistic product, ticket sales and a new and better performance venue seems to be going very well for them. If they can get this crisis behind them and hopefully find someone who has a LOT of previous experience to fill that Development position, they might actually emerge from this crisis in better shape. They have done a VERY good job at drumming up local media attention to their plight which might, in the long run, make more people aware that the company exists and bring in more supporters. Very often, people don't appreciate what they have until they are on the verge of losing it. These are the things that make me optimistic that if they can pull through they still have a good shot at a bright future - and why I think supporting them is a good investment for one's donation dollars.

[safly]

What I want to see is Ben Stevenson do for Fort Worth/Dallas what he did for Houston.

You might want to reconsider that. Actually, according to a credible insider in anything ballet in Texas, he is SADLY doing EXACTLY THAT, in what he almost got away with in Houston. And that is BANKRUPT them. It appears as though he was let go of after that company had amassed entirely too much operating debt, but he was allowed to leave within a 2yr agreement, only because he had supposedly shored in years of pending shows for their company.

Hearing even more INTERESTING information about how this company is managed, I want nothing more than to hear of them go belly up. It will leave a lasting impression on how business should be conducted and operated (be it artisitc or not) and how charitable money should be used RESPONSIBLY. I guess one of their former GM's left while the bow was breaking. And I hear there is some added responsibility on that individuals part too. But, JOHNNY Q PUBLIC will never really know if TBT has the actual markings of a business racket, as most private non-profits WILL NEVER OPEN THEIR BOOKS to the very public they plea to help save them. I hear that the "MARKETING Dept." consisted of approx. 40+ individuals who were paid quite handsome salaries every year! Funny, I never knew marketing what is pretty much the same BIG shows year in and year out demanded such a non artist payroll???

That latest article about the dissing of those Dallas venues is VERY UNFORTUNATE. Those people in Dallas and the workers there practically gave the shirts off of their backs to make those productions happen. And with half the labor and a third of the cost that BPHall demands.

Also, last years NUTCRACKER at BPHall made approx. $3Million !!!

One has to ask. Where in the H did it GO?!

So, I choose not to support nor donate to the TBT in any way shape or form. The donations which I am sure are pouring in as I type, will only promote a GOLDEN PARACHUTE for the very person who helped get them into that mess.

IMO.

[edperc]

Safly: For more reasons than I have time to list here, TBT going "belly up" would be about the worst thing that could happen - both for the company itself and for those affiliated w/ it. Believe me, there would be NO coming back from that! History proves that. There's alot more at stake here than most realize.

As for the TBT marketing dept., I seriously doubt they had more than 40 individuals employed. The entire TBT staff barely amounts to 40 people.

[Dismuke]

You might want to reconsider that. Actually, according to a credible insider in anything ballet in Texas, he is SADLY doing EXACTLY THAT, in what he almost got away with in Houston. And that is BANKRUPT them.

You toss out very serious charges but you do not bother to back them up with a single scrap of evidence. All you do is pass along second hand hearsay from an anonymous but allegedly "credible insider." You do not provide any information as to who this insider is and, therefore, do not provide readers any means whatsoever to form their own independent judgment as to whether this "insider" is or is not credible. Instead, you expect a general public of readers who do not even know you to accept your judgment that this person is "credible" on nothing more than blind faith. I'm sorry - I don't play such games. And if this were a newspaper, my guess is the legal department would completely freak out.

I am not saying that the charges you level are true or untrue - you provide me with no means whatsoever to determine one way or another. Thus, since no evidence to support the allegations has been presented, a rational reader has no choice but to regard the assertions as arbitrary, and thus as having zero cognitive value at all. If you wish for intelligent people to take your assertions seriously, then you need to back them up with facts and evidence and not reckless gossip and second-hand hearsay.

I hear that the "MARKETING Dept." consisted of approx. 40+ individuals who were paid quite handsome salaries every year! Funny, I never knew marketing what is pretty much the same BIG shows year in and year out demanded such a non artist payroll???

People hear all sorts of things. Since nobody else here was in earshot when you heard it, they have no means whatsoever by which to form any sort of judgment about the credibility of what you heard and whether you heard it correctly. Once again, if one spews out assertions without backing them up with evidence, the only alternative for rational people concerned about the truth is to dismiss them as nothing more than arbitrary utterances.

I seriously doubt that there were 40 plus full-time, well paid staff members in the TBT marketing department. Let's just say that there were and they were only paid $30,000 per year - hardly a salary that qualifies as "well paid" in today's context. If that were so, then their salaries alone would account for 20 percent of all of TBT's annual budget. That would be just bizarre. If there were any truth at all in that 40 plus individuals number, well, that would probably include their telemarketers. I know for a fact that TBT does telemarketing because they regularly call me to pitch season tickets. My strong guess is that, if those telemarketers are in-house employees and are not outsourced, most or all probably work part-time for a low hourly wage plus commission. And such jobs typically have high turnover rates. So maybe if one includes people such as telemarketers and box office staff, etc. one might get a number of people on payroll in that department at one time or another during the course of a season approaching 40 - but if so, that paints a very different picture than the "golden parachute" scenario you are recklessly trying to assert without bothering to back up with a single scrap of evidence.

[Dismuke]

I sent a link to safly's assertions to a TBT company member who previously saw this thread and wrote to thank me for my support. Here was the reply I received back:

"To say that we have a marketing staff of 40 people is a JOKE. At the moment, it's two overworked people plus telemarketers who work part time. I can assure you NONE of these people make a generous salary!!! I mean, come on, it's a non-profit for crying out loud!!!"

I have not asked this person for permission to disclose his/her name on this forum as my guess is it would put him/her in an awkward position with regard to speaking on behalf of his/her employer in a non-official capacity. So I, too, am using an anonymous source. But I am at least providing evidence as to that source's position and qualification to be in the know about the number of employees who work in that department. If anyone has further questions or wishes a clarification regarding this person's reply, feel free to contact me privately and I will pass it on and see if I get an answer back.

Now the following does NOT come from this TBT member but from me:

Here is a wikipedia entry I found on Ben Stevenson: http://en.wikipedia....i/Ben_Stevenson

A couple of points:

Stevenson was with the Houston Ballet for 27 years. How many people in this day and age work in the same company, let alone the same high-ranking job, for 27 years? I personally don't know too many. If Stevenson was an incompetent irresponsible spendthrift, why would any company or board of directors keep him around for so long? If he spent the company into bankruptcy, it sure took him a VERY long time to do so.

Furthermore, according to the wikipedia article in 2003, the same year that Stevenson left Houston Ballet, "...he was named Director Emeritus of Houston Ballet and the company's academy was renamed the Ben Stevenson Academy." That doesn't sound to me like something that a company would do with regard to a high ranking staffer who was allegedly forced out.

Finally, I am not aware of any ballet company of any significant size (certain little start up or amateur companies might be different) where the artistic director has the ability to personally initiate agreements which would incur large amounts of debt for the organization. My guess is, at best, they have an expense account along the same lines that pretty much any person of responsibility who travels on company business has. In most companies - and I have no doubt that this is the case with Houston Ballet and Texas Ballet Theater as well - decisions as to what will be spent on things such as sets, scenery, costumes, the number of dancers and other staff members on payroll, etc., are determined in advance in the form of an annual budget that the artistic director has no choice but to abide by as is the case with any other employee. Undoubtedly, the artistic director has a great deal of input in the process - and, in many cases, the artistic director is probably responsible for coming up with the initial proposal as to what the artistic expenditures will be. But I very seriously doubt that there is any ballet company of any decent size in this country where the artistic director does not have to seek prior approval from others for whatever budgetary proposals are implemented.

Now, it is true that artistic directors are very frequently able to flex a certain amount of political muscle when it comes to crucial decisions about what the company will and will not do. But any political pressure that an artistic director has in that area usually comes down to an implied threat of quitting and accepting a job at another company. I have heard of cases where artistic directors who come over from socialist countries in Europe where the State provides very lavish funding and the artistic side of ballet companies often have their own bureaucracies and such directors being frustrated at the limitations they have over here. But all they can do is put pressure on the board and executive management - they cannot spend unilaterally. I rather doubt that Ben Stevenson has that kind of mindset - if he ever did have it, 27 successful years at the helm of a regional USA ballet company would certainly have taught him otherwise long before he came to Fort Worth.

Also, keep in mind that during the late 1980s and early 1990s Houston experienced a very severe economic downturn, one that makes what we in the Metroplex experienced then and are experiencing now look small by comparison. It wasn't the Houston Ballet under Ben Stevenson that went under during that period - it was the Dallas Ballet that went under.

[safly]

You do not provide any information as to who this insider is and, therefore, do not provide readers any means whatsoever to form their own independent judgment as to whether this "insider" is or is not credible. Instead, you expect a general public of readers who do not even know you to accept your judgment that this person is "credible" on nothing more than blind faith.

You are more than welcome to form your very own opinions about this misfortune. In fact, it's not even up to me to make you read my posts and comment on them however you like, now is it? And I really don't expect much from the general public readership. In fact, I can easily argue that the FWST staff feels the same when their article is asking us to believe this incident to be one of simply a good company not being supported enough by the metroplex. As if the article were to be processed and determined by the general public's blind faith.

PUHLEEEEASE! I will never remotely reveal my source(s), especially on an internet FORUM.



So you HONESTLY believe that all of those Ben Stevenson productions for the past two years, have amassed a near $2M deficit based purely on seasonal operations and "poor" Dallas ticket sales??? And that this result could not have been seen a COUNTRY mile away by some important mgmt. personnel?

Even if they paid to fill up everyones SUV when they drove in for last year's shows, you couldn't amass even half of that deficit.

My assertions or assumptions will never be validated UNLESS TBT chooses to open up their REAL BOOKS to the public. And you know that will never happen.

BTW, how is that other ballet dance company over in Arlington keeping their ship afloat and Ben is not? Why can't their relatively unknown director at the very least be used to guide a new and revamped TBT?

TBT:
Dancers make approx. $12-30K/season (possibly 12-20 dancers in all)
Venues range from $5K in Dallas to $15K at BPHall (possibly 25-40 shows a season in the metroplex)
Payroll should be in the $35K Mgmt. to $125K range for Exec. (should be staff of 4-8 tops)
PT/FT Hourlies should be $7 to $10 hr (Max. of 10 employees for 4-10 months/season)
Insurance ($35-50K a season)
Rentals (Approx. $5-12K a season)
Marketing and Adv. ($10-20K a season, IF USED WISELY)
Misc. ($8K-$10K a season)

BPH Nutcracker Event REVENUES (+) $3M

???

Where's THA BEEF?

And in the ARTS WORLD with a NON PERFORMANCE JOB Descr., $30K a season (usually not 12 months) is well paid anywhere, except L.A. or NYC.

Believe me, there would be NO coming back from that!

That is EXACTLY what needs to happen. NOT ENOUGH CHANGE, MORE OF THE SAME here.

It would send a clear message that if you want a chance to survive in the Ballet world of N.Texas, then you better be well funded and watch your dollars and cents like a HAWK. Or be a traveling group. Or just plain vanilla BE RESPONSIBLE. If I recall it wasn't that ticket sales were down in most parts of the metroplex, so it had to be something else. Something that could have been MANAGED or PREVENTED, well within their ability to at the very least. So you don't get a FREE PASS to cry foul at the 11th hour.

The entire TBT staff barely amounts to 40 people.

Mismanaged CONTRACT WORK? Possible. I would have loved to manage that outfit, especially under the Stevenson administration. CHA! CHING!

[safly]

DISMUUUUKE. I SEEE YOU!

[Dismuke]

PUHLEEEEASE! I will never remotely reveal my source(s), especially on an internet FORUM.

Well, you darned well better either reveal your sources or provide VERY strong and specific credentials for them and be DARNED sure you know what they are saying is correct if you are going to go out and make such wild and damaging statements about a person's character and/or professional reputation. If you wish to post anonymous buzz from the "grapevine" about real estate deals or who will or will not run for political office and such, that's one thing. To post professionally damaging allegations about a specific individual is quite another. There is a term for that: libel. And I think you are at a minimum treading very close to it.

If I were Ben Stevenson's or TBT's lawyers, right now I would be making some discrete inquiries as to who you are and what your net worth is. A nice little civil suit might just be the thing to bridge any fundraising gap TBT might have.

If you cannot back up what you say, then you darned well better not say it in a public forum. At a minimum, you will come across as arbitrary, uninformed and reckless - and you might end up in court.

[Dismuke]

DISMUUUUKE. I SEEE YOU!

Congratulations. Now try looking in the mirror.

[Dismuke]

Here is an article from a 2002 issue of Dance Magazine about Ben Stevenson's retirement from the Houston Ballet:

http://www.accessmyl...86-25608651_ITM

Here are some select excerpts:

"Houston Ballet hopes to begin interviewing artistic-director candidates by summer's end. "It's not a set-in-stone schedule," said Houston Ballet Foundation board member Jesse H. Jones II. He leads a fourteen-member search committee that includes Stevenson and managing director Cecil C. Conner."

Obviously relations between Stevenson and the Houston Ballet board could not have been too bad if he was actively involved in the search for a new successor.

"When Stevenson landed there in 1976, Houston Ballet was a regional troupe with twenty-eight dancers and a budget of about $1 million. Today, the company has fifty-four dancers, a rich repertoire that balances Stevenson's bread-and-butter blockbusters with major contemporary works, and an operating budget of more than $12 million. Stevenson also developed the Houston Ballet Academy, which now supplies more than 60 percent of the company's dancers, including half of its principals (among them, international star Lauren Anderson)."

Sounds like a pretty solid track record to me - and I look forward to him doing the same for the Fort Worth/Dallas area. Also, my understanding is that doing the same with TBT's academy is also one of Stevenson's major long-term priorities.

"He surprised the company in March 2001 when he first attempted to retire (see Presstime News, Dance Magazine, May 2001, page 44). This spring he tried again, more diplomatically, but the board convinced him to stay one more season to make the transition smoother.

"

Gee - but safly suggests that he was forced out.

If someone has grievances against TBT - well fine. That's one's prerogative. I am not sure what discussing them in this venue is going to accomplish - but if one wishes to do so, this message board is well-known for allowing people to express viewpoints and even very controversial viewpoints. But if you are going to make statements that damage a person's character or professional reputation, then you had darned well better back them up with plenty of evidence. So far, Ben Stevenson and the board/management of TBT has the subject of some very serious and potentially professionally damaging allegations and they have not been substantiated by a single scrap of evidence. There is a word for such allegations: smears.

[Dismuke]

BTW, how is that other ballet dance company over in Arlington keeping their ship afloat and Ben is not? Why can't their relatively unknown director at the very least be used to guide a new and revamped TBT?

First off, "Ben" is not in control of TBT finances.

Second, this quote further demonstrates just how utterly ignorant you are about the subject you write about and so recklessly smear people's professional credibility.

The name of the company in Arlington is Metropolitan Classical Ballet. The name of their artistic director is Paul Mejia - who is NOT "relatively unknown" but is, in fact, very well known in the ballet world. He was a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet and had a very famous falling out with George Balanchine when he married ballerina Suzanne Farrell who had had a previous romantic relationship with Balanchine. He is well-known as an adherent of the Balanchine tradition and has staged a number of Balanchine works. Furthermore, your quote reveals your utter ignorance of TBT history. Paul Mejia is, in fact, one of Ben Stevenson's predecessors and was the artistic director of the company, then known as the Fort Worth Ballet, from 1987 - 1998.

[safly]

First off, "Ben" is not in control of TBT finances.

Obviously he is NOT IN CONTROL of them. My point exactly. Now RESPONSIBLE, that is quite another argument.

I know of Paul Mejia and of MCB, I just didn't think 99% of the FWF members do. I also know of his resume here at FWB.

The point here in all of these posts is, how will TBT "clean house" and assure the public that they are getting things moving in the right direction? They already have damage control to deal with on their image and trustworthiness. That's nothing new in the local artistic community here Dis. You're making it sound as if I were directly responsible for their FAILURES and their public perception or business dealings.

What is wrong with courting Paul Mejia back to Fort Worth, is it someones ego or is their bad blood here? I don't really know. But at least FWB did not fail with these kind of numbers. There is something to say about that.

New York City Ballet and had a very famous falling out with George Balanchine when he married ballerina Suzanne Farrell who had had a previous romantic relationship with Balanchine

Uhhh, you do not know ANYTHING sir. There is so much more, but I will not comment any further for now.

[safly]

I sent a link to safly's assertions to a TBT company member who previously saw this thread and wrote to thank me for my support. Here was the reply I received back:

"To say that we have a marketing staff of 40 people is a JOKE. At the moment, it's two overworked people plus telemarketers who work part time. I can assure you NONE of these people make a generous salary!!! I mean, come on, it's a non-profit for crying out loud!!!"

I have not asked this person for permission to disclose his/her name on this forum as my guess is it would put him/her in an awkward position with regard to speaking on behalf of his/her employer in a non-official capacity. So I, too, am using an anonymous source. But I am at least providing evidence as to that source's position and qualification to be in the know about the number of employees who work in that department. If anyone has further questions or wishes a clarification regarding this person's reply, feel free to contact me privately and I will pass it on and see if I get an answer back.

Now the following does NOT come from this TBT member but from me:

Here is a wikipedia entry I found on Ben Stevenson: http://en.wikipedia....i/Ben_Stevenson

A couple of points:

Stevenson was with the Houston Ballet for 27 years. How many people in this day and age work in the same company, let alone the same high-ranking job, for 27 years? I personally don't know too many. If Stevenson was an incompetent irresponsible spendthrift, why would any company or board of directors keep him around for so long? If he spent the company into bankruptcy, it sure took him a VERY long time to do so.

Furthermore, according to the wikipedia article in 2003, the same year that Stevenson left Houston Ballet, "...he was named Director Emeritus of Houston Ballet and the company's academy was renamed the Ben Stevenson Academy." That doesn't sound to me like something that a company would do with regard to a high ranking staffer who was allegedly forced out.

Finally, I am not aware of any ballet company of any significant size (certain little start up or amateur companies might be different) where the artistic director has the ability to personally initiate agreements which would incur large amounts of debt for the organization. My guess is, at best, they have an expense account along the same lines that pretty much any person of responsibility who travels on company business has. In most companies - and I have no doubt that this is the case with Houston Ballet and Texas Ballet Theater as well - decisions as to what will be spent on things such as sets, scenery, costumes, the number of dancers and other staff members on payroll, etc., are determined in advance in the form of an annual budget that the artistic director has no choice but to abide by as is the case with any other employee. Undoubtedly, the artistic director has a great deal of input in the process - and, in many cases, the artistic director is probably responsible for coming up with the initial proposal as to what the artistic expenditures will be. But I very seriously doubt that there is any ballet company of any decent size in this country where the artistic director does not have to seek prior approval from others for whatever budgetary proposals are implemented.

Now, it is true that artistic directors are very frequently able to flex a certain amount of political muscle when it comes to crucial decisions about what the company will and will not do. But any political pressure that an artistic director has in that area usually comes down to an implied threat of quitting and accepting a job at another company. I have heard of cases where artistic directors who come over from socialist countries in Europe where the State provides very lavish funding and the artistic side of ballet companies often have their own bureaucracies and such directors being frustrated at the limitations they have over here. But all they can do is put pressure on the board and executive management - they cannot spend unilaterally. I rather doubt that Ben Stevenson has that kind of mindset - if he ever did have it, 27 successful years at the helm of a regional USA ballet company would certainly have taught him otherwise long before he came to Fort Worth.

Also, keep in mind that during the late 1980s and early 1990s Houston experienced a very severe economic downturn, one that makes what we in the Metroplex experienced then and are experiencing now look small by comparison. It wasn't the Houston Ballet under Ben Stevenson that went under during that period - it was the Dallas Ballet that went under.

Blah blah blah Ben Stevenson, blah blah blah.

The JOKE here people is WHERE'S THE MONEY? Can't provide hard evidence of where it went, and then ask FW to reach deeeep inside their pockets to provide them new money. Who do they think we are, the RED FED RESERVE? Come on now. Now THAT'S the JOKE.

[safly]

So, uhhh. Yeah, I was hmmm just wondering if hmm anyone, yes ehhh anyone out there in Cowtown way might have ehh, might have eh taken a little gander, a little look at the ehhh a certain hmmm FWST article a few days ago.

And ehh I'm just checking to see if ehhh, anyobody would like to ehhh, you know, make a little ehh, make a little comment, ehh, a little review, a little posting, hmmm a little WORTHY discussion about the hmm latest on that whole ehhh TBT debacle. You know, uhhh, the one about the uhhh, a little frownage from the TOP DOWNage sort of speak. Uhh, a little back alley Board Room BICKERING action, ehhh, you know a little revelation of sorts. Uhhhm. A lil GROSS mismanagement budget synopsis, ehh. A little show me the tutu and I'll show you the money street action campaign going on here, ehhh, a little uhhhm. A little eye opening reporting as of late, ehh,ehhh, a little complete, a complete Tony Hawk like 180 degree reporting here. Ehhh, yeah. Maybe a little 360? Heh, a little 360 ? Don't you think, heh?

Uhhhh. Anyone? Anyone?

[Dismuke]

And ehh I'm just checking to see if ehhh, anyobody would like to ehhh, you know, make a little ehh, make a little comment,

You are really, really desperately trying to provoke me into putting up another reply, aren't you?

How pathetic.

For your information, I am officially ignoring you. That's generally the best policy once one has identified someone on a message board as a troll.

Just to make things specific for readers and to make the circumstances harder for you to evade, I will briefly touch on my reasons:

Credibility - The more you post the deeper you dig yourself into the hole of revealing for one and all to see just how little you know about TBT and ballet in general. And the attempt to pin the blame for TBT's current issues specifically on Ben Stevenson is absurd. Ballet companies are division-of-labor endeavors and there is always a very strong line between the artistic side of things and the business side of things. TBT's current difficulties are the result of errors on the business side. Furthermore, TBT's difficulties have been pretty much identified as being in one specific area on the business side of things: fund raising. Earned income from things such as ticket sales is up. Ticket sales is the one big area that the artistic side does have an influence on the business side - it is a barometer as to whether the artistic product is being well-received by the general public. There is no doubt at all that Stevenson has had great results on the specific area in which he was hired to perform: providing a top quality artistic product that is well received by audiences. So if there is to be a witch hunt within the ranks of TBT as to who to pin the blame on (not that I consider such witch hunts to be a desirable state of affairs), Ben Stevenson is NOT the person to look at.

I started this thread for the purpose of bringing greater visibility to TBT's situation and hoped that it might result in a few extra donations. Then you started spewing uninformed and half-literate attacks on TBT and unsubstantiated libelous smears on Stevenson. I responded for a while out of concern that your nonsense might confuse and/or discourage potential donors who might be come across the thread. However, since then, you have posted enough and dug yourself in a hole to the point that I think any fair-minded reader can see you for what you really are. My guess is, by now, anyone who would have seen the value in helping out TBT would not be discouraged from doing as a result of your by-now very transparent tactics. Indeed, your overall nastiness might just encourage people to dig a bit deeper into their pockets.

Character Assassination. You have shamelessly attacked the character and professional credibility of Ben Stevenson and others at TBT without backing up your assertions with a single shred of evidence. All you offer is the claim that you know an allegedly "credible insider in anything ballet in Texas" who trashes Stevenson. Readers have no way of knowing who this person is and no way of judging whether or not this person (if he/she even exists) is, in fact, credible or what sorts of axes this person might have to grind with Stevenson. For all we know, this alleged "credible insider" is nothing more than some gossipy stage mother type who despises Stevenson because he turned her precious darling daughter down for a bit part in the Nutcracker on grounds that she has no talent. Bottom line is you have provided ZERO evidence to back up your assertions - and people should treat your arbitrary assertions and you accordingly.

By attacking a person's professional reputation and character in a public forum without bothering to provide a single scrap of evidence, you reveal a great deal about your own character and what sort of person you are. If you attack Ben Stevenson's reputation without offering a scrap of evidence, it is reasonable to assume that you would feel free to do likewise with anyone else you decide you do not like. If you smear Ben Stevenson and TBT - a person and institution about which your level of knowledge has been clearly revealed to be superficial at best - how much more likely are you going to be to make similar smears in the future against a person or institution that you actually DO know something about and which, in some way or another, ticks you off? Clearly you have demonstrated that you are not a very just person. People who are concerned with fairness and justice back up any criticism and attacks they make with evidence. You do not. The way you treat Ben Stevenson and TBT here ought to provide serious warning and pause for anyone who might consider having any sort of dealings with you, personal, professional or otherwise.

Kicking A Man When He's Down - Even if one had valid and constructive criticism regarding TBT management (not that you have offered any), there is a time and place for everything. TBT is fighting for its survival and this thread was clearly set up in support of that fight. Even if your points were intelligent and valid - which they are not - the tone in which you post them is highly inappropriate. A few months ago, there were some very disgusting people on the political Left who made some ugly and unnecessary remarks about former Press Secretary Tony Snow right after he passed away from colon cancer. And we saw some equally disgusting people on the political Right who made some equally ugly and unnecessary remarks about Senator Ted Kennedy when it was announced he had brain cancer. It is entirely appropriate for people to take strong exception to and even dislike people such as Snow and Kennedy. But to gleefully gloat when they are down - well, that speaks volumes about what kind of people they are. And the way you gleefully bash Stevenson and TBT now that it is in a rough period - well, that speaks volumes about what kind of person YOU are. I, for one, want nothing to do with such a person and, going forward, I will treat you accordingly.

I Don't Feed Trolls - Posturing as being knowledgeable about a subject that you only have a superficial understanding of makes you feel like a big man, doesn't it, safly? Trashing the reputation and character of someone such as Ben Stevenson with a track record of substantial and actual achievement - that makes you feel that you somehow are important as well, doesn't it? Sliming TBT makes you feel good, doesn't it? So good that you are now trying to lure me into putting up another reply and get me to feed you some ammunition for more, huh?

How pathetic.

There are certain types who post to message boards and online forums who would probably be far more hesitant to do so if they fully realized just how much we all reveal about ourselves every time we post.

In the meanwhile, you are going to have to turn to someone other than me to feed you the troll bait you so clearly and desperately crave.

[safly]

Well, it looks like it's just me and that minimum 6 paragraphs guy.

I think many have read the article that SHOULD have been reported in the first place.


I'm outta here and done with this one.

[RD Milhollin]

Looks like enough patrons stepped forward to save the ballet season, well at least start it. I would guess that much of the money came from large sources, and that these individuals and organizations will insist on some management changes after the current season is completed. There is still need for additional funds to put on the entire planned season though.

http://www.star-tele...ory/897454.html

Posted on Wed, Sep. 10, 2008

Texas Ballet Theater says it’s raised enough to open its new season

By ANDREW MARTONamarton@star-telegram.com

FORT WORTH — With only one day remaining until its self-imposed deadline, Texas Ballet Theater has raised the $500,000 in cash that officials had said was needed to open the 2008-09 season and remain fully operational at least through mid-October.

Margo McCann, interim managing director, said Tuesday that the cash contributions are part of more than $1.1 million in cash and pledges raised thus far.

That is still short of the $2 million that Chairwoman Robin Arena recently identified as the company’s goal by the end of the calendar year. Arena said the company wants to raise $4 million by June — the end of the fiscal year.

"We couldn’t be more pleased that the community has stepped up and answered our call," McCann said.

According to two highly placed company sources, who requested anonymity, the company reached its cash target after it received two individual, anonymous gifts late last week, each in the low six figures. One of the sources said the company also anticipates receiving a cash donation of $75,000 to $100,000 next week.

The company’s season opens Friday night at the Majestic Theater in Dallas.

"That’s really great," said Mark Troxler, an eight-year dancer in the company who had not heard the news. "But while I’m really glad we got it, I still know we’re not out of the woods yet; I’m not going to open a bottle of champagne tonight."

The 38-member dance troupe has been conducting its own fundraising campaign, which had yielded more than $180,000.

It is not known how much of the newly raised cash will be used to erase some of the $850,000 that the company owes. That includes an estimated $153,000 to Bass Performance Hall and $100,000 to the Fort Worth Symphony.

According to one of the sources, the cash will allow the company to pay its staff, including the dancers, through Oct. 17, when the company performs at Bass Hall for the first time this season. The goal is for the company to remain operating through the holiday season because its performances of the Nutcracker in Fort Worth and Dallas are responsible for an estimated 75 percent of its annual ticket revenues.

Dire straits

The company’s financial plight came to light five weeks ago when it canceled its much anticipated October tour of China, saying it could not raise an extra $70,000 to make the trip. That led to a revelation that the company was in serious financial trouble and might not survive.

Over the past month, the company has embarked on a two-pronged approach to stay in business, combining fundraising and cost cutting, which included canceling a $350,000 rollover contract with the Fort Worth Symphony. The company said it would use recorded music. It has also canceled five shows in Dallas.

The symphony, however, has received a grant that will enable it to accompany the dancers in their opening performance at Bass Hall.

Given the apparent reprieve, Troxler said he is looking forward to Friday’s performance.

"I cannot wait to forget about fundraising for one night," he said, "and just get back to doing what I’m supposed to be doing, which is dance."

Andrew Marton is a Star-Telegram senior arts writer. 817-390-7679

[Dismuke]

Looks like enough patrons stepped forward to save the ballet season, well at least start it. I would guess that much of the money came from large sources, and that these individuals and organizations will insist on some management changes after the current season is completed. There is still need for additional funds to put on the entire planned season though.

That is wonderful news. Those who stepped up with the money certainly have my appreciation and that of many others as well.

And based on the newspaper articles I have been reading, it sounds like the management changes have already been started in that the former managing director has stepped down and a an interim managing director is now in place. This situation clearly demonstrates why it is just as crucial for a company like that to have a first rate team in place on the business side of things as it is on the artistic side. If they can just get past their difficulties and get such a team in place, then there is no reason that they cannot emerge even stronger in the long run as a result of this. The company's visibility in the community has certainly been raised in a huge way by the dancers' efforts - and that might end up translating into larger audiences and more supporters. Both the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and the San Francisco Ballet were on the brink of closing down in the 1970s and both are still very much around today. No reason TBT cannot do the same.

[RD Milhollin]

It appears the Texas Ballet Theater is doing well these days, live orchestral productions began again last season and continue in 2014 for The Sleeping Beauty and The Merry Widow.

 

http://www.star-tele...akes-steps.html

 

Most of their productions are staged at Bass Performance Hall, but plans are afoot to include more performances at The Winspear in Dallas. Having a ballet theater in the area is a definite jewel in the region's cultural crown. 

 

For those with an aversion to tutus and tights, there will be a holiday special production of a "Nutty Nutcracker" December 20 that is said to be a "PG-13" takeoff of the classic Tchaikovski ballet.

 

http://tickets.texas....aspx?psn=30245

 

Free parking to boot!

[Stadtplan]

PDC filed for $20M Texas Ballet Theater Renovation:

 

Project Description:

Renovations to existing Texas Ballet Theater. Building footprint will remain mostly the same from 

existing.

 

1540 Ridgmar Mall Circle, Fort Worth, Texas 76116

 

 

[rriojas71]

At least it's getting a facelift.  That is definitely much needed.