Ballet website warned over content

Management and dancers remain at loggerheads

Part of a website run by dancers at Scottish Ballet has had to be edited after warnings from the company that it could be defamatory.

Scottish Ballet Dancers.com was set up by the dancers to circumvent a clause in their contracts which bans them from speaking publicly about changes within the company.

Debate on the site has centred on the board's decision to reposition Scottish Ballet as a contemporary dance company, and about a lack of consultation involved in reaching that decision.

There is anger over a change in direction

However, a letter from chief executive Chris Barron on Monday warned website administrators that some of the discussion could be defamatory and advised them to remove it or face legal action.

A note on the site said the discussion forum had been edited to remove certain remarks.

It stated: "If you are writing into the forum, we would ask that you also avoid making direct accusations, no matter how strongly you feel about Mr Barron's handling of certain matters, like the change of artistic direction and the consultation process (or lack of) prior to the announcement of a new contemporary vision for Scottish Ballet."

Last month, the Scottish Parliament intervened to defuse a simmering row between management and dancers at Scottish Ballet.

Box office sales

The Education, Culture and Sports Committee convened talks between the two parties after a disagreement over contemporary dance.

Dancers believed the changes at the national dance company would precipitate a fall in box offices sales and had urged management to reconsider.

They have also claimed the changes could lead to the demise of Scottish Ballet, to the benefit of its sister company, Scottish Opera, which would then receive the grants.