After allegations of abuse: ballet school at Theater Basel closes professional training

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Photo: Luis Alvarez/Getty Images

The ballet school Theater Basel (BTB) wants to close the professional training area after allegations of abuse.

According to the school, the financial situation does not allow for any other solution.

An application by the ballet school for state support was rejected by the Basel City Council in November.

The school board has no hopes for third-party funds - this is "unrealistic" after allegations of abuse against the teaching staff were published at the end of October.

The allegations were made public by the "NZZ am Sonntag" and the Basel online portal "Bajour".

The two media report humiliation and body shaming – among other things by the BTB director.

It is also about lewd remarks and inappropriate touching by individual teachers towards young women.

33 former students were interviewed, and there is also talk of panic attacks and eating disorders.

Both the director and the board initially rejected the allegations.

However, under public pressure, the board of directors of the ballet school released the school director.

Adrienne Develey, who took office as BTB co-president in August, said an independent body would continue to investigate the allegations.

layoffs and resignations

According to the SRF, around 50 young people are currently completing professional training in Basel.

20 of them would be in the last year of the apprenticeship;

they should be able to do their diploma.

Individual connection solutions are being sought for the other 30.

In the summer, the "Zeit" had already reported in its Swiss edition about humiliation and physical violence at the dance academy in Zurich.

They resulted in the resignation of the management team.

In addition, the rehearsal director at the ballet company at the Stadttheater Bern is said to have sexually harassed dancers.

An investigation confirmed the allegation, the rehearsal manager was dismissed without notice.

"This does not mean that Bern's case is over," it said, preventing work being intensified.

Of course, the problems of the ballet scene are not limited to Switzerland.

The Dachverband Tanz Deutschland founded an ethics committee in 2021 to develop guidelines.

At the weekend in Munich, the »physical and mental health of dancers« was discussed at an international symposium »Dance Education in Transition«.

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