Dancers out of step with Royal Ballet chief

The performers' union Equity is to meet dancers at the Royal Ballet this week to discuss "serious concerns" about the unorthodox management style of its new artistic director, Ross Stretton.

The union is investigating a series of complaints about the maverick Australian, who has been accused of infuriating his company by making last-minute casting changes that leave them unsure if and when they are to perform.

News of the latest talks came a month after dancers considered passing a motion of no confidence in Stretton, who was hired amid a fanfare last year with a brief to pep up the repertoire of the historic Covent Garden company.

Sources close to the discussions confirmed that this week's meeting would involve Equity briefing the dancers on its earlier talks with the Royal Ballet management, at which it conveyed a number of "serious concerns". It is understood that these revolve, at least in part, around some of Mr Stretton's casting choices.

The union's priority is to establish the basis for his decisions, which, in some cases, have seen relative unknowns replace household names in leading roles hours before curtain-up.

Of the 22 shows in the ballet's summer season, only two went ahead with the originally advertised cast. Notable disappointments for audiences, who pay up to £65 for tickets, included the unexpected absences of Darcey Bussell from Don Quixote and Tamara Rojo from Onegin.

Should Equity be unhappy with the reasons for the 11th-hour alterations, it is expected to push for Mr Stretton to be disciplined by his boss, the executive director of the Royal Opera House, Tony Hall.

Mr Stretton is on holiday and could not be contacted yesterday, but insiders at the opera house said there were no plans, as yet, for an internal inquiry.

A spokesman would only say: "There was a meeting between Equity representatives and Tony Hall in early August. It was a very positive meeting and there will be further discussions."

Referring to the sudden casting changes, he said that, like any performing arts organisation, the ballet's management reserved the right to change its casts late in the day, particularly in response to sudden injury. He would not comment on any specific claims made against Mr Stretton.

However, the present controversy mirrors one that marred his tenure as director of the Australian Ballet, where his allegedly authoritarian managerial style earned him the nickname "Stress Rotten".

Within 18 months of his replacing Maina Gielgud, niece of the late Sir John, in that role, 23 dancers had left the company. A further six quit the following year.

Unnamed dancers quoted in The Australian newspaper last month said they were "not surprised" that similar allegations had been levelled at Mr Stretton in Britain.

One Australian critic, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "I have no idea how he scheduled casts here but there were many situations when the 'wrong' dancer, that is someone not suited to the role, went on.

"This happened on opening nights of seasons as well as other times. One dancer was often cast in roles which other dancers might have been better suited to, and so on. This includes men who might have expected to have been cast in lead roles only to be left languishing on the sidelines."

Accusing Mr Stretton of maltreating his audiences by constantly chopping and changing his casts, another Australian critic, Lee Christofis, added: "He's treating it [the company] like a kind of Russian fiefdom of the 19th century, instead of what it has become: a place where stars make their names and add lustre to the company. He is acting as if all his dancers are interchangeable.

"It's a scandalous breach of public confidence and accountability to the taxpayers who are paying his salary."

The Royal Opera House declined to comment.