When Abi Stafford Lillo gave her final performance last fall after more than two decades at the New York City Ballet Theatre, it felt like a typical dancer’s retirement, with colleagues giving gave her bouquets of flowers as the audience applauded warmly.
But her smile that afternoon masked what had become a heated argument behind the scenes between the ballerina and the company.
Ms Lillo, 40, said she decided to leave because she felt she had been left out since her estranged brother, Jonathan Stafford, became the artistic director of City Ballet. Then, she said, she was cut from the opening night cast of her last ballet, “Russian Seasons,” by its choreographer, Alexei Ratmansky. He told her in writing that “the men worked hard” to befriend her – what she considers “body shaming,” she said in an interview.
City Ballet officials countered that Lillo had been offered a number of roles in recent years that she had turned down, and said Mr Stafford had no say in casting her because of her contract. he forbade him from making decisions regarding her or his wife, dancer Brittany Pollack. They say Miss Lillo was dropped from the inaugural show “Russian Seasons” not because of her weight, but because of “problems with her fitness and strength.”
The dispute opens a door into the complex, often tense dynamics of City Ballet, an intertwined company in which relatives, spouses and partners often share the workplace. And it’s a reminder of the balance that ballet companies must strike as they seek to overcome it decades of focus on unhealthy weight and body shape dancers, while continuing to demand the strength, flexibility, athleticism and artistry that define the art form.
Family split
City Ballet it’s along time story of a family. George Balanchine, its co-founder, is married to two of its top dancers. The wife and son of Peter Martins, the company’s ballet general manager for decades, were both principal dancers under his leadership. And several pairs of siblings have danced together in the company, including Kirklands, d’Amboises, Fairchilds and Angles.
Staffords joined the ranks of City Ballet siblings, initially studying at the School of American Ballet, its affiliated academy, and later joining the company. But they grew further apart, even as they continued to work together.
Growing up in central Pennsylvania, Lillo was the first in her family to start taking ballet lessons, she said in an interview. She recalls being very disappointed when her brother and sister did as she was told. “I wanted ballet to become my hobby, even when I was 6 years old,” she said. “I’m just always very upset about them intruding on my activities.”
In 2000, Mr. Martins hired she, at the age of 17, to dance in the company’s ballet company after six weeks as an apprentice – an unusually quick promotion. When she established herself critic praise Miss Lillo’s technique, with an article that she “defined each step clearly.” At other times, the reviews are more average, with some critic suggest she dances lack of depth.
Her relationship with her brother, which was already strong, began to deteriorate. She said she was offended on her 31st birthday when Mr Stafford got engaged. “I said, OK, he’s really trying to celebrate my birthday about him,” she said.
In 2017, Mr. Martins, the company’s longtime leader, left after he became theme of the allegation of wrongdoing, which he denied and which the company later said was uncorroborated. Mr. Stafford took over, first as interim leader and then as art director, with Ms. Whelan as artistic director. In an effort to avoid conflict, Ms. Whelan was given the power to oversee the selection and recruitment of Ms. Lillo and Ms. Pollack. But Ms. Lillo blamed her brother for what she saw as less opportunity.
Mr Stafford declined to be interviewed, but said in a statement that Ms Lillo inspired him to become a dancer and that he was “grieved” by the breakdown of their relationship, which he said deteriorated after he was promoted to lead dancer. “I’ve worked hard since then to reconnect, but our relationship has never been the same,” he said.
Deciding to retire
Less than a year after Mr. Stafford was officially appointed art director, Ms. Lillo took a break. In an interview, she cited the leave as the cause of the rift and she believes she was ignored in casting decisions.
It was in March 2020, just before the pandemic halted live performances in New York for a year and a half, that she told the company she wanted to leave. She alleges that after Mr Stafford took over, she was demoted to “small roles at the back of the room”, as her attorney, Leila Amineddoleh, wrote in a letter to the company.
She asked for three years of severance pay, a release from her contract so she could dance elsewhere, and a solo at her last gig.
In a written response to Ms Lillo’s allegations, Kathleen McKenna, an attorney for City Ballet, denied her claim that she was “demoted” after her brother became art director, lists 13 ballets she has participated in since 2019, and notes that she was unable to perform during that spring because of an injury. Ms. McKenna wrote that Ms. Lillo also turned down several opportunities and subsequently quit.
“Regarding that decision, she confided in Miss Whelan that she no longer loved dancing but instead loved ‘the law,'” Ms. McKenna wrote.
Ms Lillo, who started classes at Fordham law school in 2018, admitted that she had turned down some roles due to injury, leave and other issues, but insisted she was not allowed. choose to act fairly with the other main dancers.
In an interview, she said that she became frustrated after she asked Ms Whelan to explore new roles, and was told she was not the right fit for them. “One thing she told me that was really disturbing or upsetting was that she said, ‘We’re trying to do what’s right with the ballets.'” Ms. Lillo said she retorted, “And yet,” she said. what about the dancers?”
In an interview, Ms. Whelan said she worked hard to find the role for Ms. Lillo.
“I don’t think she was treated unfairly,” Ms. Whelan said. “I tried to give her a chance.”
‘The men who struggled’
Last fall, as the City Ballet prepared to return to its theater at Lincoln Center, Lillo planned to dance the ballet “Russian Seasons” for her farewell performance.
But after the first rehearsals, its choreographer, Mr. Ratmansky, asked to cut her off from the opening night cast, Ms. Whelan said. Whelan called her and gave her the news, Lillo recalls, telling her Mr Ratmansky didn’t think she was “well enough” or ready for the first night but she could still dance it for his farewell concert.
Ms Lillo followed up with a text message to Ms Whelan and Mr Ratmansky, writing “I wish you had given me two more weeks before you made your decision” and adding that she was “continued to work and push”, according to a screenshot of the text message.
“I am very sorry to have hurt you,” Mr. Ratmansky replied. “I feel bad about that. I’m also sorry that I wasn’t able to talk to you. “
He continued: “But please understand. There is a lot of collaboration in the piece and it should look easy. The men worked very hard. (Mr Ratmansky did not respond to a request for comment.)
Ms. Whelan said she was never told that the decision was about Ms. Lillo’s weight, and she explained that Mr. Ratmansky said Ms. Lillo lacked the strength and technical skills that female dancers need to make it. cooperation looks easy.
But Ms. Lillo read the text to point out that it was “about the shape of my body, not about how strong I am.”
“Just because I’m saying now that they’re changing the storytelling because of body shaming, they’re changing the story. Her attorney wrote to the company that the final weeks of her ballet career had left her “extremely distressing” and demanded $200,000 in addition to the typical exit payout she’d received. receive. (City Ballet did not agree to that request.)
City Ballet has spoken out in recent years about trying to change the conversation about dancers’ weight and body – and to overcome culture sometimes seems to explain fragility more than other attributes, harm the physical and mental health of dancers.
Solo artist Georgina Pazcoguin wrote in her 2021 memoir that her thighs were criticized, prompting her to have surgery to remove fat from them. And Ms Lillo said Mr Martins once criticized her weight and kicked her out for a season.
Whelan said the company has new protocols in place for weight matters: the wellness director must be involved in any conversation with the dancer, and the dancer will be provided with access to the services. nutrition, physical therapy and mental health. “We have to treat our dancers as human beings and with dignity,” she said, noting that she doesn’t view conversations about Lillo’s last performance as about weight.
City Ballet insists it worked to give Lillo the goodbye she wanted but she wasn’t prepared for that first performance, noting that she hadn’t attended the company’s classes during that time. during the pandemic. Ms. Lillo says classes are optional and she works out at home and at the gym.
Ms. Lillo was allowed to dance in “Russian Seasons” for her farewell performance, on September 26. Mr. Ratmansky agreed to some changes to his choreography to “fit” the ability. Lillo’s, according to a letter from the City Ballet to her attorney. Ms. Lillo said that some of the lifts had been modified, but she understood that the changes were made because her partner was injured.
After the final call for “Russian Seasons,” Ms. Lillo changed into a homemade t-shirt. It read: “I survived on NYCB.”
