NEW YORK \u2014 Two dancers were fired from the New York City Ballet on Saturday amid accusations that they were part of a ring of\u2026<\/b>
\nNEW YORK \u2014 Two dancers were fired from the New York City Ballet on Saturday amid accusations that they were part of a ring of male dancers who inappropriately shared nude photos and videos of women.
The ballet company said principal dancers Amar Ramasar and Zachary Catarazo, as well as a third dancer, Chase Finlay, who resigned last month, \u201cengaged in inappropriate communications, that while personal, off-hours and off-site, had violated the norms of conduct that NYCB expects from its employees.\u201d
The firings came after a woman who had dated Finley, Alexandra Waterbury, said in a lawsuit this month that Finlay had sent explicit videos and photos of her taken without her knowledge to other men including dancers with the company.
Waterbury charged in her lawsuit against City Ballet and Finlay that the company tolerated a \u201cfraternity-like atmosphere\u201d where male dancers understood that \u201cthey could degrade, demean, mistreat and abuse, assault and batter women without consequence.\u201d
The lawsuit said a male donor wrote to Finlay suggesting that the men should tie ballerinas up \u201cand abuse them like farm animals,\u201d to which Finlay replied, \u201cor like the sluts they are.\u201d
While denying that they had condoned inappropriate behavior, company officials began an investigation after they were made aware of Waterbury \u2019s charges and were planning to fire Finlay when he resigned, the company said.
Ramasar and Catarazo, who were identified in the lawsuit as having shared nude photos with Finlay, were initially suspended without pay before the company moved to terminate them Saturday.
\u201cI am shocked and deeply saddened by the New York City Ballet \u2019s decision to fire me,\u201d Ramasar said Saturday in a statement. \u201cI am an honest and honorable person, and have always treated everyone, including my colleagues, staff, friends and others at NYCB, with the upmost respect.\u201d
He said he was once a \u201cpoor, minority kid from the streets of the Bronx and have risen against all odds with hard work for everything I have been able to achieve.\u201d Ramasar added that in coming days, \u201cI will be telling my side.\u201d
City Ballet executive director Katherine Brown and interim artistic team leader Jonathan Stafford said in a statement, \u201cWe have no higher obligation than to ensure that our dancers and staff have a workplace where they feel respected and valued, and we are committed to providing that environment for all employees of New York City Ballet. We will not allow the private actions of a few to undermine the hard work and strength of character that is consistently demonstrated by the other members of our community or the excellence for which the company stands.\u201d
A union representing Ramasar and Catarazo said it would challenge the firings. \u201cBased on all the information received from the company, the allegations relate entirely to non-work-related activity and do not rise to the level of \u2018just cause\u2019 termination,\u201d the American Guild of Musical Artists said in a statement. \u201cAs AGMA would do for any of its members, we will soon be filing for arbitration to enforce our members\u2019 employment rights.\u201d
Catarazo said he was \u201cdeeply saddened\u201d by the termination of his contract.
\u201cI have worked my whole life to reach the level of principal dancer at a company having the highest prestige, and I am devastated at the possibility to no longer be able to share the stage with the wonderful, talented artists and my friends there,\u201d he said in a statement, adding, \u201cI respect and admire every ballerina with whom I dance at the company, and strive every day to be the best partner I possibly can be.\u201d
The ousters of Finlay, Ramasar and Catarazo leave City Ballet without three of its 14 male principal dancers ahead of next week\u2019s opening of the 2018-2019 season.
Ramasar had been a major star of the company who also won accolades for his performance as Jigger Craigin in the Broadway revival of \u201cCarousel.\u201d An attorney for the dancer said Ramasar would be on stage for the final performances of \u201cCarousel,\u201d which closes Sunday. A representative for \u201cCarousel\u201d did not immediately return an email seeking comment.
Waterbury \u2019s attorney did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on the firings of Ramasar and Catarazo .
After Waterbury filed her lawsuit on Sept. 4, an attorney for Finlay said that the allegations \u201cshould not be taken as fact.\u201d<\/p>\n

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