The delicate dance between Cleveland Ballet and its cofounders made another leap Tuesday as the company’s former in-house school relaunched itself.
The Cleveland School of Dance is now Cleveland Ballet Theatre.
It was started in 2000 by Gladisa Guadalupe, who subsequently founded Cleveland Ballet in 2015. The two entities later became partners, but are now severing any ties. Earlier this month, Guadalupe dismissed instructors connected to the Cleveland Ballet.
The company responded with the announcement of its own in-house school, the Academy of Cleveland Ballet.
In a statement, Guadalupe called the new school an “evolution.”
“This transformation is not merely a change in name, rather, it symbolizes our unwavering commitment to advancing the art of dance in the 21st century,” she said. “The Cleveland Ballet Theatre will be a haven where students can immerse themselves not only in the timeless elegance of classical ballet but also in the rich tapestry of various dance forms and performing arts.”
Cleveland Ballet Theatre lists the same address as the Cleveland School of Dance’s facility — next door to Cleveland Ballet.
The moves follow months of turmoil. In November Cleveland Ballet placed Guadalupe and her husband, CEO Michael Krasnyasky, on suspension, pending an investigation into financial issues and accusations of improper sexual conduct. Krasnyasky resigned soon after. In January, the findings of the investigation were made public.
Krasnyasky is accused by 16 dancers of inappropriate touching.
Guadalupe was dismissed amid a finding that funds intended for Cleveland Ballet were used for other purposes.
The couple has been replaced by artistic director Timour Bourtasenkov and CEO Larry Goodman.
There have also been accusations of body-shaming a former instructor, penalizing staff who might have cooperated with the investigation and using copyrighted dance moves from former choreographer, Dennis Nahat. He was with the previous incarnation of Cleveland Ballet, which lasted from 1972 to 2000.
An unrelated company with the same name also existed from 1935 to 42.
Guadalupe, a native of Puerto Rico, studied under George Balanchine at the School of American Ballet in New York City. She was honored with the Cleveland Arts Prize in 2022.
The company was slated to receive a 77% increase in financial support from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture. Instead, CAC voted in November to delay the $73,954 in funding until the investigation is resolved.
