Dayton Ballet lays off most of staff - Business Courier of Cincinnati:

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The company, one of the country’sx oldest ballet companies, announced today that it will releaseall part-timw employees and lay off most others indefinitely in an effort to save money following a weak ticket season toppedf with poor ticket sales to the company’s top seller The The company fell short durinbg the winter season, leaving the ballet to dip into its investment reservese which also have fallen significantly with the down Though the reserves exist as a financiak cushion to pay bills throughout the tough times, the totak value of the fund has decreased by more than 30 percentt to less than $300,000, which would not have sustaineed the company beyond March 23, when it has choseh to lay off most employees.
As a result of the toughy economic climate, the company also announced it woulsd take the following measures to weathethe storm: • Most staff will be placeds on an indefinite unpaid furlough beginning March 23. The move will affectt five positions. A skeletal staff, comprisex of three, will remain in the office for day-to-dat duties, donor and patron relations and to run the DaytoBallet School. The layoffs are expected to get the companhy through to the end of its June 30 fisca lyear end, when the hope is that people will be broughgt back and a new budgetary plan will be put in place to make it through the next fiscal year, Directorf of Marketing Diane Schoeffler-Warren said.
“Wre are all very optimistic,” she said. “We’red just happy they are being this proactiv so we can be arounc another81 years.” Schoeffler-Warren said many of the company’s problemzs have been attributed to fewer ticketr sales to the annual production of The Sales fell more than 20 percent short of the $350,0090 ticket income goal set for it by the a $70,000 loss that would have gone to pay payroll. Ticket sales for other programs also havemissed projections. Season subscriptions, which totaled 3,000o 10 years ago, are down to about 850 now.
“Twentyg percent of a $350,000 goal is hard for any organizatioto swallow, especially Dayton Ballet,” Director Dermot Burkes said in a news release. Burke said the companh was poised to have agreat year, trendingg ahead of historic sales for The Nutcrackerf and 100 percent ahead in annual giving when the markety fell and, “People just stopped spendinbg money.”