Sarasota Ballet loses half the company dancers - local media

The Sarasota Ballet has lost nearly half of its company dancers, including two popular female principals, Suncoast Searchlight reported on 13th June 2025.

Suncoast Searchlight, a non-profit investigative news organisation in Florida’s Suncoast region (Sarasota, Manatee, and DeSoto counties), reported that 18 company dancers left or were departing by the end of 2024-2025 season.

The Sarasota Ballet is based in Sarasota, Florida, the United States. The company has been led by Artistic Director Iain Webb since 2007. His wife Margaret Barbieri has been Assistant Director since 2012. They were principals of The Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet and The Royal Ballet Touring Company (now Birmingham Royal Ballet) in the United Kingdom, respectively.

Under their direction, The Sarasota Ballet has grown from a local ballet company to an internationally recognised touring company with Frederick Ashton's ballets as their signature pieces.

Suncoast Searchlight, however, said, "Interviews with 13 of 18 departing dancers detail an environment of fear, favoritism and frustration they claim is perpetuated by the very leadership that helped raise the company’s profile. Though all declined to have their names published — citing “career suicide” — their statements were corroborative and in line with sentiments expressed by a former Sarasota Ballet dancer who was willing to go on the record."

Dancers also told the news organisation that any hint of suggestions or criticism was "sharply rebuked", that they were obliged to stick to the Ashton's legacy, and that they were not allowed to explore their artistry or techniques, which were more athletic and advanced than his era.

One female dancer told the news organisation, "if you give even a little bit of interpretation to a character — unless she (Barbieri) thinks it’s ‘charming’ — she’ll yell at you for disgracing Ashton’s name.”

The departures were not explained to donors or audiences, the news organisation said.

The Sarasota Ballet plans to participate in the Jacob's Pillow dance festival with an Ashton bill, featuring Misa Kuranaga, who now appears as Resident Guest Principal on its website.