Teachers' pressure tactics force Ballet Ouest de Montral to cancel performances

The dispute between the Quebec government and public school teachers has forced Ballet Ouest de Montral to cancel two performances of The Nutcracker planned for school children.

Last year 2,500 students attended matines that Ballet Ouest performs for school audiences,but so far this season, only one school booking, for 80 children, is confirmed.

The ballet company receivesminimal grants and relies heavily on school audiences for its revenues.

Ballet Ouest de Montral says it supports public school teachers who are refusing to supervise extra-curricular activities, but that pressure tactic is having an impact.

"It jeopardizes the future not just of Nutcracker but of other productions that might be presented and produced in the future," Elaina Colbeck, administrative director of Ballet Ouest de Montral, told CBC Montreal'sDaybreak.

Colbeck says the company is renegotiating theatre contracts, redoing theatre schedules, looking at dancers' contracts and now scaling back performances of The Nutcracker from five matines for schools to just three.

The company is also approaching new potential audiences: more private schools, seniors residences and daycares.

"It' a very good first introduction to the arts for a lot of kids. So we're sad that a lot of kids might be missing out on that this year," Colbeck said.

Bookings down for Geordie Productions

Geordie Productions is also turning to more private schools to compensate for lost audiences in the public sector this season.

Its annual theatre tour to schools normally includes more than 200 shows. This year only about 100 are booked.

Geordie Productions also does larger scale productions at the D.B. Clarke Theatre in Montreal for school children. This fall's performance of Hana's Suitcase is also only booked at 50 percent capacity so far.

"I'm super worried," said Dean Patrick Fleming, artistic director for Geordie Productions.

"What we're seeing is (public schools) are just not able to commit and so that would be a huge hit to Geordie," he said.