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\n<\/span>Credit:\u00a0<\/span>Ilya S. Savenok\/Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Peter Martins, the longtime leader of New York City Ballet, has been removed from teaching his weekly class at the School of American Ballet while the two organizations jointly investigate an accusation of sexual harassment against him.<\/p>\n
The accusation against Mr. Martins, 71, was made in an anonymous letter, both organizations confirmed on Monday. Mr. Martins is the artistic director and chairman of the faculty of the ballet school. He has led City Ballet, the company founded by the famed choreographer George Balanchine, since the 1980s.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe safety and well-being of our students is our absolute priority,\u201d the school said in a statement, adding that it \u201crecently received an anonymous letter making general, nonspecific allegations of sexual harassment in the past by Peter Martins at both New York City Ballet and the school.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe, together with New York City Ballet, promptly engaged an independent law firm that specializes in such matters to conduct a thorough investigation, despite the anonymous nature of the letter and the lack of specifics,\u201d the statement continued. \u201cThus far, the investigation has not substantiated the allegations in the letter or discovered any reason to be concerned about student safety.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
City Ballet issued a similar statement, which said, in part, \u201cthe ongoing inquiry has not substantiated the allegations.\u201d Rob Daniels, a spokesman for the ballet, said on Monday night Mr. Martins remained in his position as head of the ballet.<\/p>\n
Reached by telephone on Monday, Mr. Martins said in response to the accusations, \u201cThe company has already addressed it.\u201d Asked if he had anything to add, he said, \u201cAt this point, no.\u201d<\/p>\n
The two organizations have retained a lawyer, Barbara Hoey, to conduct the investigation. Ms. Hoey, the chairwoman of Kelley Drye\u2019s labor and employment practice group, declined to comment.<\/p>\n
As part of the investigation, Mr. Martins is believed to have discussed romantic relationships he has had with female dancers, according to a former official at City Ballet with knowledge of the investigation who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.<\/p>\n
Mr. Daniels, the ballet spokesman, said that since 2010 the company \u201chas had a policy precluding a reporting relationship between a supervisor and subordinate where a romantic relationship exists.\u201d<\/p>\n
Along those lines,\u00a0Jed Bernstein was forced out<\/a>\u00a0last year as president of Lincoln Center \u2014 which has such a policy \u2014 after an anonymous complaint revealed that he had been involved in a consensual relationship with a woman who worked for him, and whom he had twice promoted.<\/p>\n In recent interviews, two former City Ballet dancers and three former students at the school described a culture in which Mr. Martins was known for sleeping with dancers, some of whom received better roles because of their personal relationships with him.<\/p>\n The world of ballet is a fuzzy area, those involved say, in which people are regularly touching one another through choreography and instruction. An artistic leader like Mr. Martins looms large \u2014 particularly among up-and-coming, young dancers \u2014 as a producer who decides which ballets are performed; as a casting director who determines which dancers land the best parts; and as a father figure who designates dancers for promotion.<\/p>\n Balanchine, who was known as Mr. B, wielded tremendous power over the lives of the dancers in his company. He famously discouraged female dancers from marriage and from having children; he insisted that their boyfriends leave them at the stage door \u2014 not enter the theater \u2014 and that dancers wear different perfumes so that he could easily identify them.<\/p>\n In a 2012\u00a0article<\/a>\u00a0on Balanchine in Psychology Tomorrow, Wilhelmina Frankfurt, a former City Ballet dancer, said: \u201cThe only way that Peter rivaled Mr. B. was as a Casanova. However, where Mr. B. was charm incarnate, Peter was a basher.\u201d<\/p>\n In 1992, Mr. Martins was\u00a0charged<\/a>\u00a0with third-degree assault against his wife, Darci Kistler, then a principal dancer in the company. Ms. Kistler told the police that her arms and legs had been cut and bruised. The misdemeanor charge was later dropped.<\/p>\n