The company has yet to determine to what extent its dancers and other employees will be paid during this extended hiatus, said Jonathan Stafford, City Ballet’s artistic director. Although company members do not start preparing for “The Nutcracker” until November, the students audition in late September. With the precautions that are likely to be in place in early fall, it would be difficult to start rehearsals on time, Mr. Stafford said. “It became apparent that there would be no way to pull this production together safely,” Mr. Stafford said. Other ballet companies across the country will have to make their own decisions on whether to cancel their “Nutcracker” performances; the Joffrey Ballet in Chicago has already decided to cancel its production.

Source: New York Times June 18, 2020 16:00 UTC