Abuse accusations: Basel ballet school shuts training division

Ballet schools in Zurich, Bern and Basel have all been accused by dancers of abuse Keystone / Georgios Kefalas

The Ballettschule Theater Basel will close its vocational training division owing to serious accusations of student abuse. It says it can’t see itself managing to get out of its financial problems.

The institutionExternal link has asked the cantonal department of education for permission to close the training course at the end of the current school year. It has also asked the canton to provide financial support for this, the school’s board said on Wednesday.

The school has faced financial difficulties for a while. It is now considering whether to continue with its junior and leisure activities.

At the end of October the NZZ am Sonntag and the Basel-based online news site BajourrevealedExternal link that more than 30 former students had spoken out about regular humiliations and insults during rehearsals. They also reported excessive pressure on performance, which resulted in broken bones and eating disorders.

The school’s board has commissioned an independent investigation and has suspended its director.

Accusations also in Zurich and Bern

The Ballettschule Theater Basel is one of two institutions in Switzerland that offer a professional apprenticeship for stage dancers with a federal certificate of competence. The other is the Zurich Dance Academy, which also faced similar accusations. The management has since withdrawn and an investigation has been launched.

The Bern Ballet is also facing accusations of abuse. Last month Bühnen Bern Ballet apologised for failing to protect members of its ballet group from sexual harassment.