City Ballet names its #MeToo-era leaders: a man-woman team

NEW YORK — It’s a pas de deux: New York City Ballet has chosen two former dancers — a man and a woman — to lead the company in the #MeToo era, following the scandal that ended with the retirement of longtime artistic director Peter Martins. Former ballerina Wendy Whelan, beloved by fans and dancers alike, is the new associate artistic director, joining artistic director Jonathan Stafford, who led an interim management team following Martins’ departure last year amid allegations — which Martins denied — that he physically and emotionally abused dancers. “It’s a cultural moment right now,” said Whelan, who has been experimenting with modern dance since her emotional City Ballet farewell more than four years ago. Whelan said among her goals for the organization was to bring “a really nice level of communication and empowerment to the dancers, to really think about them as human beings and individuals as well as artists.” The former dancer, whose struggle back to form from a devastating injury was chronicled in the 2017 documentary “Restless Creature,” said she’d be focusing on programming and new commissions, as well as working in the studio coaching dancers. “Being in front of this number of dancers and musicians and administrative people is something new for me, to this degree.” Stafford, also a former principal dancer, noted that Whelan “has danced most of the ballets in our repertory, and had so many roles created for her, so we’re really excited to have her in that role as well as a kind of mentor for our dancers.” Critics have noted that the company has still been performing at a top level.