Two Cleveland Ballet bosses have been suspended after firing a children’s instructor for being too tall and attacking her over an image of her in a newsletter.
Gladisa Guadalupe and Michael Krasnyansky, who are married, have been suspended from their roles following an investigation by WKYC Studios.
Their alleged behavior centers on ballet instructor Brittani Harris, who was told in August that her teaching contract would not be renewed due to her size.
In the days leading up to receiving that news, a staff meeting had been held where Artistic Director Guadalupe saw a photo of Harris teaching the tendu movement.
The image was selected as part of the outreach newsletter and Harris claims that after Guadalupe saw the image of her, she wanted it removed because of its size.
Guadalupe and Krasnyansky, seen here together, had to be removed after an initial two-week examination
Their alleged behavior centers on ballet instructor Brittani Harris, pictured here, who was told in August that her teaching contract would not be renewed due to her size
Harris was hired by Jim Becker to teach ballet to children at the Girls and Boys Club of Akron.
Becker, who was at a School of Cleveland Ballet staff meeting on Aug. 1, said Guadalupe saw a photo of Harris teaching the tendu movement — and that’s when things started to change.
Becker told WKYC Studios: “Gladisa told me that she couldn’t release the newsletter I had been working on, that the mockup was bad. She simply said, “the tendu photo,” and I knew at that moment what she was referring to.
“Gladisa Guadalupe said something very close, if not exactly, to the point: ‘That we can’t have a teacher like this working for us because little girls will see that and think that’s okay.’
“She said something along the lines of, ‘Young girls who are bigger are at greater risk of injury,’ and if anyone tells you that, find another dance studio.”
“I even asked the artistic director, ‘It seems like you’re insinuating that someone’s height or body weight could somehow disqualify them,’ and before I could even finish my sentence, she just nodded.
“I was told that this fine teacher did not have the physical aesthetics necessary to teach tendu and pliés to the children of the Boys and Girls Club.”
In an attempt to report this to the appropriate authorities, Becker wrote a letter to Lilia Shtarkman, Cleveland Ballet’s HR, and also attempted to speak to someone else in that department.
But the person he was trying to meet with was Lana Krasnyansky Sokolinsky – Michael Krasnyansky’s daughter and Guadalupe’s stepdaughter.
In the days leading up to the news being received, a staff meeting had been held where Artistic Director Guadalupe saw a photo of Harris teaching the tendu movement, seen here
Guadalupe, right, and Michael, left, who are both married, are further questioned by the other members of the board about their alleged actions
Shortly thereafter, Becker was informed that his own contract as manager of the outreach program would not be renewed.
He told WKYC Studios: “I obviously couldn’t work for a company that talked about their team that way.
‘I immediately called Lana from HR and she avoided all my texts and calls. I think the entire team was aware of Gladisa’s disapproval of Brittani’s appointment.”
Harris recalled when she found out what was being said about her, “It was very hard to hear, because it’s 2023, and maybe I’m not a prima ballerina, but I never tried to be.”
‘I love dancing. I love to teach. I love children, and for someone to rip that away just because they didn’t like the way I looked. It’s just not okay.’
Harris added, “I enjoy teaching students something new. We can do pliés and tendus and easy things, but I love seeing them get excited about learning something new.”
WKYC explored the perception of larger body size and injuries and dance, in conversation with dance physiotherapist Jenna Kantor.
Kantor told the outlet, “There is no evidence to support this at all. Ironically, if someone is underweight, he or she is 1.8 times more likely to break a bone.
‘In ballet we want everyone to be a stick. We don’t want to have chest, we don’t want to have glutes, nothing. It’s just that everything has to be straight up and down. But not all bodies are made this way, even if they are not overweight.’
Harris, seen here with her two daughters, said it was “very difficult” to figure out the reaction to the photo
Harris is seen here with her husband Brandon. She had been teaching ballet for more than ten years when she was fired
Regarding Harris’ ability to teach, Becker said, “There’s a lot going on between the steps, and you could teach a class how to run (her) class.”
“Watching Brittani Harris teach was a lot like watching ‘Story Time with Belle,’ the program at Walt Disney World.”
After WKYC approached Guadalupe, Krasnyansky and the Cleveland Ballet board with the allegations, they were told they would investigate.
Two weeks later, the board informed WKYC that they had suspended the two and that everyone involved had declined to be interviewed.
Cleveland Ballet told WKYC Studios in a statement: “Serious and disturbing allegations have been made about Cleveland Ballet.
“The Board of Directors takes these allegations seriously and is focusing its energies on assessing the Ballet’s activities and responding appropriately.
‘The matter is being dealt with by the independent board members who are not part of the Ballet’s activities.
‘In addition to an internal investigation into these allegations that is currently underway, the Board of Directors has engaged experienced external counsel to conduct an independent investigation into these allegations and to advise the Board of Directors on how they relate to the workplace and activities of Cleveland Ballet.
‘The Board of Directors and its independent advisor will invest all the time necessary to conduct a thorough and complete assessment.’
Despite her dismissal, Harris still showed up to support her summer students as they closed out the season.
She said: ‘It was amazing to see all the work we put into it and then be so proud of it. I wasn’t going to abandon them.
“And they had no idea what was going on. They just knew I was there for them, and I wouldn’t have changed that.”