I have lost track. What is happening in Frankfurt now? Who is the Director?

Thanks for any updates.

Forsythe has a new company with a dual residency in Frankfurt and Dresden.

http://www.theforsythecompany.de

The Frankfurt Ballet was disbanded, wasn't it? The local government didn't want to keep supporting it (although I think they are partially supporting Forsythe's new company, along with a few other municipalities).

Yes, it was taken out of the state-theater.
Most cities here - as of about 100,000 or so - have a theater which is supported heavily (90%, I believe) by the state/city.
Many of these theaters have, in addition to an acting-dept., opera and orchestra, also a dance company.
In the olden days these were nearly all ballet companies. Some with as few as 16 dancers, and some with considerably more.

There are many reasons why a city/state decides to cut back on their subsidies of the theater (and other things - libraries, swimming-pools, schools), and one of them is too little audience for certain things. (politicians rarely go to the theater themselves; they often only look at the bottom line...)

What exactly happened in Frankfurt is subject to discussion, and depends rather on what you think of Forsythe and his work.

The co. was not there all the time; they did a lot of touring. When they were there, I do not believe it was always a huge success with the Frankfurters, who were paying the main amount of subsidies with their taxes. -sigh-
It is often the way.

So, now Frankfurt pays a bit and Dresden pays a bit in order to keep the Forsythe company going with less dancers and probably less money altogether.
The co. will perform in both cities, as well as, I assume, going on tour.

-d-

Thank you all for your information. The link is a great help.

The Forsythe Company website refers specifically to the opportunities they now have to seek alternative private sources of funding. Is this just making the best of a bad thing? Or are European companies actually changing attitude and practice in the face of the reduction (for many, not all) of public subsidy?

Probably "yes" to both questions, bart.

There is hope for companies which can find alternative - and long-lasting! - financial help.
As far as I can tell, it is not much of a tradition here, to give to cultural institutions.

And, when the funding from the state gets flimsy, the first to be "rationalised away" are usually the dancers.

It happens all the time.

-d-