At Béjart Ballet Lausanne, an option for a way out of the crisis despite financial problems

It’s a sun: Julien Favreau embodies this type of charismatic dancer as Maurice Béjart loved them. Splendid, committed, generous, capable of carrying behind him the fervor of the public and the other dancers. Appointed interim director, after his predecessor Gil Roman was thanked for harassment on February 2, 2024, Julien Favreau, 46, takes up the challenge of returning the company to the joy of dancing. He was confirmed as artistic director Friday morning.

All that remains is to invent a season, organize tours, commission creations, and re-stage ballets… The BBL already sold out the Palais de Beaulieu in Lausanne in mid-June for Gil Roman’s latest program, two creations entrusted to choreographers who had a link with the Béjart technique, and Julien Favreau on the table of Bolero in the final apotheosis. There is nothing left but to continue. Easier said than done.

Read alsoBéjart Ballet Lausanne: the difficult survival

Because while the confirmation of Favreau as artistic director is a joy, it is unfortunately accompanied by some rather gloomy news. According to an investigation by the Swiss channel RTS, the company is suffering a loss of one million on a budget of 10 million Swiss francs, subsidized to the tune of 5.3 million by the city of Lausanne.

In fact, the company is struggling to recover from the audit carried out in 2021 following complaints of harassment against Roman. However, at the end of this audit, everything was supposed to restart with a bang: Roman, repentant, had been confirmed, but supervised by a general director, an HR director, and a financial director. That’s two and a half positions created. At the same time, the dancers had been increased. An increase of 600,000 euros in personnel costs, indicates the RTS. An untenable situation, without new revenue, those responsible for the ballet had already pointed out at that time. Unless the number of tours is increased, which has been done. Unless we find patrons, the company no longer has any. Appointed general manager, GianCarlo Sergi was supposed to report some. But this man who evolved in basketball has absolutely no knowledge of dance or Béjart’s ballets to make patrons dream. He also does not have the interpersonal skills necessary to convince in the culture. Julien Favreau will undoubtedly also have to lead this part.

Layoffs

Unable to find these resources and to have a passion for dance, Sergi fired. “Some BBL positions have been eliminated. This is about ensuring that you have resources that match the needs of the company“, he told RTS. So for the moment, the artistic director’s secretary, whom Maurice Béjart had charged with looking after the company after his death, has been laid off, as well as Azari Plissetski, dance instructor, and the company’s pianist. They will now be paid per performance, which should not affect the company’s artistic performance. Juichi Kobayashi remains ballet master, Domenico Lebre and Elisabeth Ross as répétiteurs. Will there be other layoffs? Sergi is reorganizing, and is not ruling anything out.

Acting president of the BBL foundation board, the trustee of Lausanne Grégoire Junod, asked to continue to draw on the ballet’s reserves to cope with this million in debt. “We’ve already done it and they’re empty.“, says an informed person who prefers to remain anonymous.The one that remains, was untouchable on Béjart’s orders; it is the money that he intended for the retraining of dancers“How long can she hold out? Will Favreau’s sun shine bright enough to clear this heavy sky?