A move is afoot to reinstate Stephen White as producer of Dance Victoria, according to an email leaked to the Times Colonist.
A special members’ meeting has been called for Friday, the email says, and White’s supporters are asked to vote for a new board of directors that would restore him to the position he held for 14 years. Non-members were invited to visit Dance Victoria’s Quadra Street studios and join by Thursday.
The email reads: “You may have heard that our friend, Stephen White, after 14 years of service as artistic producer has ‘resigned’ from the company. Sadly, this was not his choice and the dismissal was done in a very inappropriate and disrespectful manner. The reason given for the dismissal was a bad review from a former employee, an HR issue that he was unaware of and therefore unable to address in a professional manner.”
According to the board, however, the decision was based on more than a complaint from a former employee.
White could not be reached for comment.
The email says that former board president Bob Milne has instigated a review of the board’s decision by requesting the special meeting of the membership.
Milne declined to comment when contacted by the Times Colonist.
The email says 200 signatures of members and community supporters have been collected on a petition, but only members can vote to make the change.
Colleen Gibson, president of the Dance Victoria Society, called the decision to relieve White of his position “gut-wrenching.”
Dance Victoria called the special members’ meeting to address escalating rumours about the departure of White, as well as his partner and Dance Victoria tour organizer Bill Hamar, she said.
In contrast to the email, which says White was dismissed on the basis of a bad review from a former employee, Gibson said there was no single incident or reason behind White’s departure.
“There are a number of conditions that the board considered. It was not just one thing, so it’s not one person that has caused this. It’s an accumulation over time,” Gibson said.
The board brought its concerns to White several times over six months, but he did not acknowledge the concerns as valid and co-operate, she said.
Gibson reiterated that White was pivotal in the growth of the dance presentation company, but added that the organization had grown to a point where leadership needed to come from more than one person.
“We respect Stephen’s accomplishments over the years. He’s tremendously talented in many areas. But just like you and I, you can’t be all things to all people, especially when the organization continues to grow and grow and grow,” Gibson said.
The board made the decision when considering long-range plans for the organization, she said.
“In order for us to get there, it became obvious that the present workforce wasn’t sufficient to carry us,” she said.
“It must be a collaboration. It must be a team.”
The board did what it thought was best for the organization as a whole, Gibson said.
“I consider myself a friend and this is gut-wrenching on many levels. None of these decisions were reached lightly. They were reached after six months of constant efforts to discuss our concerns [with White],” she said. “And we were unsuccessful.”
