The National Theater Ballet's second strike in a month and a half

Ballet dancers of the National Theatre in Belgrade, members of the Union of Ballet Dancers, join the strike for the second time in the last month and a half.

That is why the ballet performances "The Pirate" and "Swan Lake" scheduled for March 27 and April 1 and 3 were canceled.

In the statement announcing the strike, they state that it is their response to "the complete interruption of dialogue and the closure of the Ministry to our attempt to improve the material and social status of ballet artists."

Photo: Promo

"Ballet is the supreme art of young people, the professional life is extremely short, and our struggle is primarily in the capacity of ensuring fair working conditions for the new generations," the announcement reads.

"We believe that our salary must not be below the national average. It is not a privilege, it is a minimum of respect for the artists who elevate this country and represent it in the world."

They remind us that the Belgrade Ballet has been going on for 102 years and "represents both the cultural and moral values ​​we strive for."

They say that they will no longer be silent, and that "if the state cares about its top artists - let it prove it."

The first strike of the Union of Ballet Dancers of the National Theater was in February, when they responded to the students' call for a work stoppage.

"At a time when students remind us of our responsibility every day and encourage us to join their call for a joint struggle for a fairer and more responsible society, our decision to suspend work represents a clear position of us, ballet dancers, cultural workers, about the long-term collapse of all institutions, including cultural institutions," they stated in the announcement at the time.