Harlem Dance Troupe Shows Scuttled--Again

The on-again, off-again local performances by the Dance Theater of Harlem are off again, this time seemingly for good--despite a last-minute, and unlikely, effort by the San Diego Symphony to sponsor two performances by the company.

The company was originally scheduled to perform at Symphony Hall this week, from Wednesday through Sunday under the sponsorship of San Diego Performances. But the debt-burdened organization was unable to raise the necessary funds and last week canceled the dates it had reserved in Symphony Hall.

The 60-member company traveled here Monday as negotiations continued with San Diego Performances for possible weekend shows. However, those negotiations fell through, and the company asked about using Symphony Hall to rehearse for performances in Pasadena, beginning Jan. 29.

Symphony management reached an agreement with the company to co-sponsor two weekend performances, and symphony representatives called newspapers Wednesday afternoon with the announcement. However, the performances were canceled an hour later, when symphony musicians--members of the Musicians Assn. Local 325--balked at symphony sponsorship because the dancers would use taped music instead of a live orchestra. The union has protested the practice, claiming it prevents musicians from making a living. Also, many local musicians are still owed money by San Diego Performances for accompanying dance concerts it sponsored in years past.

“We work with these musicians and want to maintain our relationship with them,” said symphony spokesman Les Smith, explaining the turnabout.

A representative of the New York-based dance company said it was “stranded.”

“We’ve been working on making performances possible, but they just fell through,” said Ron Dabney, assistant general manager for the company.

The company did not have a signed contract with San Diego Performances, and therefore has no recourse to recoup its travel and housing costs.

“The contract was out, but Suzanne (Townsend, San Diego Performances executive director), didn’t sign it and send it back,” Dabney said. “When a presenter is having problems, we try to work with them to make it happen. With her financial situation, though, having a contract wouldn’t mean much.”

San Diego Performances announced in September that it would have a 1989-90 season, despite a $450,000 deficit. The season was to include a weeklong residency by the Dance Theater of Harlem in conjunction with the commemoration of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday.

Townsend said time ran out for her to raise the necessary funds.

“It just got beyond the point where we could do anything constructive,” she said.

The cancellation was the second in San Diego Performances’ season of four presentations. In December, the San Francisco Ballet canceled its performances of “The Nutcracker” because it was still owed money from its 1988 appearance here. (In September, San Diego Performances sponsored performances by the Ballet Folklorico de Mexico, and, in November, presented the Paul Taylor dance company.)

Townsend said her organization will continue working toward reducing its deficit.