Joffrey Director Resigns, Blames Power Struggle : Ballet: He forbids the dance troupe to perform his copyrighted numbers. Group is in the midst of financial problems.

An internal power struggle over the financially troubled Joffrey Ballet has prompted its internationally known artistic director to submit his resignation and forbid the company to perform his copyrighted dance numbers.

The announcement by Gerald Arpino, who co-founded the company with the late Robert Joffrey, threatens the future of one of America’s leading troupes, which Wednesday opened a monthlong engagement at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

Despite the backstage turmoil, the company opened Wednesday night with an upbeat performance that included two ballets choreographed by Arpino. The alternately lyrical and light-hearted evening concluded with the Los Angeles premiere of “The Pantages and the Palace Present ‘Two-A-Day,’ ” whose segments ranged from dancers in top hats and tails to bathing beauties and even heavenly ascensions.

The announcement by Arpino followed tumultuous meetings in Los Angeles and New York that resulted in a management reorganization. The sessions, which involved, among others, Arpino and David Murdock, business tycoon and co-chairman of the Joffrey board, were called to deal with a persistent financial crisis. Sources said the company needs $500,000 to meet its current expenses.

Joffrey directors, hoping to smooth over the conflict, did not accept Arpino’s resignation and expressed hope “that the matter can be resolved reasonably.” It was not clear what effect, if any, the directors’ refusal would have on Arpino’s resignation.

The 35-year-old Joffrey Ballet, a resident company of the Music Center, has ranked among the world’s most prestigious dance organizations, offering an eclectic selection of dances.

Penelope Curry, the Joffrey’s executive director, said in an interview: “We intend to dance for the full season (in Los Angeles). If we don’t, the company’s finished and nobody wants that to happen.”

But as the reorganized Joffrey board talked of working out its disagreements with Arpino, his lawyer sent a letter to the Joffrey business offices in Los Angeles in a bid to prohibit the dancers from performing any copyrighted artistic works of Arpino--roughly one-third of its repertoire--after Friday. Attorney Harold Messing, who also represents “certain artistic properties” in Joffrey’s estate, also forbade performance of those works.

Asked about the effect of Arpino’s prohibition on dancing both his and Joffrey’s ballets, Curry added: “It presents a problem to the company, and I can’t give an answer at this time about what it will mean to our repertory.”

Arpino’s actions apparently were prompted by the dire financial crisis facing the company and, more specifically, by the formation of a small operating committee--expected to be chaired by Murdock--to assume management duties that previously fell to a full board of more than 50 trustees.

Unwieldy administration has been cited as a source of the Joffrey’s financial problems.

But Arpino, in a statement to the board Tuesday, characterized “a small group of contributors and board members” as the problem.

The unnamed members of that group, Arpino said, have been “responsible for, condoned and perpetrated the mismanagement of the company and thwarted every reasonable effort to make improvements. They have repeatedly threatened me and other members of the board with the death of the company unless I accept all of their demands.”

The group “has attempted to deny me my artistic authority and to strip me of the powers and responsibilities as artistic director,” the choreographer added. “They have gone against the last wishes of Robert Joffrey.” Joffrey died in March, 1988.

In addition to Arpino, who also serves on the board of directors, six other trustees resigned after the meeting Tuesday, according to the Joffrey board’s press release.

“Once again, you have people who head giant corporations who think arts institutions should be run the same way,” said one of the resigning board members, who requested anonymity.

Efforts to reach Murdock were unsuccessful. In its press release, the newly formed “board of managing directors,” consisting of Murdock and seven other directors, emphasized a “continuing confidence” in Arpino.

The Joffrey has been financially troubled for much of its recent history--one reason the New York company became the nation’s first bicoastal resident ballet company in 1983, establishing a second home in Los Angeles.

The Music Center learned in March just how critical the money problems had become.

“Officers of the Joffrey brought it to our attention,” said Arco Executive Vice President Ronald Arnault, chairman of the Music Center’s Finance Committee. “We were asked to supply at least a half-million dollars more than contractual arrangements between (us) provided, just for them to get through their May season at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. There were numbers as high as $1 million to get them through to the end of their fiscal year June 30.”

Arnault said that “governance by a board of more than 50 people residing on two coasts wasn’t working, as these special financial requests showed. . . . It’s not uncommon for an executive committee to do almost everything this committee is set up to do.”

Meanwhile, Arnault said, the Music Center “will try to continue and work with the Joffrey and hope they work out a plan where they financially survive and deliver the good product they delivered in the past.”

After a meeting at the Music Center on Wednesday, the Joffrey dancers were reluctant to answer reporters’ questions about the resignations and the company’s future.

“The dancers are really kept in the dark about things,” said Joffrey dancer Edward Stierle.

Despite the shake-ups, Stierle said the dancers were concentrating on their opening night performance.

Contributing to this article were Times Music/Dance Critic Martin Bernheimer and staff writers Daniel Cariaga, John Henken, Barbara Isenberg, Donna Perlmutter, Lewis Segal and Joe Velazquez in Los Angeles and Karen Tumulty in New York City.