Joffrey Ballet Crisis Grows --Executive Director Quits

The management crisis of the Joffrey Ballet deepened Wednesday as Penelope Curry disclosed that she had resigned as the company’s executive director.

The resignation means that since the first of this month the renowned dance company has lost its artistic director, Gerald Arpino; its executive director, Curry; and the co-chairman of the board and principal financial angel, Los Angeles developer David H. Murdock.

However, the departure of Curry and Murdock, who were counted as Arpino’s detractors, could signal the return of the artistic director and co-founder.

Curry, who has been with the company for 22 years and executive director for the past four years, said she submitted her resignation on Tuesday to members of the Los Angeles board at a meeting at the Music Center and through a telephone hookup to board members in New York. She said she will remain as a consultant to the company for the remainder of the Los Angeles season and “beyond that.”

Curry’s resignation came hours after Murdock, who had been co-chairman of the board with Anthony A. Bliss of New York, issued a statement reconfirming his own resignation, which he had submitted on May 7.

Arpino resigned May 1 in a dispute with the bi-coastal board. Now, however, the board is negotiating with Arpino in an effort to bring him back, according to a source close to Arpino. Curry said Wednesday that “negotiations are going very positively with Jerry,” but declined comment on whether her resignation was tied to the talks.

Earlier this week the company announced that Arpino had agreed to permit the Joffrey to perform his choreography for the remainder of the Los Angeles season. Arpino had withdrawn his works from the repertoire after his resignation.

Arpino co-founded the company with Robert Joffrey in 1956, starting as a dancer and eventually becoming the company’s chief choreographer. Arpino was named artistic director after Joffrey’s death in 1988.

The Joffrey became the resident company at New York City Center in 1966, and in 1983 it adopted Los Angeles as a second home. Murdock was instrumental in the company’s move West. Arpino and Curry had reportedly been at odds over the direction of the company. The Joffrey is nearly $2 million in debt, including $828,000 due from payroll withholding.

Curry’s disclosure of her resignation came almost casually. In a call to The Times from the Joffrey office here, she said: “Our focus is on keeping the company going. The only thing I can comment on, I did turn in my resignation yesterday. I agreed to stay on for two weeks during any transition, and I will be of help beyond that.”

With a hint of sadness in her voice she added: “Twenty-two years is a long time.” At the same time she declined comment on what prompted her resignation. “All my energy is being devoted to having the company survive,” she said.

Murdock’s statement noted that he has announced his resignation and quoted him as saying: “I have been active as a co-chairman of the board for seven years and I feel it is time to step down. It has been an honor and privilege to serve with this fine ballet company.”

A spokeswoman for Murdock said the announcement was reissued because the multimillionaire financier had been inundated with phone calls. There had also been reports that Murdock was playing a key behind-the-scenes role in the Joffrey’s negotiations with Arpino.

Murdock’s departure only worsens the situation because he had reportedly offered to erase that debt.