Joffrey Ballet’s Future in L.A. Questionable : Dance: The financially troubled troupe will not perform ‘The Nutcracker’ at Christmas and also faces Wiltern Theatre litigation.

The Joffrey Ballet’s future in Los Angeles seems tenuous, following announcements this week that the financially troubled company is not performing “The Nutcracker” here this winter and that it is also involved in litigation with the Wiltern Theatre.

The Joffrey has continued to consider Los Angeles one of its “bi-coastal” homes (along with New York), even after its ouster as a resident company at the Music Center in June, 1991. After leaving the Music Center, the company found a new West Coast home at the Wiltern Theatre but returned last December to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, where it has performed “The Nutcracker” annually since 1988.

But, following Thursday’s announcement that the Joffrey and American Ballet Theatre had discontinued discussions on a possible merger, the Joffrey released a schedule of upcoming performances that does not mention a return to Los Angeles this year or in 1993.

Music Center Operating Co. President Sandra Kimberling confirmed Thursday that the Joffrey will not dance at the center this Christmas. Instead, she said, “We are working on a Kirov (“Nutcracker”) presentation in conjunction with James A. Doolittle” for the same period. (The Kirov is also scheduled to dance “The Nutcracker” Dec. 1-6 at the Orange County Performing Arts Center.)

The Joffrey’s schedule also includes no dates at the Wiltern Theatre next spring, and Michael Tennenbaum, the company’s executive committee chairman, acknowledged that there is “pending litigation” with the Wiltern over the company’s aborted monthlong season there this spring. Originally scheduled from May 8 to June 7, what would have been the Joffrey’s inaugural season at the Wiltern was canceled in the wake of riots after the verdict in the Rodney G. King beating trial.

“It’s just another unfortunate circumstance,” Tennenbaum said. “The Wiltern had a number of expenses associated with the cancellation of the L.A. season and the Joffrey invoked basically a force majeure ,” he said, using a legal term that refers to something like an act of God, making the Joffrey cancellation beyond its control.

“There’s no meeting of the minds of how the pain is to be distributed,” he said. “Both the Wiltern and the Joffrey are innocent victims.” Wiltern representatives were unavailable for comment.

After merger negotiations with ABT ceased, the Joffrey also announced that it is launching an emergency fund-raising campaign. The company has a $2.7-million deficit.

Kimberling said the change in plans to host the Joffrey came about because the company “wasn’t able to come with the necessary deposit.” She emphasized that the Music Center wanted written pledges from the Joffrey board, rather than actual money.

These conditions would be the same for anyone, she said--including the Kirov. “As landlord, we (the Operating Co.) can’t be vulnerable, can’t take a financial risk.” She declined to state the amount of the demanded guarantee but said, “We lowered it substantially from last year.”

That amount was in the “six figures,” according to Tennenbaum, who added that the Music Center “insisted that the Joffrey self-produce ‘The Nutcracker.’ That means putting up all the expenses in advance of the performances and assuming all the risk of the profit and loss.

“In addition, the company had to make a substantial guarantee, and we explained that the financial condition of the Joffrey did not lend itself to that.”

“This is a discussion that has gone on for the last few months,” Tennenbaum said, “and I deeply regret that the Music Center did not consider our proposal that the Music Center produce the Joffrey ‘Nutcracker.’ It was quite profitable last season, making several hundred thousand dollars. However the Music Center declined.

“As a consequence, the Joffrey is having to seriously reconsider its dance schedule.”

The Joffrey is performing “Nutcracker” in Minneapolis and at the Kennedy Center in Washington this winter, after a two-city tour to Germany in October.