WEBVTT

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- Hi, Emily Leibert here.

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Big ballet news for you.

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Last week, New York
Supreme Court of Manhattan

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reinstated the New York City Ballet

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as a defendant in a 2018 lawsuit.

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So who sued the New York
City Ballet in 2018?

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Alexandra Waterbury, a former student

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of the company's academy
took the ballet to court

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claiming they failed to protect her.

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After one of their principal dancers

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recorded and shared intimate
footage and photos of her

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without her knowledge or consent.

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Additionally, in response
to some of the lude images

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a junior member of the New
York City Ballet board said

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"I bet we could tie some of them up

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and abuse them like farm animals."

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The New York City Ballet was quick to say

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it bears no responsibility in this matter,

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and still even employs
one of the men involved.

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So why did the court
initially throw out the case?

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Incredible question.

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A judge initially found that
just because the photo sharing

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and ludeing which happened under the watch

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of the New York City Ballet,

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didn't mean it was the company's fault.

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The judge also didn't think the company

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could have predicted such
misogynistic behavior

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from its employees.

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Now, those claims are back on the table

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and Waterbury gets a
second chance to prove

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that the former home of George Balanchine

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the father of American
ballet could have saved her

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from a lot of emotional harm,
the violation of her body,

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and her now damage reputation
in the ballet world.

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So what does this mean
for the world of ballet?

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This provides a much needed sigh of relief

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for the young women who
have been sexually abused,

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mistreated, and silenced
under the noses of the schools

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and studios meant to protect them.

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And it's especially timely

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as we look to the 50th anniversary
of Title IX this summer.

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How can institutions better
protect their dancers?

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The Scottish Ballet, for example

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has hired intimacy directors
and held intimacy workshops,

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that sort of accountability

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for the physical relationships
they're choreographing

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makes for a more welcoming environment

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to all dancers and for
women in particular.

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(upbeat music)