Charleston ballet loses more board members, struggles to survive

For the second time in less than a year, board members of the Charleston Ballet Theatre have resigned en masse, leaving the future of the dance company uncertain.

Last week, seven board members, including its president, O’Neal Compton, stepped down after months of struggling with financial and management issues, according to Compton and two former board members.

An initial group of several board members resigned in October, followed by two more in December. With the latest resignations, the ballet is left with no one on the board except Choreographer-in-Residence Jill Eathorne Bahr and founders Patricia and Don Cantwell.

On Jan. 16, ballet management met with dancers to tell them money was short and that it was possible their 22-week contract would have to be renegotiated or nullified, dancer Gwyneth Kelly and Bahr said.

Accountant Steven Johnson, who with his partner Carrie Lanning served on the board until December, said the basic problem is twofold: About $125,000 is owed in payroll taxes for years prior to 2012, a debt for which board members are personally liable, and addressing this problem has been hindered by a general inability to raise money from donors.

Read more later in upcoming editions of The Post and Courier.