Boston Ballet Cuts Dancers

Unable to dig itself out of debt, Boston Ballet has eliminated nine jobs, cut back performances, and finally taken the dreaded step of laying off dancers.

The cash-strapped organization confirmed this week it will reduce its stable of dancers from 50 to 41, which one ballerina, Melanie Atkins, said would be too few to make it a top-tier company.

Richard Johnson, the company's former chief financial officer, said yesterday that the layoffs took him by surprise.

"I know they've been having financial challenges but I didn't know it was that bad," said Johnson, who now holds an equivalent post with the Washington National Opera. "That's a major step."

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