Amar Ramasar, a principal dancer who was denounced by colleagues for sharing vulgar texts, will leave the company in May.
A star dancer at New York City Ballet who came under fire for sharing vulgar texts and sexually explicit photos plans to leave the company next year.
The dancer, Amar Ramasar, will retire in May after a 20-year career with City Ballet, according to a 2021-22 season announcement released by the company this month.
Ramasar has been under intense scrutiny since 2018, when he and two other male dancers were accused of sending inappropriate texts and photos of other City Ballet dancers.
The scandal roiled the ballet company and became a high-profile test of the #MeToo movement. One female dancer accused the company of condoning a “fraternity-like atmosphere.”
In 2018, City Ballet fired Ramasar. Months later, he was reinstated after an arbitrator ruled that the company had overstepped.
City Ballet confirmed Ramasar’s retirement but did not offer further details, saying only that his farewell performance would be in Balanchine’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
In a statement, a spokeswoman for Ramasar said he would turn 40 this year and was ready to retire.
“Amar has had a beautiful career at New York City Ballet,” said the spokeswoman, Kimberly Giannelli. She said he was exploring other professional opportunities.
Ramasar has previously said that he has learned from past mistakes. He has argued that he only shared pictures of his own consensual sexual activity.
Ramasar, a principal dancer, has also had success on Broadway, appearing in productions of “West Side Story” and “Carousel.”
But the texting scandal has continued to cloud his career. Critics have held protests at his performances and called for his firing.
Other City Ballet dancers have also accused Ramasar of inappropriate behavior. Georgina Pazcoguin, a soloist, writes in a new memoir that Ramasar often greeted her by touching her breasts. Ramasar
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