Edward Villella has been synonmus with the Miami City Ballet since he founded the company in 1986. Until very recently he served as the Artistic Director and CEO. In Daniel J. Wakin’s article Bitter Departure for Miami’s Ballet Patriarch he describes how this dancing legend is being forced out of the job he loves. As Wakin explains, Villella will be stepping down after next season and although the board has said it is a mutual agreement between them and Villella it seems like he is really being forced out. As waken says “Mr. Villella was forced out, according to recent interviews with his supporters on the board, friends and others familiar with the company.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                            It seems that money has finally gotten to the mind of the board members of Miami CIty Ballet. Art seemed to be the last place were money was not the overlying factor where the company was not run soley based on business decsions. In Arts sometimes something that was not the best business model could still survive because it at leas broke even and all people enjoyed the true beauty of it. Villella it seems is being let go because he had been hurting the business side of the Miami City Ballet. Villella it seemed was as interested in the business side as the board would have liked him to be. The board recently hired  Nicholas T. Goldsborough as the new CEO and he has stated in interviews that he hopes to raise the endowment from around 2 million to up to 30 or 40 million. This new CEO has other ambitious ideas that of course have making money in mind.

It really was a shame to see a icon of any trade pushed out before he is ready, this becomes even worse when he is pushed out because of money. I always looked to the arts as the final place were money was not an overlying factor but I guess the Arts could only fight off having to make money for so long.