La Scala chorus strike forces ballet cancellation

MILAN - La Scala has cancelled the inaugural ballet of its season because of a strike by the chorus.

The opera house announced "with regret" that the Wednesday opening of "Romeo et Juliette" has been called off. The theatre said the chorus was seeking extra pay for being required to participate in a segment of the ballet.

The chorus spent longer periods on stage during the recent season-opener of the opera "Lohengrin," but the singers argue that the national contract includes provisions for participating on stage in operas, but not ballets.

The one-day strike is not expected to affect future performances.

The strike comes on the heels of complaints by dancers that the stage, including an additional platform for "Romeo et Juliette," is slightly slanted. No formal labour action has been taken.