AGMA’s new five-year agreement with Cincinnati Ballet was approved by union members and ratified by AGMA’s Board of Governors on May 11, 2026.
This new agreement delivers steady wage increases, stronger safety protections, improved scheduling, and important structural gains for Dancers across the company, including the elimination of the Apprentice rank and significantly higher starting pay for incoming Artists.
Thank you to the negotiating committee and congratulations to all Cincinnati Ballet Artists!
CONTRACT HIGHLIGHTS
Economics
- Weekly wage increases* for all ranks across the life of the agreement:
- Year 1: +$55/week
- Year 2: +$57/week
- Year 3: +$59/week
- Year 4: +$61/week
- Year 5: +$63/week
*These increases equal approximately 3.8% to 6.3% annually, depending on rank
- Delegate Fee increased by approximately 6% in Year 1 and maintained throughout the agreement
- Extraordinary Risk compensation increased by approximately 9% in Year 1 and maintained throughout the agreement
Major Structural Improvements
- Elimination of the Apprentice rank beginning in Year 1
- Dancers entering the company as New Dancers instead of Apprentices will receive approximately 32% higher pay
- A significant step toward stronger compensation and professional standards for early-career Artists
Schedule Improvements
- In productions with two performance weeks, Dancers will now receive both Monday and Tuesday off
- New Nutcracker protections:
- Best efforts to limit Dancers to no more than three performances across two consecutive double-show days
- If scheduled for all four performances, Extraordinary Risk compensation applies in addition to other penalties and fees
- Adjusted pre-show schedules to allow more dedicated time for fight and flight calls
- Improved spacing rehearsal protections:
- Guaranteed time for spacing work during tech and performance weeks
- Clear prohibition on full-out dancing during spacing rehearsals
Health and Wellness Protections
- New post-layoff conditioning language led by an Athletic Trainer or Fitness Specialist
- Conditioning schedules tied to the length of layoff before returning to work
- Expanded Dancer Wellness protections, including:
- Safeguards around meetings related to health, weight, and physical appearance
- Employer reimbursement for expenses connected to required improvement plans
- New injury status and communication guidelines
- Protections against pressure to work beyond medical limitations
- Structured return-to-work language with graduated workload increases and reasonable modifications
Additional Improvements
- Increased complimentary and discounted tickets
- New protections related to artificial intelligence
- New data breach protections
- Clearer payroll timelines, ensuring payment during the first week regardless of payroll cycle
- Improved reengagement language with earlier timelines and better visibility into upcoming productions to support planning and auditions