The abrupt change was jarring to Jonathan Stafford, the company’s interim leader, who said he had thought the casting was “locked in.” He said he was also upset when Mr. Martins defied his instructions to wait until the dancers had exited before going backstage after the first performance of “The Sleeping Beauty” last week.

“Unfortunately, he did not respect my wishes, even though I was crystal clear,” said Mr. Stafford, a ballet master and former principal dancer. “I was as surprised as anybody,” he added. “One dancer complained to me directly.”

These sensitivities stem from the circumstances surrounding Mr. Martins’s departure. He was the subject of multiple accusations of abuse, but an investigation commissioned by City Ballet’s board did not corroborate those allegations, which former dancers and others had made in interviews with The New York Times and The Washington Post. That outcome divided the company, with some dancers sad to see Mr. Martins go and others upset that he had not been held to account.



Mr. Martins retains artistic say over his ballets, including “The Sleeping Beauty,” now in performances, and “Romeo + Juliet,” which was performed last February. Both had been programmed before Mr. Martins retired under pressure in January 2018.

He changed the casting for “The Sleeping Beauty” just before the roles were officially announced — pulling Ms. Bouder from her usual position as Princess Aurora in the first cast and switching her with Sterling Hyltin in the third cast. He also swapped out several other dancers at the last minute. This has left some in the company bristling at Mr. Martins’s remaining levers of control.