A group of dancers have claimed their careers have been put at risk by a leading choreographer who resigned following a transphobia row.

Rosie Kay claimed last week that she was forced to quit the Rosie Kay Dance Company, which she founded, as a result of her stance on gender identity.

The acclaimed choreographer said she had been the subject of two investigations by trustees over the past four months, following complaints about her views by some of the dancers who attended a private party at her home in August.

Earlier this week Kay – who does not believe people can change their biological sex – spoke openly about her decision to quit, saying she could “endure this humiliation any longer” and that she was being vilified for her views on gender.

But in an open letter the dancers have now claimed that by going public, Kay has caused “potential detriment to our careers”.

Kay ‘abused power as our boss’ 

In the letter, they say they want to “set the record straight and to ensure that any dancers under the supervision of Rosie Kay do not undergo the same marginalisation that we have suffered”.

The dancers behind the letter, shown to the BBC, say that they “respect Rosie’s right to hold the belief that biological sex is immutable”, but that “no-one, no matter how big their platform, has the right to create a hostile work environment.”

They added: “She abused her power as our boss. Furthermore, she is now using her power as someone that has a louder voice than we can hope for.”

The letter, signed by six members of the company, goes on to state: “Rosie spoke about ‘the cake of rights’ and stated women have fought for their slice of rights and now men pretending to be women want a portion of that slice. This is a deeply offensive analogy and due to the fact that two trans non-binary people had a seat at the table, it felt very pointed.”

The group also alleged that Kay was aggressive and had made the dancers uncomfortable by showing them her child’s bedroom during a tour of her Birmingham home.

Kay: ‘Women are losing rights to males who identify as women’ 

Kay, who choreographed the film Sunshine on Leith and the Commonwealth Games Handover Ceremony in 2018, says that what happened at the dinner party was a vivid example of women who stand up for women’s rights being deliberately smeared with accusations of transphobia.

She denies that she deliberately sought to offended the two non-binary trans dancers present at the party – held during rehearsals for the company’s production of Romeo & Juliet – and rejects claims that she demanded they justify their exitence.

“I said, and it is correct to say, that women are losing rights to males who identify as women. These include rights to single sex spaces. This is not an analogy, it is a statement of fact, and I do not apologise for it,” she told the BBC.

“This was a dinner in my own home, at which I was attacked by six individuals. The hostility was directed at me, and has lasted for nearly four months. I make no apology for standing up against this treatment, using the ‘power’ that I have earned through a 20 year career.

“Other women who do not have this power, cannot stand up like I have done. This is not aimed at the dancers, but at the toxic nature of a culture that will see women lose their livelihoods for believing that sex is real.

“I’m still in shock that hospitality could end with such an accusation.”

The Rosie Kay Dance Company has disputed her claims that she was ostracised and shut out of her own company, with no care for her wellbeing.

It stated: “We are surprised by this account and strongly resist this interpretation of events.

“However, we will continue to respect the confidentiality of the investigation process and are therefore unable to comment further.”