FORMER board members of a dance charity who stood down last month say they were prepared to work with the organisation ? but only if a paid up advisor was dismissed.

The rebel group, who represent two of the island's five major dance schools, quit the National Dance Foundation of Bermuda last month, claiming that resources should be spent on students rather than staff salaries. The NDFB employs three people at a cost of nearly $200,000 a year.

This former board members this week listed a catalogue of other concerns, alleging that dance schools ? the grass roots of the dancing community ? were being shut out of funding and decision-making.

One of the rebels, Conchita Ming, who founded the NDFB's predecessor, the National Dance Theatre of Bermuda, agreed that the majority of concerns had been resolved following talks with board chairman Donald Kramer.

But the rebels went public with their concerns earlier this week after Mr. Kramer failed to dismiss NDFB advisor Wendy Davis Johnson, who is paid an annual salary of $84,000.

"There was some forward movement and they were accepting of our recommendations ? apart from letting Wendy go," Mrs. Ming said.

"We thought she should have been retired and were told that Don Kramer was going to do that. The money was not going where it is supposed to go. Can we really justify full time salaries for a part-time programme?"

Last night Mr. Kramer denied that Mrs. Davis Johnson was being overpaid ? or that he had agreed to dismiss her.

He pointed out that Mrs. Davis Johnson was earning less than the charity's previous executive director, who she had effectively replaced.

He said that an independent study of the charity's pay scales and the job effectiveness of staff had been carried out to the satisfaction of the board, which had approved the annual salary expenditure on three separate occasions. He added that he refused to be hijacked by a group of 'minority dissidents'. There rebels represent about a quarter of the NDFB's 20-member board.

"The Board of the National Dance Foundation has approved both the staffing of the Foundation and the levels of compensation for its one employee and two consultants," he said.

"Specifically with regard to Wendy Davis Johnson, the board feels that she has been a tireless and effective colleague with a passion for the mission of the foundation. She has propelled the foundation to an unprecedented level of success and recognition, exhibiting professionalism and best practices. She is also a generous contributor to the foundation. The board cannot accept the dictates of a disgruntled few to override board decisions. Wendy Davis Johnson has the full confidence and support of the NDFB board."