From actors to auto workers to writers, it's been a year full of strikes. And in Central New York, dancers with the Syracuse City Ballet were fired earlier this month after they left work on strike.

Despite discussions between the professional dancers and Syracuse City Ballet, five dancers were fired, one was put on administrative leave and another two returned to work.

“Syracuse City Ballet is like my life, it's everything to me," said dancer Claire Solis.

Her mother was a co-founder of the Syracuse City Ballet. Now, she and four other dancers were fired. But they continue to practice every day.

“Dance is the one thing that nobody can take away from you, and we’ve dedicated our lives to this. We’re going to continue to do so. We are committed to dancing in Syracuse, for Syracuse," said Solis.

She said for 18 months, dancers had concerns about what she called incompetent leadership and unsafe working conditions.

“If you are being led by someone who doesn’t know how to guide you though specific lifts and turns and things that put your body directly at risk, then that is a safety issue," said Solis.

But after two recent incidents involving treatment of a student dancer, she said they began to strike. Solis said dancers far and wide have reached out in support.

“So many dancers across the world and across the country face this kind of adversity, where, because you love what you do, it's taking advantage of people who just expect you to kind of roll with the punches, and for lack of a better phrase, shut up and dance," said Solis.

The Syracuse City Ballet is continuing to rehearse and perform their annual production of "The Nutcracker," which begins Friday night. Melissa Minjares is executive director, and began in the position this summer. Her emphasis, like the dancers, is on the students in the production.

“You can go to schools and you'll see that there's not many arts programs. These kids, this is something that you could actually have a career in, right? Even if it's not a career, they just truly love and truly love doing it," said Minjares.

Minjares said the complaint was filed Nov. 10, and negotiations went on until the firing on the Nov. 16. Minjares also mentioned the person the complaint was made against is on administrative leave.

She said the strike was unlawful, and before the dancers were fired, the nonprofit was already financially struggling.

“What’s going to happen next, right? What's going to happen? I don’t have the answer," said Minjares.

A statement released by the Syracuse City Ballet last week said, "We believed that the six dancers were participating in an unlawful strike, citing unsafe work conditions when really they just wanted artistic changes and were willing to jeopardize a major production to get their way."

The Syracuse City Ballet production of "The Nutcracker" will have four performances from Dec. 1-Dec. 3.