Kennedy Center Cuts Dance Programming Team

The Kennedy Center has laid off its entire dance programming team, a move that has sparked fresh concerns among staff and artists about the future of the genre at the nation’s performing arts hub.

According to spokesperson Roma Daravi, three positions were terminated, including Director of Dance Programming Jane Raleigh and Assistant Manager Mallory Miller, a lead organizer in the effort to unionize staff. Miller described the dismissals as proof of why a union is needed, calling the cuts “a form of censorship.”

The departures add to an exodus of high-profile staff since Donald Trump assumed control of the Kennedy Center earlier this year. Tony Yoon, a senior filmmaker, resigned in protest following the firings, while Broadway programming chief Jeffrey Finn, Kennedy Center Honors producer Matthew Winer, honoree manager Emeline Carlisle, and jazz artistic director Jason Moran have also left in recent weeks. Earlier this year, artistic advisers Renée Fleming and Ben Folds stepped away from the institution.

With subscriptions reportedly down across multiple genres and more than 50 employees gone, some staffers estimate over 100, the Kennedy Center has faced major disruption. The loss of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater from its package further clouds the future of dance programming.

Meanwhile, the center quietly removed part of Tim Yip’s 2005 installation China Red from its corridors without explanation, further fueling concerns over artistic censorship and transparency at the institution.