Kennedy Center Appoints Stephen Nakagawa After He Criticizes 'Radical Leftist Ideologies in Ballet'

There is more news from the Kennedy Center today. The D.C. cultural institution just announced the appointment of Stephen Nakagawa as its new Director of Dance Programming. 

“We are honored that Stephen Nakagawa will be joining the Kennedy Center full-time to lead Dance Programming,” said Kennedy Center President, Ambassador Richard Grenell. “Stephen is a celebrated ballerino who has been trained by world-renowned artistic directors and was a company dancer right here in Washington, D.C. with The Washington Ballet. Stephen is passionate about Dance education and finding ways to reach new audiences.”

This news comes after it was announced that The Kennedy Center had laid off its entire dance programming team last week, 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 the New York Times, Nakagawa was appointed after he wrote a letter to Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell to voice his support of the Trump administration. He wrote that he was concerned by “radical leftist ideologies in ballet,” and was “increasingly concerned about the direction the ballet world is taking in America.” Read the full article.

Nakagawa grew up in a family of dancers and began his training at the Academy of Russian Classical Ballet. He continued his studies at prestigious institutions, including the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, the Kirov Academy of Ballet, and the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities. His training was guided by renowned coaches including Ethan Stiefel, Nina Danilova, Victor and Tatiana Kasatsky, Marat Daukayev, Stanislav Issaev, and more.

“It is a tremendous honor to join the Kennedy Center at such a pivotal moment for the performing arts,” said Director of Dance Programming, Stephen Nakagawa. “The arts have always been at the heart of my life. I am eager to help inspire and uplift audiences, while ensuring dance continues to thrive as a vibrant and essential part of our culture and community.”

ABOUT STEPHEN NAKAGAWA

Stephen Nakagawa of Fontana, California, is a dancer, educator, and choreographer whose career spans more than a decade, first as a company dancer with Ballet West II from 2013 to 2015 and with The Washington Ballet (TWB) from 2015 to 2025. Nakagawa was handpicked by Julie Kent and Victor Barbee to take on leading character roles in TWB full-length ballet productions. He gained recognition as a performer with exceptional stage presence and acting ability, as well as a continuous crowd favorite in roles such as Lord Capulet in John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet, The Father in George Balanchine’s Prodigal Son, Von Rothbart in Marius Petipa’s Swan Lake, Drosselmeyer in Septime Weber’s The Nutcracker, Carabosse in Marius Petipa’s The Sleeping Beauty, and Don Quixote in Marius Petipa and Alexander Gorsky’s Don Quixote. As a choreographer, Nakagawa premiered Rising Sun in 2021 with TWB. He has also served as a guest ballet master and choreographer at the Metropolitan Ballet Theater, McLean School, and Warrenton Ballet Center. Nakagawa trained at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, the Kirov Academy of Ballet, and the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities. He has also been a regular guest artist with International Ballet in Greenville, SC under the direction of Lena Forster and Vlada Kysselova. He received full scholarships to summer programs at Miami City Ballet in 2011, San Francisco Ballet in 2012, American Ballet Theatre in 2013, and participated in a two-week program at Staatliche Ballettschule Berlin in 2014. In 2013, he won first place in the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) regional competition and went on to perform as a finalist in New York’s David H. Koch Theater. He currently resides in Bethesda, MD.

Photo courtesy of Kennedy Center