A choreographer and former dancer with The Washington Ballet, Stephen Nakagawa, has been named the brand new head of the Kennedy Heart’s dance programming, days after the whole employees of the famend performing arts establishment’s dance division was fired.
In a press assertion despatched to NPR on Monday, the president of the Kennedy Heart, Richard Grenell, mentioned: “Stephen is a celebrated ballerino who has been educated by world-renowned creative administrators and was an organization dancer proper right here in Washington, D.C. with The Washington Ballet. Stephen is obsessed with Dance schooling and discovering methods to succeed in new audiences.”
Neither Nakagawa’s on-line skilled biography nor the one despatched as a part of the Kennedy Heart’s announcement mentions any related expertise he might have as a curator or as an arts administrator. It’s uncommon for somebody with out that type of expertise to ascend to a administration place at such a high-profile group.
The Kennedy Heart is without doubt one of the nation’s largest performing arts establishments, and earlier this 12 months, it requested a big enhance in its funding from Congress to greater than $250 million. The brand new funding request handed final month as a part of the “One Large Stunning Invoice,” however Senate Republicans voted to delay the substantial funding will increase except the middle’s opera home is renamed for First Woman Melania Trump.
In Monday’s assertion, Nakagawa mentioned: “It’s a super honor to affix the Kennedy Heart at such a pivotal second for the performing arts. The humanities have at all times been on the coronary heart of my life. I’m keen to assist encourage and uplift audiences, whereas making certain dance continues to thrive as a vibrant and important a part of our tradition and group.”
Nakagawa’s predecessor, Jane Raleigh, despatched NPR an announcement on Friday during which she accused the Kennedy Heart of dismissing her in a retaliatory transfer for her help of a union organizing marketing campaign earlier this 12 months. She wrote: “From the start, I’ve been supportive of this effort because the employees have been preventing to keep up the belief we’ve with our artists and audiences, preserve our free speech and creative integrity, and preserve our skill to do the work we’re dedicated to day in and day trip.”
“Whereas I used to be advised my dismissal was because of a ‘lack of confidence in my management,'” Raleigh’s assertion continued, “I consider this firing to be in retaliation for my public help of the continuing union group drive on the Heart.”
