So the Kennedy Center just made headlines—and not for a stunning ballet premiere or a groundbreaking modern piece. Nope. This time, it’s because they fired their dance programming team. Out with the old, in with the new—and apparently, without so much as a warning.
Let’s break it down. The L.A. Times calls it the end of a “‘woke’ dance era.” The Washington Post reports top producers are out. NPR says a new director is already named—days after the firings. And the union? They’re furious, claiming it was done abruptly, no notice, no chance to negotiate.
What’s really going on here?
On one hand, you’ve got an institution under pressure to stay relevant, to reflect the times, to be… well, “woke.” That word gets thrown around so much these days it’s lost all meaning. But in the arts, being “woke” often means prioritizing diversity, inclusion, and fresh perspectives. Worthy goals, right? Absolutely.
But here’s the catch: when you fire the very people who were likely pushing for that change—the programmers, the curators, the behind-the-scenes visionaries—what message does that send? That it was all for show? That when budgets tighten or priorities shift, “wokeness” becomes expendable?
The Kennedy Center says they’re restructuring. They’ve named a new director. Maybe they’re aiming for a different direction—more commercial, less experimental? Or maybe it’s just classic institutional politics: new leadership, clean house, rebrand.
But let’s not ignore the human cost. These were people’s jobs, careers, passions. The union is right to call out the lack of warning. In a sector already struggling with precarious work, treating cultural workers as disposable is not just cold—it’s shortsighted.
Art isn’t made by committees or mission statements. It’s made by people. And when those people are dismissed overnight, something vital is lost—trust, continuity, the soul of the programming.
So yeah, the “woke dance” era might be over at the Kennedy Center. But maybe the real story isn’t about wokeness at all. Maybe it’s about how even our most revered arts institutions are struggling to balance idealism with reality, and sometimes, in the process, they lose their way.
What do you think? Restructuring or reckoning? Let me know in the comments.
