Legendary dance company pulls out of MAGA-fied Kennedy Center performance

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Raw Story

January 16, 2026 7:16PM ET


America's oldest dance troupe wants no part of the Kennedy Center after its MAGA makeover. The Martha Graham Dance Company has cancelled its highly anticipated performance scheduled for April, cutting short what was supposed to be a major stop on its centennial nationwide tour, The Daily Beast reported Friday.

"“The Martha Graham Dance Company regrets that we are unable to perform at the Kennedy Center in April. We hope to perform at the center in the future," the company said in a statement, offering no reason as to why it backed out.

The move marks another major defection from the prestigious venue following Trump's controversial December decision to slap his name on the building. Trump's hand-picked board approved renaming it "The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts," bypassing Congress in the process.

The Graham Company joins a star-studded exodus. Grammy winner Béla Fleck, songwriter Sonia De Los Santos, and the Washington National Opera have all bailed on scheduled performances.

Read more: https://www.rawstory.com/kennedy-center-trump-2674904046/

---

Bravo!

[malaise]

1. Great news

Rec

[Bengus81]

2. Heard Kid Rock has months of free time Trump.........

[Blumancru]

3. Yes, I can see a Lee Greenwood, Kid Rock, and Turd Nugent residency going on for the rest of his term.

That way they won’t have to have any embarrassing cancellations by artists.

[Bengus81]

6. LOL! Ole' Turd is getting up there in years. Bet the swinging on the rope in a loin cloth

ain't a happening anymore.

[BumRushDaShow]

7. With special appearances by

Jon Voight, doing his best crazed ranting.

[The Madcap]

8. They could hold WWE events there.

Maybe even build a McD's right next door.

[Blumancru]

9. Why not just put the McD's in the lobby

for His Flatulency’s convenience.

[cstanleytech]

4. Trump's name is the touch of death.

[niyad]

5. Excellent!