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Arts & Culture

The San Francisco Ballet Cancels Its Trump-Kennedy Center Shows

Initially scheduled to perform at the newly renamed Trump-Kennedy Center, the SF Ballet has reversed course.
Pendarvis Harshaw
Ballet dancers rehearsing against a purple backdrop.
Ellen Rose Hummel and Cavan Conley during the San Francisco Ballet's 'Mere Mortals' artistic team residency in January 2024. As of February 2026, The Ballet has canceled its previously scheduled performances of 'Mere Mortals' at the Trump-Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. (© Grady Brannan Photography)

The San Francisco Ballet’s upcoming shows at Washington D.C.’s Trump-Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts have been removed from the Ballet’s list of scheduled events. 

Initially slated to perform a modern, AI-inspired rendition of the myth of Pandora titled Mere Mortals, from May 27 through 31, the Ballet’s board voted to cancel the show, The Bold Italic first reported.

The performances were removed from the Ballet’s website this past Saturday, and were subsequently removed from the Trump-Kennedy Center’s site. The Trump-Kennedy Center has not released an official statement on the matter.

(After KQED’s initial story published, SF Ballet released the following statement: “SF Ballet’s Board of Trustees has made the decision that the company’s performances that were scheduled at the Trump Kennedy Center May 27-31 will no longer take place. SF Ballet looks forward to performing for Washington, D.C. audiences in the future.”)

In January, an online petition started by longtime SF Ballet supporter Daniel Detorie called out the organization for scheduling the performances at the Trump Kennedy Center. On the petition Detorie wrote that he was wary of “a significant transformation of the venue due to a takeover influenced by policies reminiscent of the Trump administration.”

A general view of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 10, 2026. Artists have cancelled performances at Washington's premier performing arts center to protest its renaming to include President Donald Trump.
A view of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 10, 2026. Artists have cancelled performances at Washington D.C.’s premier performing arts center to protest its renaming to include President Donald Trump. (Mandel Ngan | AFP via Getty Images)

In February of 2025, President Trump was elected chair of the Center, and the sitting president’s last name was added to the organization’s name in December, officially making it the Trump-Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

“This isn’t just about art,” reads the petition against the San Francisco Ballet’s performance at the Center, which has amassed over 7,400 signatures. “It’s about preserving principles that ensure our performing arts remain an unbiased reflection of our diverse society.”

In the past year, a number of artists and organizations have canceled shows and events at the Center, including Postclassical Ensemble’s Orpheus: The Magic of the Arts, as well as the Washington National Opera Gala.

While artists like East Bay political pundit and comedian W. Kamau Bell, and Oakland singer B. DeVeaux have chosen to perform at the center as a form of protest, a glimpse at the upcoming events slated for the Trump-Kennedy Center reveals a large number of cancellations.

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