I was at the War Memorial Opera House tonight for the opening of The Blake Works — William Forsythe's electrifying triple bill set to music by James Blake — when ballet staff casually confirmed something that's been brewing for months: The San Francisco Ballet board has voted to cancel its upcoming performances at the Kennedy Center.
The company had been scheduled to bring Mere Mortals, its blockbuster AI-inspired ballet, to the Kennedy Center Opera House for a four-day run from May 27 through May 31. That's no longer happening.
Details are still thin. I was told the board voted recently, and that the decision had been made. SF Ballet has not yet made a formal public announcement. But for anyone who's been following this saga — the news lands with a mix of relief and "what took so long?"
A quick recap for those just tuning in
President Trump overhauled the Kennedy Center's board last year, got himself elected chairman, and installed ally Ric Grenell as president. Then, in December, his handpicked board renamed the venue "The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts" — slapping his name ahead of JFK's on one of the country's most storied arts institutions. Congress has not authorized the name change, and Kennedy family members have been vocally furious about it.
What followed was a mass exodus. The Washington National Opera left after performing there since 1971. Composer Philip Glass, Patti LuPone, Lin-Manuel Miranda, the Broadway cast of Les Misérables, soprano Renée Fleming, and many others pulled out. Then, in February, Trump announced the center would close entirely on July 4 for a two-year "renovation" — a move many interpreted as a face-saving response to the hemorrhaging calendar.
Through all of it, SF Ballet remained conspicuously on the schedule. A Change.org petition started by longtime supporter Daniel Detorie gathered thousands of signatures. Editorials from the Bay Area Reporter, 48 Hills, and the San Francisco Chronicle urged the company to pull out. The board met in early February but made no announcement. The silence was deafening.
Until tonight.
Why it matters
SF Ballet is one of the most prestigious dance companies in the world, and Mere Mortals — a collaboration between choreographer Aszure Barton, composer Floating Points, and Artistic Director Tamara Rojo — was a genuine showpiece. Its presence on the Kennedy Center schedule lent legitimacy to a venue that, by most accounts, is a shell of its former self. Pulling out aligns SF Ballet with the broader arts community's stance that performing there under current leadership isn't a neutral act.
It also means something for San Francisco. This is a city that prides itself on standing for something — even when it's complicated, and even when there's money on the table. The petition signers, the editorial boards, and the fans who showed up at the gala in January asking hard questions can take a small victory lap.
I'll update this story as more details emerge. For now, I'm heading back to process what was genuinely an incredible opening night for The Blake Works — and this very unexpected piece of news that came with it.
Saul Sugarman is editor-in-chief and owner of The Bold Italic.
