A former dancer in the apprentice program of Salt Lake City’s Ballet West has landed a prestigious — and controversial — job in the world of ballet, as the new dance director for the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Stephen Nakagawa, who was appointed to the Kennedy Center job in August, danced for Ballet West II from 2013 to 2015, company spokesperson Dana Rimington confirmed.
During his time in Utah, Nakagawa performed in the company’s Family Classics series, appearing in ensemble of “The Little Mermaid” and as an evil magician in “Aladdin.” He also had roles in productions of “The Sleeping Beauty,” “Giselle” and “Swan Lake.”
Upon leaving Ballet West II in 2015, Nakagawa spent the next decade of his career with The Washington Ballet.
In a statement, Richard Grenell, the Kennedy Center’s president, said Nakagawa is “a celebrated ballerino who has been trained by world-renowned artistic directors and was a company dancer right here in Washington, D.C., with The Washington Ballet. Stephen is passionate about dance education and finding ways to reach new audiences.”
The New York Times reported that Nakagawa had written a letter to Grenell, voicing his support for the Trump administration and complaining about “radical leftist ideologies in ballet.” The Times reported that it obtained a copy of the letter from a former Kennedy Center employee who declined to be identified, fearing harassment or retribution.
Adam Sklute, Ballet West’s artistic director, did not respond to requests for comment about Nakagawa’s time in Salt Lake City or about his comments in the letter about the “rise of ‘woke’ culture” at Washington Ballet and other dance companies.
Rimington, Ballet West’s communications director, declined to comment on Nakagawa’s time in Salt Lake City. “Our focus remains on Ballet West’s artistic work and our commitment to community engagement,” she wrote in an email.
Nakagawa, originally from Fontana, Calif., grew up in a family of dancers, according to his biography. He trained at the Academy of Russian Classical Ballet, North Carolina School of the Arts, the Kirov Academy of Ballet, and the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities.
Nakagawa also tapped into choreography and in 2021, The Washington Ballet premiered his production “Rising Sun” — a ballet immersion in Asian American and Pacific Islander culture.
“My No. 1 goal when creating this piece was to bring a sense of beauty as well as strength to audience members. I wanted to show the world, during the rise of violence towards the AAPI community, that we will stay unified,” Nakagawa said in a 2022 interview about his production. “The title — ‘Rising Sun’ — means that the AAPI community will stand strong together and wait for a new day to come. A day where our heritage is seen all over the world as something to be proud of.”
In a statement issued through the Kennedy Center, Nakagawa called his appointment “a tremendous honor... at such a pivotal moment for the performing arts. … The arts have always been at the heart of my life. I am eager to help inspire and uplift audiences, while ensuring dance continues to thrive as a vibrant and essential part of our culture and community.”
In February, President Donald Trump took over as chairman of the Kennedy Center, after he removed members of the center’s board who were appointed by President Joe Biden and replaced them with his own picks. The new board then ended the contract for the center’s longtime president, Deborah F. Rutter.
Trump’s takeover prompted Renée Fleming, the famed soprano, to step down as an artistic adviser to the center. TV producer Shonda Rhimes also resigned from the board, where she was treasurer, and musician Ben Folds resigned as an adviser to the National Symphony, which is overseen by the Kennedy Center.