Oh, the drama! Ever since President Trump dismissed much of the Kennedy Center board in February, appointing 14 new members and himself as chairman, a host of artists have canceled their scheduled engagements. Ben Folds, artistic adviser to the National Symphony Orchestra, and soprano Renée Fleming terminated their roles as advisers.
Many took the opportunity to grandstand, making soapbox proclamations about why they were unable to honor their commitments. The producer of the Broadway show Hamilton, Jeffrey Seller, announced that the musical would not perform at the Kennedy Center for its third run because “our show simply cannot, in good conscience, participate and be a part of this new culture that is being imposed on the Kennedy Center.”
The actress Issa Rae canceled her sold-out show, claiming on Instagram, “Unfortunately, due to what I believe to be an infringement on the values of an institution that has faithfully celebrated artists of all backgrounds through all mediums, I’ve decided to cancel my appearance at this venue.”
Less talked about in the legacy media are those artists who have chosen a more professional route, honoring their commitments to the Kennedy Center, but also honoring their art and the ticket-holding audience. Among those is the iconic choreographer and dancer Twyla Tharp, whose dance company performs at the Kennedy Center March 26-29. A master class kicked off the run, open to dancers at all levels.
The choreographer founded her company, Twyla Tharp Dance, in 1965. The hallmark of her style lies in combining various forms of movement, jazz, ballet, street dance, and even boxing, with her own inventions. Throughout her 60 years of making and performing dance, she has refused to allow politics or ideology to inform or guide her work. Tharp’s choreography is loyal to the joy of movement itself, and she is constantly challenging herself to push boundaries and innovate. Perhaps that is why she has been a constant for 60 years.
Tharp has written four books, including The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life and her 1992 autobiography, Push Comes to Shove. She has received one Tony Award and two Emmy Awards, and is also a 2008 Kennedy Center honoree.
Tharp and the Kennedy Center enjoy a long history. In the summer of 1994, the choreographer and her company of dancers began a two-month residency at the Washington, D.C., institution. My husband, Arthur, and I were among those fortunate to be in the audience for the project’s culminating performance. “Twyla Tharp In Washington: New Works” was a lecture/demonstration-style presentation of the material developed over that summer. For much of the performance, Tharp sat on a ladder high above the dance floor, talking, explaining, and guiding the audience.
The performance took place in one of the smaller theaters, which added to the informality and intimacy of the experience. As someone brought up studying and attending the ballet, having the opportunity to get inside the head of the choreographer was a truly special experience. I was floored by Tharp’s patience, creativity, and her willingness to let the audience in on the mysterious process of creating dance.
But generosity is a hallmark of Twyla Tharp, both with her dancers and audiences. Her company was the first to guarantee dancers’ wages for 52 weeks a year, not just during the season, making it easier to support themselves and their families.
Unlike those who withdrew from their commitments at the Kennedy Center, using politics as a divisive tool or excuse, Tharp’s only commitment is to her art, creating and performing beyond the realm of politics or ideology. Because of this, she stands as one of my creative and artistic heroes.
As does the painter James MacNeil Whistler, who stated in his famous “The Ten O’Clock” lecture in 1885 that “Art for Art’s Sake” should be “independent of claptrap, it should stand alone and appeal to the artistic eye or ear …”
Twyla Tharp understands that good art is worthy of attention for its own sake. Rather than save her work for those she deems worthy of experiencing it, the choreographer thinks of dance and movement as belonging to all.
“Dancing, perhaps more than any other art form, has an energizing effect on people,” Tharp explains in her book The Creative Habit.
In Keep It Moving: Lessons for the Rest of Your Life, she adds that “dancing is a beautiful way to say thank you to your body and to join the human race.”
Now it’s time to say thank you to Twyla Tharp for putting art above politics and keeping faith with her fans and her audience. We need more artists and performers to do the same.
Beth Herman is an artist, essayist, and school docent at The National Gallery of Art. In addition to The Federalist, her essays have been published in The Wall Street Journal, Legal Times, The Washington Times, and on NPR. When not at her easel or writing desk, Beth can be found out running with her husband of over 37 years, author and historian Arthur Herman. Check out her blog at releasethebeast.home.blog
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