Following Negotiations, No Rockettes Will Be Required To Perform At Inauguration
The Radio City Rockettes deal in precision, but the story of the group agreeing to perform at Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony next month is a bit of a mess.
Late Friday, following negotiations with the Rockettes owner, the Madison Square Garden Co., and the performers' union, The American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA), announced on Facebook that no Rockettes would be obligated to perform.
Donald Trump's transition-team and the Madison Square Garden Co. confirmed that the Rockettes would perform at the president-elect's inauguration next month.
Almost immediately, the Rockettes were coming under criticism on social media —
including from one Rockette herself.
In a since deleted post on Instagram, dancer Phoebe Pearl said she was "embarrassed and disappointed" to learn of the decision.
"The women I work with are intelligent and are full of love," Pearl wrote. "The decision of performing for a man that stands for everything we're against is appalling." She added, "We have been performing with tears in our eyes and heavy hearts," with the hashtag #notmypresident.
So, it seems that Rockettes who don't want to participate are off the hook. But the dance troupe is not the only group coming under fire for being involved in the inauguration celebrations.
The
Austin American-Statesman reported Thursday that Texas State University's dance team, The Strutters, had
shut down its Twitter account following harsh criticism for agreeing to participate. It remained deleted as of midday Saturday.
Several major acts, including Elton John, Garth Brooks, Celine Dion and Idina Menzel, have reportedly refused to participate in the inauguration celebrations. In response to a question from
Vanity Fair about
Trump's difficulty locking down performers, Menzel said, "It's karma, baby."
Following Negotiations, No Rockettes Will Be Required To Perform At Inauguration of Donald Trump : The Two-Way : NPR