AMNA NAWAZ: First, a takeover of leadership, then# a renaming as the Kennedy Center became the Donald## J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Center for the# Performing Arts, and now canceled performances.

Amid all that, ratings for the televised Kennedy# Center Honors, hosted by the president himself,## showed a big drop in viewership, and overall# ticket sales are reportedly way off.

In short,## the turmoil continues at one of the# nation's preeminent arts centers.

Senior arts correspondent Jeffrey Brown# begins our update.

It's part of our Art in## Action series exploring the intersection of art# and democracy and part of our Canvas coverage.

JEFFREY BROWN: Chuck Redd on the vibraphone,# he was scheduled to perform with his band at## the Kennedy Center on Christmas Eve,# but decided to cancel the concert.

Within days, others followed, including# The Cookers, a jazz ensemble scheduled## for New Year's Eve show.

In a statement,# the group said they remain committed to## music that -- quote -- "reaches across# divisions, rather than deepening them."

Also canceling a January performance,# Alabama folk singer Kristy Lee, stating:## "When American history starts getting# treated like something you can ban, erase,## rename or rebrand for somebody else's ego, I can't# stand on that stage and sleep right at night."

And the New York dance company Doug Varone# and Dancers canceled a planned April show.## The moves followed the mid-December renaming of# the Kennedy Center and after President Trump's## appointment of a new board and leadership# last February, naming himself as chair.

At that time, prominent artists, including# Renee Fleming and Ben Folds, resigned from their## positions at the Kennedy Center.

And others,# including Rhiannon Giddens, canceled shows.

In response to the recent# cancellation by Chuck Redd,## Center president Richard Grenell# threatened a $1 million lawsuit.

Earlier this week, I spoke with choreographer and## dancer Doug Varone and asked# about his decision to cancel.

DOUG VARONE, Doug Varone and Dancers: It wasn't# an easy decision, and it was, I felt, a long time## coming.

We watched all the changes that occurred# when the Trump administration took over the## Kennedy Center, the releasing of the bipartisan# board, the firing of many employees, including## the entire dance staff.

Yet I still believed# that bringing the art was important for us.

The Kennedy Center has always stood for excellence# in the arts, was named after President Kennedy.## And he believed that the arts were at the center# of all of our culture, all of our nation.

Renaming## it Donald Trump Center, it seems to go completely# against every principle and every mission that## the center stands for.

I couldn't put myself# or my dancers into that building right now.

JEFFREY BROWN: But where is the balance# for you in bringing your art to people,## which is presumably what you# do, what it's all about... DOUG VARONE: Absolutely.

JEFFREY BROWN: ... and then maki.. people at the Kennedy... DOUG VARONE: Well, you know,## I -- in the conversations that I have# had over.. I sort of have always believed# that the art should be paramount.

It was the reason why we didn't# cancel a long time ago, that## the power and the truth of the art was# what I wanted to put on the Kennedy## stage.

And the audiences that would come to# it would hopefully take that strength away.

But it is this act from this president# that has pushed me off the cliff## and has made it impossible for me to do that.

JEFFREY BROWN: A statement we received# from the Kennedy Center accuses you and## others who have canceled of doing# this for political differences and## of failing to meet the basic duty of a# public artist to perform for all people.

What's your response to that?

DOUG VARONE: I think that he probably has not# done this research on myself and my c.. We have been performing nationally and# internationally for the last 40 years.## Many of our international tours have been# supported by the State Department under## presidents both Democratic and Republican.

I am# honored as an artist to bring my work all over## this country to red states, blue states,# rural, urban areas, and to have that art## be part of a dialogue of how we talk about our# differences and share the way we live and think.

I have been dedicated to# that for the past 40 years.

JEFFREY BROWN: You will take a financial hit from# this.

What's the impact on you and your dancers?

DOUG VARONE: We will be losing about# $40,000 from this engagement.

And that## equals about three weeks of work for# my dancers.

So I will have to let## them go in April, unless we can find# some monetary form to replace that.

That's not good.

It's not good## allowing my dancers to go back on unemployment# in these really tenuous economic times.

JEFFREY BROWN: And what kind of# response have you had from them,## from others around the world,# and from the other arts groups?

DOUG VARONE: Well, the dancers were part# of this decision.

Everyone supports it.## We have had a tremendous outpouring of support# from the dance community, from other artists## from all around the world, actually, people# I have never met, people who have never seen## the dance company itself congratulating us on our# integrity to pull out at this particular moment.

So I'm proud of the decision that we have made.

JEFFREY BROWN: And have you# heard from the Kennedy Center?## And do you anticipate legal action from them?

DOUG VARONE: I do not anticipate legal action.

The# dance companies that were part of the presenting## series this year all included a clause in our# contracts that allowed us, at our discretion,## if we felt that our reputation was being# affected, to pull out without cause.

So that is in our contract.

If they want to## legally take us to task for that, I'm# happy to have lawyers look at that.

JEFFREY BROWN: All right, choreographer and# dancer Doug Varone, thank you very much.

DOUG VARONE: Thank you.