John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

681: 1708:, features a broad spectrum of performing arts, from dance and jazz, to chamber music and folk, comedy, storytelling and theater. In the past twelve years, over three million people have attended Millennium Stage performances. The Millennium Stage has presented more than 42,000 artists, which includes over 4,000 international artists from more than 70 countries; performers representing all 50 states; and 20,000 Washington-area ensembles and solo artists. The Charlie Byrd Trio and the Billy Taylor Trio were the first artists to delight audiences with a free performance on March 1, 1997. In 1999, the center began web-casting each night's live performance, and continues to archive and maintain each event in a database of over 3,000 performances which may be accessed via the center's website. Performing Arts for Everyone initiatives also include low- and no-cost tickets available to performances on every stage of the Kennedy Center, and several outreach programs designed to increase access to Kennedy Center tickets and performances. 1857: 58: 2082: 950: 855: 78: 6270: 1619: 6277: 1170: 111: 1425:(KCACTF) is a national theater program involving 18,000 students from colleges and universities nationwide which has served as a catalyst in improving the quality of college theater in the United States. The KCACTF has grown into a network of more than 600 academic institutions throughout the country, where theater departments and student artists showcase their work and receive outside assessment by KCACTF respondents. Since its establishment in 1969, KCACTF has reached more than 17.5 million theatergoing students and teachers nationwide. 843: 666: 2233: 1028: 2168: 49: 934: 2116: 203: 2137:

to the performing arts activities. The National Park Service and the Kennedy Center signed a cooperative agreement requiring each party to pay a portion of the operating and maintenance costs based on what proportion of time the building was to be used for performing arts functions. The agreement did not specify who was responsible for long-term capital improvement projects at the Kennedy Center, along with only periodic funding by Congress for one-time projects.

469: 7027: 1537:, sending musicians on worldwide goodwill tours (1998–2004); the KC Jazz Club, a highly praised intimate setting; and Discovery Artists in the KC Jazz Club, highlighting up-and-coming talent. Kennedy Center and NPR annually collaborated on the beloved holiday broadcast 'NPR's Piano Jazz Christmas', until the retirement of host Marian McPartland, and hence the show, in 2011. Since 2003, the center's jazz programs have been regularly broadcast on NPR's 1594:(2009). In March 2007, the center hosted a once-in-a-lifetime celebration, Jazz in Our Time, which bestowed the center's Living Jazz Legend Award to over 30 revered artists. During Dr. Taylor's tenure, the center has created recognized educational initiatives, including national jazz satellite distance-learning programs; adult lecture series; master classes and workshops with national artists and local metropolitan Washington, D.C. students; and 234: 118: 85: 1192: 1019:, who signed the National Cultural Center Act into law on September 2, 1958. It primarily hosts plays and musicals, smaller-scale operas, ballet, and contemporary dance. The theater contains an orchestra pit for up to 35 musicians that is convertible to a forestage or additional seating space. The venue reopened in October 2008, following a 16-month renovation which altered the color scheme and seating arrangements. 224: 219: 214: 3826: 3793: 2128:

promotes increased access to the arts for people with disabilities. Each year 7 million people participate in VSA programs through a nationwide network of affiliates and in 54 countries around the world. Affiliated with the Kennedy Center since 2005, VSA was officially merged into the organization in 2011 to become part of the center's Department of VSA and Accessibility.

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called "artistic director" by the press, although that was not the formal title), serving from 1968 to 1970, while William McCormick Blair, Jr. was its first administrative director. Julius Rudel took over as music director in 1971. In 1972, Martin Feinstein replaced London and held the position of artistic director until 1980.

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concerts, master classes and other teaching sessions. The Orchestra has given these residencies in 20 states so far: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, North and South Carolina, Oklahoma, North and South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Nevada, and Wyoming/Montana.

1116:, with 490 seats, was constructed on the roof terrace level in the late 1970s as a Bicentennial gift from the people of Japan to the United States. It is used for chamber music, ballet and contemporary dance, and theater. The theater was renovated between 2015 and 2019 to update finishes, systems and make the venue 2146:

access. In 1994, Congress gave full responsibility to the Kennedy Center for capital improvement projects and facility management. From 1995 to 2005, over $ 200 million of federal funds were allocated to the Kennedy Center for long-term capital projects, repairs, and to bring the center into compliance with modern

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include performing artists and groups from all 50 states and an Artist-in-Residence program featuring artists performing several evenings in a month. Every show on the Millennium Stage is available as a simulcast of the live show at 6:00 pm, and is archived for later viewing via the Kennedy Center's website.

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in the winter of 1997, the Millennium Stage provides free performances at 6:00 pm Wednesday through Saturday on two specially created stages at either end of the Grand Foyer. A Millennium Stage film is shown at 3:00 pm on Sundays. A broad range of art forms are featured on the Millennium Stage. These

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Members of the National Symphony Orchestra will continue to present Teddy Bear Concerts throughout its seasons. During these concerts, children aged three to five bring their favorite stuffed animal to interactive musical programs featuring members of the NSO. Members of the NSO present NSO Ensemble

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which represents Weber's image of America (8 × 50 × 1.5 ft.). Four scenes are depicted representing threats to liberty, technology, foreign aid and survival, and free speech. It took the artist four years to sculpt the two reliefs in plaster, creating 200 castings, and another two years for the

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established on January 29, 1959, led fundraising. Fundraising efforts were not successful, with only $ 13,425 raised in the first three years. President John F. Kennedy was interested in bringing culture to the nation's capital, and provided leadership and support for the project. In 1961, President

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On June 16, 1971, Congress authorized appropriations for one year to the Board of Trustees for operating and maintenance expenses. In following years, the appropriations were provided to the National Park Service for operations, maintenance, security, safety and other functions not directly related

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each year. The annual American Residencies for the Kennedy Center is a program unique to the National Symphony Orchestra and the center. The center sends the Orchestra to a different state each year for an intensive period of performances and teaching encompassing full orchestral, chamber, and solo

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The Kennedy Center's CETA program's mission is make the arts a critical component in every child's education. CETA, which stands for Changing Education Through the Arts, creates professional development opportunities for teachers and school administrators. Each year over 700 teachers participate in

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to create a society where people with disabilities learn through, participate in, and enjoy the arts. VSA provides educators, parents, and artists with resources and the tools to support arts programming in schools and communities. VSA showcases the accomplishments of artists with disabilities and

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The Kennedy Center hosts residencies for artists to collaborate with the center's performing ensembles, programmers, and community initiatives. The center holds positions for Composer-in-Residence, Education Artist-in-Residence, and Culture Artist-in-Residence. The current artists-in-residence are

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The center sponsors two annual dance residency programs for young people; Exploring Ballet with Suzanne Farrell and the Dance Theatre of Harlem Residency Program, both now in their second decade. The Kennedy Center's Contemporary Dance series offers a wide range of artistic perspectives, from the

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Prior to 1980, daily operations of the Kennedy Center were overseen by the chairman of the board of directors, and by the board itself. Aspects of the center's programming and operations were overseen by various other people. George London was the Kennedy Center's first executive director (often

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significantly delayed construction. The expansion, entitled the REACH, opened on September 7, 2019, with an opening arts festival. The fundraising goal for the new REACH expansion grew to $ 250 million as the project progressed, and the target was achieved just two days before opening. Since its

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In fiscal years 1991 and 1992, Congress recommended that $ 27.7 million be allocated for capital improvement projects at the center, including $ 12 million for structural repairs to the garage and $ 15.7 million for structural and mechanical repairs, as well as projects for improving handicapped

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Beginning in 2013, the center commenced with an 60,000-square-foot (5,600 m) expansion project on four acres in the center's South Plaza. The expansion adds classroom, rehearsal, and performance space and includes three pavilions (the Welcome Pavilion, the Skylight Pavilion, and the River

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helped finance a structure dedicated to the performing arts. The legislation required a portion of the costs, estimated at $ 10–25 million, to be raised within five years of the bill's passage. Edward Durell Stone was selected as architect for the project in June 1959. He presented preliminary

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An initiative of the Millennium Stage, the Conservatory Project is a semi-annual event occurring in February and May that is designed to present the best young musical artists in classical, jazz, musical theater, and opera from leading undergraduate and graduate conservatories, colleges and

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In 1991, the board created the position of chief operating officer to remove the day-to-day operations of the Kennedy Center from the chairman and board. Lawrence Wilker was hired to fill the position, which later was retitled president. The artistic director continued to oversee artistic

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designs to the President's Music Committee in October 1959, along with estimated costs of $ 50 million, double the original estimates of $ 25–30 million. By November 1959, estimated costs had escalated to $ 61 million. Despite this, Stone's design was well received in editorials in

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The Kennedy Center offers one of the few open-air rooftop terraces in Washington, D.C.; it is free of charge to the public from 10:00 a.m. until midnight each day, except when closed for private events. The wide terrace provides views in all four directions overlooking the

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The Kennedy Center presents festivals celebrating cities, countries, and regions of the world. The festivals are filled with a wide range of performing arts, visual arts, cuisine, and multi-media. In 2008, the center presented an exploration of the culture of Japan entitled

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approximately 60 courses that focus on ways to integrate the arts into their teaching. The Kennedy Center's CETA program also partners with sixteen schools in the Washington DC Metro area to develop long-range plan for arts integration at their school. Two of these schools,

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The two theaters of The Millennium Stage are equipped with lights, sound systems, and cameras. Every free event performed at this stage is recorded and archived on the Kennedy Center's website. These archives have been available to the public for free since 2009.

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Women in Jazz Festival, the first festival by a major institution promoting outstanding female jazz artists; Beyond Category, featuring artists whose work transcends genre; the Platinum Series, with internationally acclaimed headliners; Jazz Ambassadors with the

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is a 268 capacity flexible interior space located at The Reach. Complete with a cafe this space offers brilliant views of the Potomac River. A wall of windows allows for natural sunlight and views of the reflecting pools and the Presidential Grove of Ginkgo

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The Kennedy Center is the only U.S. institution that presents a free performance 365 days a year, daily at 6pm (12 noon on December 24). The Millennium Stage, created as part of the center's Performing Arts for Everyone initiative in 1997 and underwritten by

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The 2008–2009 season programming for Performances for Young Audiences reached more than 100 performances for young people and their families and over 110 performances for school audiences. The season included four Kennedy Center-commissioned world premieres:

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designed the Kennedy Center. Overall, the building is 100 feet (30 m) high, 630 feet (190 m) long, and 300 feet (91 m) wide. The Kennedy Center features a 630-foot-long (190 m), 63-foot-high (19 m) grand foyer, with 16 hand-blown

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is large multipurpose rehearsal room located at The Reach. This space is larger than Studio J with a capacity of 164. Equipped with ballet barres and mirrors this space can be a green room, rehearsal space, breakout room or used for a reception or

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was commissioned to select a site and provide design suggestions for the center. From 1955 to 1958, Congress debated the idea amid much controversy. A bill was finally passed in Congress in the summer of 1958 and on September 4, President

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is the largest multipurpose room at The Reach. With a capacity of 350 this space contains a viewing balcony and can be used for a variety of events, performances, theater, or breakout sessions. It is now home to the Kennedy Center Jazz

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World premiere performances of Kennedy Center-commissioned works have been offered through a commissioning program for new ballet and dance works. These works have been created by America's foremost choreographers—Paul Taylor,

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of the Concert Hall, Opera House, plaza-level public spaces, and a new fire alarm system. The renovations projects were completed 13 to 50 percent over budget, due to modifications of plans during the renovations resulting in

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Theater located adjacent to the Hall of States. Designed by the architectural firm Richter Cornbrooks Gribble, Inc. of Baltimore, the new theater incorporates a computerized rigging system; and a digital video projection

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donated $ 50 million to the center. A groundbreaking ceremony took place in December 2014. Originally estimated to cost $ 100 million, the cost of the project grew to $ 175 million, and design changes and a major

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Since its establishment in September 1971, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has showcased jazz in solo, various ensembles, and big band settings. In 1994, the Kennedy Center appointed Dr.

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is a 144 seat lecture hall located at The Reach. Intended for film screenings, presentations, and ensembles this space is equipped with projection screens and the seats have a table arm for note-taking,

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is a multipurpose rehearsal room located at The Reach. This space is complete with ballet barres mirrors. Suitable for a green room, meeting space, reception, or dinner. This space has a capacity of

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designed the Kennedy Center's auditoriums and their acoustics. A key consideration is that many aircraft fly along the Potomac River and over the Kennedy Center, as they take off and land at the nearby

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The Opera House, in the middle, has approximately 2,347 seats. Its interior features include walls covered in red velvet, a distinctive red and gold silk curtain, given by the Japanese government, and

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of New York introduced a bill to authorize funds to plan and build a cultural center. The bill included provisions that the center would prohibit any discrimination of cast or audience. In 1955, the

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Concerts, connecting music with various school subjects such as science and math, Kinderkonzerts, introducing kids to orchestral instruments and classical composers, as well as NSO Family Concerts.

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The Concert Hall, located at the south end of the center, seats 2,465 including chorister seats and stage boxes, and has a seating arrangement similar to that used in many European halls such as

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Located at The Reach and with capacity for 425 this vaulted ceiling space offers expansive views of the river and hosts events, receptions and dinners under the multiple glass skylights.

1986:, the Kennedy Center hosted numerous special events throughout 1976, including six commissioned plays. The center hosted free performances by groups from each state. In December 1976, 781:. The Hall of States and the Hall of Nations are both 250-foot-long (76 m), 63-foot-high (19 m) corridors. The building has drawn criticism about its location (far away from 5587: 3885: 6015: 1286:

foremost masters of the genre to the art form's newest and most exciting artists. In the 2008/2009 series, the Kennedy Center recognized Modern Masters of American Dance, bringing

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traffic over the Kennedy Center is also fairly high. To keep out this noise, the Kennedy Center was designed as a box within a box, giving each auditorium an extra outer shell.

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The Kennedy Center Board of Trustees, formally known as the Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, maintains and administers the center and its site.

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On June 8, 2016, it was announced that the Kennedy Center Theater for Young Audiences-commissioned musical Elephant & Piggie's We are in a Play!, with book and lyrics by

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in 2009. The Kennedy Center Fund for New American Plays has provided critical support in the development of 135 new theatrical works. In 2011, a new production of

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Authorized by the 1958 National Cultural Center Act of Congress, which requires that its programming be sustained through private funds, the center represents a

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is a meeting space at The Reach with a capacity for 85. Great for meetings, dinners and conference breakout sessions. This space overlooks the reflecting pool.

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was named the first female artistic director in 1980, a position she held until 1990; she was also the first person to be formally invested with that title.

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In recent years the Kennedy Center has expanded its public education programs nationwide. The 2005 opening of the Family Theater has helped achieve this.

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became the first Executive Director of the National Cultural Center, overseeing numerous fundraising efforts and assisting with the architectural plan.

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In addition to its regular season concerts, the National Symphony Orchestra presents outreach, education, and pops programs, as well as concerts at

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in the Opera House, while the center's official opening took place September 8, 1971, with a formal gala and premiere performance of the Bernstein

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The Grand Foyer, at 63 feet (19 m) high and 630 feet (190 m) long, is one of the largest rooms in the world. If laid on its side, the

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premiered at the Kennedy Center Opera House September 10, 1971. The Eisenhower Theater was inaugurated October 18, 1971, with a performance of

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The total cost of construction was $ 70 million. Congress allocated $ 43 million for construction costs, including $ 23 million as an outright

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Exploring Ballet with Suzanne Farrell is a three-week summer ballet intensive for international pre-professional ballerinas ages 14–18.

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The Kennedy Center has awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor annually since 1998. Named after the 19th-century humorist

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The center has co-produced more than 300 new works of theater over the past 43 years, including Tony-winning shows ranging from

7062: 6815: 6688: 6329: 5598: 4912: 4332: 1307: 708: 531: 4251: 2466: 649:, as well as many corporate donors. Foreign countries provided gifts to the Kennedy Center, including a gift of 3,700 tons of 415:. Opened on September 8, 1971, the center hosts many different genres of performance art, such as theater, dance, orchestras, 7102: 6755: 5614: 5203: 4672: 3001: 2968: 2937: 2901: 1110:. On March 12, 2003, the space formerly known as the Education Resource Center was officially designated the Terrace Gallery. 567: 4563: 6693: 6361: 6165: 6098: 5263: 5219: 2357: 2352: 2336: 979:

crystal chandeliers, given by the Norwegian government, were repositioned to provide a clearer view. Canadian organbuilder

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to help develop the National Cultural Center, and serve as chairman of the Board of Trustees. Stevens recruited First Lady

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The first performance was September 5, 1971, with 2,200 members of the general public in attendance to see a premiere of

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became president of the Kennedy Center in 2001. He left the organization when his contract expired in September 2014.

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The Kennedy Center as seen from the air on January 8, 2006 (before construction of the REACH expansion). A portion of

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building. A 1938 congressional resolution called for construction of a "public building which shall be known as the

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Many local arts organizations present (or have presented) their work at the Kennedy Center. Some of these include:

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The National Cultural Center was renamed the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 1964, following the

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became its third president; she is the first woman to hold that post. Rutter had previously been president of the

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The Kennedy Center lights up in rainbow colors every year in the weeks preceding the annual Kennedy Center Honors.

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and opened in 2019. The center receives annual federal funding to pay for building maintenance and operation.

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locations on every level, and new seating sections (onstage boxes, chorister seats, and parterre seats). The

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The Kennedy Center has three main theaters: the Concert Hall, the Opera House, and the Eisenhower Theater.

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President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton attending the Kennedy Center Honors in December 2000

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in Vienna. The Concert Hall is the largest performance space in the Kennedy Center and is the home of the

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Department of Science, Art and Literature, and to build a monumental theater and arts building on

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VSA (formerly VSA arts) is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1974 by Ambassador

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government. Near the north end of the plaza is a display of nude figures in scenes representing

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for the Kennedy Center December 2, 1964. However, debate continued for another year over the

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signed into law the National Cultural Center Act which provided momentum for the project.

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of the site got underway on December 11, 1965, and the site was cleared by January 1967.

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The Eisenhower Theater, on the north side, seats about 1,161 and is named for President

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After the original structure was marked for expansion, a competition in 2013 selected

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has also frequently performed at the Kennedy Center. The troupe's 2004 production of

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and other penalties. Renovations to the Eisenhower Theater were completed in 2008.

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s Best of the Year Award in the Cultural category and an Honor Award in the 2020

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Started in 1969 by Roger L. Stevens, the Kennedy Center's founding chairman, the

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as Artistic Advisor for Jazz, and his first installation was his own radio show

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The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts at Google Cultural Institute

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Since 1978, the Kennedy Center Honors have been awarded annually by the center

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in Falls Church, Virginia serve as Research and Development schools for CETA.

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in the presidential box during the center's opening gala on September 8, 1971

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during Kennedy's presidency. The exhibit was designed by architectural firm

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Sing-Along is held in the Kennedy Center's Concert Hall, December 23, 2023.

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by Aurelio Teno occupies a site near the northeast corner of the building.

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John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts (the United States)

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to undertake the design. The extension, called The REACH, opened in 2019.

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crystal chandelier with matching pendants, a gift from the government of

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Pedestrians walking on the rooftop terrace that covers the lower walkway.

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appears today. An extension to the Durell Stone Building was designed by

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Boliek, Brooks (September 8, 1994). "Kennedy nods to Douglas, Gould".

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The National Symphony Orchestra playing in the Kennedy Center in 2009.

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located opposite the entrance to the Opera House in the Kennedy Center

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