ART & AUDIENCE: Veteran Choreographer John Clifford Warns That Cutting Classroom Arts Risks “Dulling the Democracies”

When American choreographer John Clifford choreographed and staged a fully nude Adam and Eve ballet in 1974, skeptics predicted scandal. Instead, the box office lines snaked around a Los Angeles theater and patrons who came for the shock stayed for George Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco. Half a century later, Clifford believes the lesson is unchanged: give audiences an accessible reason to walk through the door then invite them deeper.

“Meet them where they are, then nudge,” he told the 1O1 Square in a 90‑minute interview soon to be released on YouTube and Apple Music.

Yet Mr. Clifford fears the United States is eroding its on‑ramp to that second step by squeezing arts education out of public schools. “It’s stupid not to make arts mandatory,” Clifford said, citing neuroscience research that group dance or ensemble‑music training for children strengthens attention, language and social skills. The 2008 Dana Learning, Arts & the Brain report found “specific links” between early arts study and executive‑function gains that transfer to reading and math Dana Foundation.

A Growing Gap

Since 2001, U.S. federal data show that the share of elementary schools offering dance and drama has fallen below 4 percent, while music and visual‑arts time has also slipped in districts facing high‑stakes testing mandates. Twenty‑two states now allow students to earn high‑school arts credit through computer coding or career‑tech electives, according to the Education Commission of the States.

Clifford calls the trend “a slow suffocation,” arguing that young audiences cannot value what they were never taught to decode.

That stands in stark contrast to Finland, where the national core curriculum makes music, visual arts and crafts compulsory through age 16—treated not as enrichment but as basic literacy Opetushallitus. South Korea, meanwhile, has turned cultural policy into soft‑power strategy: Seoul’s Culture Ministry allotted almost ₩1.5 trillion (US $1.2 billion) to culture‑and‑arts programs in 2023, and the quasi‑public Korea Arts & Culture Education Service now operates on a ₩130 billion budget up fifteen‑fold since its 2005 launch Korea Joongang Dailyeng. arte.or.kr.

Media Monopolies & the “Culture Wars”

Mr. Clifford’s worries extend beyond classrooms. He points to media consolidation especially the Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns or operates 193 U.S. U.S. television stations and has faced criticism for injecting partisan scripts into local newscasts Wikipedia as a factor shrinking the diversity of cultural coverage. “If people only hear one drumbeat, they’ll stop asking for another rhythm,” he said.

The choreographer also stressed on what he sees as the politicization of flagship arts venues. In February, President Donald Trump dismissed the board of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and installed himself as chairman after railing against “woke” programming Wikipedia. “When art is treated like a campaign rally prop,” Clifford said, “Everybody loses Right, Left, and center.”

“Hook First, Elevate After”: A Roadmap to Re‑engage Audiences

Clifford’s own career offers a case study in audience development:

Blend popular with classical. Early seasons of his L.A. company paired jazz or rag‑time ballets with Balanchine standards and Stravinsky scored modernism. The formula mirrors Balanchine’s own penchant for sandwiching experimental works like Agon the 12‑dancer, plot‑free ballet whose 1957 premiere electrified New York critics nycballet.com between marquee titles.

Nurture in‑house stars. “Personalities sell tickets,” Clifford said, arguing that resident dancers cultivate community loyalty better than revolving door guest celebrities.

Protect the balance. Commercial hooks must not swamp artistic depth. Clifford notes that the Joffrey Ballet’s tour‑heavy 1960s repertoire “overbalanced on gimmicks” until core identity blurred.

Classroom to Civic Life

Education researchers say Clifford’s instincts align with data. A University of Chicago Consortium meta‑analysis found that sustained arts participation fosters empathy, grit and civic engagement alongside academic gains consortium.uchicago.edu. In other words, the very skills democratic societies need may be forged in rehearsal rooms as much as in civics class.

But who will pay for that rehearsal time? Clifford proposes a two‑pronged fix:

Restore a required arts credit in every U.S. K–12 grade band, funded through the existing Title IV “Student Support and Academic Enrichment” grants.

Offer a federal “Culture Pass” modeled on South Korea’s 2024 ₩150,000 voucher for 19‑year‑olds Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism that lets teens see live performance and museums free of charge.

Both ideas echo recommendations from UNESCO’s 2024 Arts Education for Sustainable Futures roadmap, which urges governments to treat cultural literacy as a pillar of “social resilience” rather than a luxury.

Technology: Tool, Not Threat

Artificial intelligence and immersive projection can amplify live performance, Clifford insists “as long as they don’t overshadow the humans breathing on stage.” He likens tech to the orchestra pit microphone: indispensable, but invisible when it works.

The Stakes

For Mr. Clifford, the debate is bigger than box‑office receipts. “History shows it’s easier to manipulate a population that stops asking questions,” he said. “The arts keep us curious. Lose that, and you dull the democracies.”

With federal budget talks targeting the National Endowment for the Arts and school districts scrambling to close pandemic‑era deficits, the coming months will test whether U.S. lawmakers and local boards agree.

In the meantime, Clifford continues to stage Balanchine repertory for regional companies insisting on humor in Episodes and electricity in Agon. “If the ballet is alive,” he said, “the audience will be, too. The bigger challenge is making sure they ever see one.”

Written by Ariel Rose

This article covers arts policy and performance for international outlets.

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