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No dancers being forced to attend Trump's inauguration: Rockettes' owners

Xinhua, December 24, 2016 Adjust font size:

No dancers are being forced to perform at U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration next month, owners of the Radio City Rockettes said Friday, after one dancer's complaint triggered calls for a boycott on social media, local media reported.

"For a Rockette to be considered for an event, they must voluntarily sign up and are never told they have to perform at a particular event, including the inaugural," officials of Madison Square Garden Company, which employs the dancers, told Broadway World.

"It is always their choice. In fact, for the coming inauguration, we had more Rockettes request to participate than we have slots available. We eagerly await the inaugural celebrations."

American Guild of Variety Artists, the union representing the dancers, informed the dancers on Thursday that full-time members would be required to participate.

"Any talk of boycotting this event is invalid, I'm afraid." an administrator for the guild wrote in an email to the Rockettes obtained by Broadway World.

Rockette Phoebe Pearl Thursday expressed her embarrassment and disappointment about the upcoming gig in an Instagram post.

"I usually don't use social media to make a political stand but I feel overwhelmed with emotion. Finding out that it has been decided for us that Rockettes will be performing at the Presidential inauguration makes me feel embarrassed and disappointed," Pearl wrote according to entertainment news site TMZ, which ran a screenshot before the post was deleted.

"The women I work with are intelligent and are full of love and the decision of performing for a man that stands for everything we're against is appalling. I am speaking for just myself but please know that after we found out this news, we have been performing with tears in our eyes and heavy hearts. We will not be forced! #notmypresident."

Boris Ephshteyn, Director of Communications for Trump's Inaugural committee told CNN earlier Thursday that the high-kicking dancers will perform at the ceremony on Jan. 20.

The Rockettes who choose to attend will join the 360-member Mormon Tabernacle Choir and "America's Got Talent" star Jackie Evancho at the event. Enditem