Where is all the dance writing?

Taylor Gordon | Mar 16, 2008 | there are 4 comments

As some of you know, I have been pursuing a writing career on top of a professional ballet career, and as few coveted paid positions there are for dancers out there, there are even fewer for those who choose to write about dance. Aside from a critique every now and then of a major company in the New York Times, the world of dance rarely reaches the general public through the media. Perhaps there is just no readership for it. But how can dance evolve onstage and in class without an audience there to support it?

Last week the Los Angeles Times announced that it would eliminate its staff position of Chief Dance Critic, currently held by Lewis Segal, apparently due to budget reductions. Other national newspapers and magazines have cut back on both their coverage of dance and those who write about it, including The Village Voice and New York Magazine. How often do we read about this art form at large besides in advertisements far beyond the budget of small non-profits or in targeted, specialized magazines like Dancer Magazine?

Luckily, this past week an article appeared in Newsweek Magazine - March 17 issue - by not a snarky dance critic but a respected male principal dancer with American Ballet Theater. In Dont Judge Me By My Tights, Sascha Radetsky, whom many may know as Charlie from the film Center Stage, writes about the challenges he and other male dancers face in the ballet world due to the stereotypes of men in dance, referencing some of the greats like Baryshnikov and Nureyev who broke the mold.

Though his point is valid and applicable even to male dance enthusiasts who take class for the pleasure of it, I would argue that there are greater issues that could have filled the full page that Newsweek so generously allotted. Radetsky says:

The boy who perseveres in dance must have a genuine hunger for it, must be uniquely motivated and dedicated, and must develop a truly thick skin.

Is this not true for girls as well?

With all the issues plaguing the dance world - funding, health issues, development, and more we may not even be aware of - it seems a shame that the national exposure of our delicate and sometimes defeated art form is limited to a rare spout of frustrations. Why isnt dance given the publicity it deserves? Radetsky continues:

Exposure to ballet is all that is needed to open minds, for the combination of athletic movement, ardent drama and beautiful music can instill a profound appreciation in an audience.

So spread the word. If the news media wont do it, we as dance-lovers can play a part in promoting dance simply by sharing our respect for it with others. Exposure.