Expansion of the critic’s role and media outlets

As the dance community in the United States grew, critics distinguished themselves as advocates, educators, or popularizers on behalf of the art. This group included Margaret Lloyd (Christian Science Monitor, 1936–60), Walter Terry (especially Saturday Review, but various publications, 1936–82), and Clive Barnes (The New York Times, 1965–77; New York Post, 1977–2009). Extraordinary stylists emerged, such as B.H. Haggin (Hudson Review, 1958–72) and the inimitable Arlene Croce (The New Yorker, 1973–96). Doris Hering joined the staff of Dance Magazine in January 1945 and contributed graceful, accurate reviews for six decades, thereby establishing a record that was unmatched for duration and integrity.

The cultural revolution of the 1960s brought in postmodern dance and expanded paradigms. The four cornerstones of criticism—description, interpretation, context, and evaluation—were refocused to emphasize description. Jill Johnston gave lively coverage to this decade in The Village Voice, where Deborah Jowitt wrote during 1967–2008. Marcia B. Siegel in Hudson Review and The Soho Weekly News began to assess the dance scene. In 1966 Alan Kriegsman of The Washington Post became the first and—to date—only writer to win a Pulitzer Prize for dance criticism. The Dance Critics Association was formed. Generous financial investments from the Ford Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts funded lively performance activity that extended coast-to-coast. With a concern to raise the level of criticism outside major cities, Selma Jeanne Cohen established the Critics Program at the American Dance Festival in 1967; participating fellows are still selected annually. Anna Kisselgoff joined The New York Times in 1968, and Jennifer Dunning became the Times’s full-time dance critic in 1977.

Throughout the mid- to late 20th century, specialty publications—some of which had brief lives—extended opportunities for criticism and serious writing about dance. The composer Louis Horst launched The Dance Observer in 1934. Kirstein initiated Dance Index, a periodical he edited during 1942–48. Anatole Chujoy and P.W. Manchester began Dance News in 1942. Al Pischl instituted and Selma Jeanne Cohen edited Dance Perspectives during 1959–76. Croce founded Ballet Review in 1965, and the journal was subsequently edited by Francis Mason. Dance Chronicle emerged in 1977 under the coeditorship of George Dorris and Jack Anderson; Anderson was also a critic for The New York Times. The torch was passed in 2007 to editors Lynn Matluck Brooks and Joellen Meglin. DanceView (formerly Washington DanceView) was launched by Alexandra Tomalonis. It reviews dance on both U.S. coasts and in London.

Shortly after the turn of the 21st century, the paper of record, The New York Times, changed its entire roster of dance critics, adding Alastair Macaulay, Roslyn Sulcas, Claudia La Rocco, and Gia Kourlas and retiring previous critics. An expanded reviews section edited by Robert Johnston was added to Pointe magazine.

European dance and dance criticism have remained vital into the 21st century. Writing in English, the British dance critics of note include Mary Clarke (Dancing Times); Alastair Macaulay (Financial Times and The New York Times); Jann Parry (Observer); Judith Mackrell (Independent and Guardian); Debra Craine and Donald Hutera (The Times); David Dougill (Sunday Times); and Stephanie Jordan (New Statesman). Specialty publications include Dance Research (1982– ), Dance Theatre Journal (1983– ), and Dance Now (1992– ).

The biggest change in the 21st century was the explosion of dance information available electronically. All major newspapers and magazines published online editions. The variety of blogs ranged from those written by amateurs about themselves and their friends to many that contained the work of professional critics. Two of the latter were danceviewtimes.com and nytheatre-wire.com. Noted critic Tobi Tobias reviewed for bloomberg.com. Most dance companies had Web sites with a plethora of information. At balanchine.org readers encountered information on all George Balanchine’s ballets. One could even consult “the horse’s mouth,” so to speak: Merce Cunningham held online chats every Monday. Well-grounded, articulate dance criticism was as close as the reader’s Internet connection.

Excellent criticism was also available in volumes of essays. Joan Acocella, who reviewed dance for The New Yorker, produced Twenty-Eight Artists and Two Saints (2007), which examined performers and writers. Nancy Goldner’s Balanchine Variations (2008) analyzed the choreographer’s repertory over a period of 50 years.

Ultimately, the dance critic is the ideal spectator—knowledgeable, attentive, and capable of imaginative transformation—with the added ability to deliver clear ideas and incisive prose on deadline.