a male dancer wearing a pink unitard performing a grand jete on stage

How a Lack of Dance Criticism in the U.S. Affects International Dancers’ Visa Applications

In order to be approved for domestic employ­ment, professionals without a U.S. passport need exten­sive paperwork. For individuals and touring groups, part of that stack needs to be evidence supporting the petitioner’s claim that the dancer or ensemble is one of a kind and something special. The evidence should include dance reviews; petitions without them may be unsuccessful. For dance companies in cities without critics, this could ultimately mean fewer international artists.

Op-Ed: Why We Need To Confront Bias in Dance Criticism

Points should be given to the dance world for beginning to address the issue of diversity. But have we ever taken into consideration who critiques dance—and the lack of diversity in that area of our community? Or how critics’ subconscious biases create barriers to the elevation of non-white artists?