“There is about her an aura of mysticism. She appears onstage, larger than life, more an apparition than a performer, compelling us to look upon her as we might a temple dancer—with a sense of religiosity, of awe.” Those were the opening lines of Olga Maynard’s November 1972 Dance Magazine cover story on Judith Jamison, then in her late 20s and at the height of her powers as a star performer with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

Here are the latest promotions, appointments and departures, as well as notable awards and accomplishments, from April 2022. Also of note: new or newly available funding opportunities for dance artists.

Missed the livestream? Get access to the 2021 Dance Magazine Awards on demand here. One of my favorite things about the Dance Magazine Awards has always been the sense of worlds colliding—the way luminaries from different corners of our industry who you’d likely never see sharing a stage or a program come together for this […]

Dance organizations across the country have been planning ways to celebrate Juneteenth since well before it was declared a federal holiday by Congress this week. June 19 marks the date on which news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached Galveston, TX, more than two years after the Civil War was declared over and enslaved people in […]

When Masazumi Chaya moved to New York City in 1970, leaving his Japanese homeland behind, he never dreamed he would become one of the longest-serving artists with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. For 47 years, Chaya has been a constant force in the Ailey studios: first as a dancer for 15 years, then as […]

Whether you’re a 2018 grad, a current student or you’ve been in the field for years, commencement speeches offer advice and encouragement for all of us. And when they’re given by dance luminaries, even better. Last Friday, Liz Lerman addressed the class of 2018 at Bennington College, and her inspirational message—that’s candid and even comical […]

When you’re offered a chance to take a class with Judith Jamison, you don’t say no. The company’s beloved artistic director emerita rarely teaches open classes. But to celebrate the legacy of Alvin Ailey on what would have been his 87th birthday, she gave a special two-hour workshop at the Ailey Extension on Friday night. […]

Some nights, you head home buzzing with energy. After last night’s Dance Magazine Awards, we were dancing with it. We had the privilege of honoring four legends of our field—Rennie Harris, Marika Molnar, Linda Celeste Sims and Diana Vishneva—in a ceremony that was filled with inspiration and beauty. Joshua Culbreath in Doubt & Dolo. Photo […]