Deborah Jowitt is an American dance critic, author, and choreographer. Her career in dance began as a performer and choreographer. Jowitt has received several awards for her work, including a Bessie (New York Dance and Performance Award) for her work in dance criticism.
Beginning in 1967, she wrote a weekly dance column for the Village Voice, providing frequent reviews of dance performances in New York City. From some time in the 1970s until 1994, the Voice had a page and a half for dance coverage: Jowitt contributed 1600 words or a full page of this, week after week, plus occasional features. Collections of her reviews from the Voice and numerous other publications have appeared as books – Dance Beat: Views and Reviews, New York: Marcel Dekker (1977) and The Dance in Mind: Profiles and Reviews, 1976–1983, Boston: David R. Godine (1985).
In 2007, Jowitt's column in the Village Voice was increased in length to 3/4 page, having been earlier reduced to a half-page; in 2008, her position as dance critic was converted from full-time to freelance. However, Jowitt continues to write 3/4 page reviews for the Voice and writes reviews for the Voice on-line edition. She is a faculty member at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University (NYU).
Awards
- 2005, a special citation from the Society of Dance History Scholars (SDHS) for Jerome Robbins: His Life, His Theater, His Dance.
- 2001, the "Outstanding Contribution to Dance Research" award from Congress on Research in Dance (CORD).
- 1988, the de la Torre Bueno Prize for the best book in the field of dance studies for Time and the Dancing Image.
- 1985, a special citation from the SDHS for The Dance in Mind.
External links
- NYU Faculty: Deborah Jowitt
- Sarma Critics: Deborah Jowitt
- Society of Dance History Scholars Awards
- Arts Catter
- Village Voice