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BAREFOOTNOTES: The Mission Continues, in a New Form

By Christine Jowers/Follow @cmmjowers on Instagram
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Published on June 22, 2026
Cover Photo in Background by Steven Pisano

Dear Dance Enthusiast Readers and Friends,

When I founded The Dance Enthusiast, I decided that the site would cover dance in its many forms and make space for a variety of voices — not simply my own. What began as an independent publishing venture grew into a lively platform for artists, writers, and audiences.

Over 18 seasons, The Dance Enthusiast has supported dance artists by documenting and critiquing their work, encouraging dance writers at every stage of their careers, publishing hundreds of articles, interviews, and reviews, and maintaining listings and other resources for the dance community. We’ve produced and curated live Enthusiastic Events celebrating dance’s connections to other art forms and the world at large, and our early video program, Dance Up Close, introduced audiences to dancers and choreographers through rehearsal footage and interviews about the creative process.

2025-2026 Contributors (There have been many more over these 18 Seasons) :Miranda Stück, Christine Jowers, Deirdre Towers, Kristen Hedberg, Sammi Sowerby, Amy Meisner-Threet, Ann Moradian, Kate Purdum, Stacey Menchel Kussell, Robert Johnson, Lisa Jo Sagolla, Sarah Cecilia Bukowski, Hannah Lipman, Catherine Tharin, Wendy Perron, Hannah Leiberman, Henning Rūbsam, Theo Boguszewski, Rush Johnston, Steven Pisano

Through this work, I’ve learned so much about our field, made lasting friendships, and witnessed the extraordinary range of dance created in New York and beyond. I am deeply proud of what we have built together.
I love this work. I’ve loved the learning, writing, editing, conversations, and the continual discovery of artists and ideas. At the same time, I’ve come to recognize that the task The Dance Enthusiast set for itself — broad, inclusive, ongoing dance coverage in New York and beyond — is a mammoth undertaking. Sustaining that work has been deeply meaningful, but it has also required a level of personal commitment and responsibility that I can no longer carry. It is time to rest and reassess.

For that reason, beginning with the 2026–27 season, The Dance Enthusiast will shift away from its current model of regular reviews and extensive reportage and move toward a more focused, sustainable form. In the future, we will focus on audience responses, event listings, opportunities for people to share their dance stories, and dance journalism projects as resources allow. Our previously published articles will remain available online, continuing to serve as an archive of the artists, writers, conversations, and enthusiasm that have shaped these years.

I am especially grateful to our writers, readers, photographers, artists, Will Arnold and Design Brooklyn, and the many supporters whose enthusiasm, generosity, and belief in this work have shaped The Dance Enthusiast from the beginning.

I want to thank Dance/USA and the Doris Duke Foundation, The Mertz Gilmore Foundation, the New York State Council on the Arts, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council for helping to fund our earlier dance literacy projects. I would also like to thank all our donors for believing in this work.

My commitment to dancers and to this art form remains unwavering. I look forward to the possibilities of a new chapter, both for myself and for The Dance Enthusiast.

With gratitude and enthusiasm,
 Christine

PS: The video compilation below was put together in 2022 by Kathleen Kelly. It was shown at a ceremony held by the American Dance Guild where I was recognized for Achievement in Dance.  The video includes excerpts from our  Dance Up Close series, along with stills from some of our Enthusiastic Events.  The music playing in this video was composed  especially for our Dance Up Close series by Kevin Keller.