I originally applied to write for thINKingDANCE [tD] because I was jealous of its writers. Their command of language, their poetic precision, their deep analysis of this ephemeral and demanding form—I wanted to be able to do that. I had been writing theater reviews for five or six years at a variety of publications, and was co-running another criticism apparatus, Curate This, but I didn’t know any publications writing about Philadelphia art where such excellence was the baseline.
For the last three and a half years I have worked with, edited, and been edited by the writers who had been so inspiring to me. I have met with them around the same table once per month, and many of them are now my friends. I have also had the privilege to serve as editor-in-chief since January 2017, and to help bring new writers and leaders into the organization.
tD has an admirable tradition of rotating leadership. When founders Lisa Kraus and Anna Drozdowski stepped down from running the organization, they passed their roles onto Megan Bridge and Kirsten Kaschock, with an understanding that they would shepherd it for two years. And when they resigned from their leadership roles, I took over with Ellen Chenoweth.
Now, two years later, I am very proud to introduce new leadership. As of January Lynn Brooks is our new editor-in-chief, and Alen Amini takes over as managing editor in March.
Lynn Brooks founded the Dance Program at Franklin & Marshall College in 1984 and served as its head for over 30 years. The recipient of awards for her dance teaching and her research in dance history, Lynn has also written reviews for Dance Magazine, served as editor of Dance Research Journal and Dance Chronicle: Studies in Dance and the Related Arts, and published books and academic articles. She has also been part of tD since its launch. We’ve all benefited from her careful insights, her razor-sharp editing skills, her wealth of knowledge about dance, and her passion and concern for tD. I am very pleased she’ll be taking these qualities to tD’s leadership.
Alen Amini, a newcomer to thINKingDANCE, has a Masters of Business from Dartmouth College and a Masters of Public Administration from Harvard University. Alen has considerable organizational and journalistic experience. At Harvard he was editor-in-chief of The Citizen. These skills come along with a richly varied and impressive resume, and a wealth of experiences he will bring to tD.
Chris Deephouse, who has been managing director for the last year, will continue in that role, and Jonathan Stein continues as chair of the advisory board, a role he’s held since 2013.
I am deeply proud to have represented tD for the last two years. It has been a real honor to represent tD and work with these writers, and I still have just as much awe for the organization as I did when I started.
Thank you all for reading and donating to tD. You make this possible.
Yours,
Julius Ferraro
