Birthday Tributes to Dancing Times

Posted on October 19, 2010

Happy Birthday, Dancing Times!

As we reach our 100th birthday, we would like to share with our readers some of the many tributes we have received from the world of dance.

Happy Birthday, Dancing Times and, to quote the title of a song, “the times they are a-changin’”, but let’s hope Dancing Times and Dance Today go from strength to strength and stay just as fantastic as they have always been in the future.
Len Goodman, “Strictly Come Dancing”

I’ve been aware of Dancing Times since studying at The Young Place many moons ago. Reading articles about great dance icons like Patrick Harding-Irmer and Paul Liburd was a regular activity during lunchtime breaks. We all dreamed of one day being immortalised in the pages of the UK’s premier dance publication, and as the landscape of dance theatre changes, it’s great to see Dancing Times documenting its development, particularly in hip hop dance.
Jonzi D, associate artist, Sadler’s Wells

Dancing Times has always kept distinguished company: Alicia Markova, Galina Ulanova, Vakhtang Chabukiani, Peggy van Praagh and Margot Lander were also born in 1910. Like those great artists, the magazine developed its singular character as it went along, refining its expressive means, widening its scope, adapting to each era’s taste and proudly displaying the art of dance to experts and newcomers. All of them benefit constantly, as will history, from its dedication to considered views and informed judgment. So three cheers for its past achievements, and a toast to the next 100 years.
Barbara Newman, dance critic

The last 100 years have been the most varied, most adventurous, and most exciting in the history of dance – and Dancing Times has been there to document so much of it. The vision of P J S Richardson, who saw it through two wars and astonishing changes in the dancing world, grew under Mary Clarke to more fully encompass that world, so that now with Jonathan Gray the magazine is poised to flourish for at least another 100 years. We are lucky to have been a part of it!
George Dorris, dance critic

An extraordinary century of dance reported, analysed and discussed in these pages. Here’s to another 100 years of dance and Dancing Times.
Tamara Rojo, The Royal Ballet

Dancing Times has kept time with dance for the past century, changing formats and adjusting emphases to reflect developments in the dance scene. Occasionally, it has been blessedly ahead of the times, as in its early championing of British ballet; occasionally, it has seemed slightly behind the times, as in its early suspicion of modern dance. Yet, guided by editors with vision and common sense, it has always managed to catch up, and it remains a timely reporter. For Dancing Times, it is always time to dance! 
Jack Anderson, dance critic

As a teenager I bought every dance magazine I could and pored over all the pictures. The only one I actually read though was Dancing Times. It was the magazine that provided me with vital information and, just as important, a point of view that I respected. I’d love to think that in 1910 Fokine checked out Dancer of the Month before reading reviews of Les Sylphides and then writing off to Talking Point and complaining about Nijinsky. Little did they know that we’d all be celebrating DT 100 years on.
Richard Alston, Richard Alston Dance Company

Congratulations to Dancing Times on your 100th Anniversary, and thank you for the superb and informative stories and reviews that so help all of us who serve the art of ballet. May you have another 100 brilliant years!
Yuri Burlaka, artistic director, Bolshoi Ballet

Congratulations on this wonderful 100th Anniversary. I’d like to compliment you on the brilliant work you have carried out.
Vasily Medvedev, artistic director of DANCE OPEN International Ballet Festival

I want to congratulate Dancing Times for reaching 100! I always enjoy the magazine. In the centennial issue, I loved the interview with Mary Clarke, and was proud when I learned that her first dance writing job was with Dance Magazine. Congratulations and keep up the terrific work!
Wendy Perron, editor in chief, Dance Magazine

Jonathan Gray

Jonathan Gray is editor of Dancing Times. He studied at The Royal Ballet School, Leicester Polytechnic, and Wimbledon School of Art where he graduated with a BA Hons in Theatre Design. For 16 years he was a member of the curatorial department of the Theatre Museum, London, assisting on a number of dance-related exhibitions, and helping with the recreation of original designs for a number of The Royal Ballet’s productions including Danses concertantes, Daphnis and Chloë, and The Sleeping Beauty. He has also contributed to the Financial Times, written programme articles for The Royal Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet, and is co-author of the book Unleashing Britain: Theatre gets real 1955-64, published in 2005.