Photo by Whitney Browne
Christine Jowers/Follow @cmmjowers on Instagram
Christine Jowers (she, her, hers) is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Dance Enthusiast, an independent, non-profit arts journalism site, one of the projects of the Moving Arts Projects non-profit foundation. For 17 years she has covered the NYC dance scene, developing creative formats through which to share dance stories with diverse, global audiences and supporting the work of accomplished dance journalists as well as voices new to the field. In 2022, in recognition of her contribution to the dance scene, Christine received a New York Performance Award(Bessie) for Community Service and an American Dance Guild Achievement in the Field of Dance award.
Believing that the formal dance conversation should be opened to the dance-going public as well as critics and academics, Christine created a space for audiences to share their thoughts on dance. Audience Reviews on The Dance Enthusiast have encouraged budding journalists — many of whom have become correspondents on The Dance Enthusiast site or with other respected arts publications.
(Read more about this program in Lynne Conners’, We The Audience on ArtsJournal, here. See editor Sammi Lim Sowerby's delightful cartoons that illustrate how audience reviews can serve artists, presenters, and audiences, here )
Before Instagram Reels, FB stories, and TikTok, Christine began publishing short video stories to draw readers into the lives and work of professional dancers. This program eventually became the “Dance Up Close,” series funded by Dance/USA’s Engaging Audience Program under the auspices of The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.
The Dance Enthusiast’s Enthusiastic Events series, which she created and curated, brought dancers of all genres together with visual artists, filmmakers, fashion designers, directors, authors, chefs, gallery owners etc. to introduce audiences to dance’s connection to the world-at-large. Recognized for promoting dance literacy, this program was funded by the Mertz Gilmore Foundation, the Lower Manhattan Community Council and the New York State Council on the Arts.
Christine has led talk backs and workshops on writing and other manners of communication for interested groups of young people from the Martha Graham School, the Pentacle Internship Program, Arts Connection/High 5 Tickets to the Arts, and Columbia University. She has been delighted to mentor interns from Florida State University, Hofstra, Pace University, and Trinity/LaMaMa.
She has hosted panels and events celebrating dance history and issues of the field. During the pandemic, she hosted an EYE ON DANCE celebratory Zoom panel in honor of 40 years of that acclaimed PBS program created by Celia Ipiotis and Jeff Bush. She led the Sokolow Theatre Dance Ensemble's commemoration of 50 years of Anna Sokolow's Rooms and discussed Dr. Daniel Lewis' book, Daniel Lewis, A Life in Choreography and the Art of Dance. Recently Christine facilitated discussions in New York and Philadelphia for WHERE IS MY B-O-D-Y, a collaboration of discovery focusing on age and dance with the accomplished artists, choreographers and educators: Gus Solomons jr and Pallabi Chakravorty and Kun-Yang Lin.
Christine has been published in Dance/USA's e-journal, From The Green Room, The Dance Insider, The Johns Hopkins University's Literary Journal :The Hopkins Review, and The Huffington Post. Her writing has been highlighted by Thomas Cott, in his respected newsletter for arts administrators: You've Cott Mail.
PERFORMANCE/PRODUCTION
Christine worked as professional dancer, teacher, and producer for more than 30 years. She performed solo works and principal roles by the early masters of modern dance: Isadora Duncan (coached by Catherine Gallant), Doris Humphrey, Eleanor King (coached by Lori Belilove), Jean Erdman (coached by Nancy Allison), Murray Louis (coached by Janis Brenner and Murray Louis), Anna Sokolow, Paul Sansardo (coached by John Passafiume). She also danced in works created by contemporary choreographers and performance artists: Larry Keigwin, Rebecca Rice, Catlin Cobb, Nancy Allison, Larry Warren, Kun Yang Lin, Charles Moulton, Mark Taylor, Elsa Limbach, Jerry Pearson, Ann Carlson, Janis Brenner, BJ Sullivan, and Margie Gillis.
Christine's first independent production, The Singular Voice of Woman (1997) at The Place in London, featured Janet Eilber (now artistic director of the Martha Graham Dance Company), Jacky Lansley ( British contemporary dance pioneer), and Lesley Maine ( UK specialist in the work of Doris Humphrey). It was noted for "exceptional solos”and Judith Mackrell, dance critic for The Guardian UK, hailed Jowers as “not only a remarkable performer but an important dance historian…” Other original productions, Revealing Isadora and The Dancing Goddesses of NYC were performed in New York City at: The World Financial Center, The New Jersey Center for Performing Arts, The Joyce Soho, Joe's Pub, OK Harris Dance Gallery, DanceNowNYC, The Henry Street Settlement, Abrons Art Center, The University Settlement at Eldridge Street, The Culture Project, The Children’s Museum of Manhattan, and, The 14th Street Y.
Christine's revival of The Singular Voice of Woman (a solo dance and video production) was performed in 13 concerts during the 2010 Edinburgh Fringe Festival with BookingDance. “She brings just as much emotion, albeit a very different kind, to Isadora Duncan’s Revolutionary. Although this short piece consists of a small set of repeated movements, those movements are passionate, powerful, dramatic and despairing — thanks to both Duncan and Jowers — making this piece one of the highlights of the programme." Amanda Grimm, TheSkinny.co.uk.
TEACHING AND WORKSHOPS
In addition to being on the faculty at the José Limón Institute in NYC, the Laban Centre for Movement and Dance Studies, and Danceworks in London, Christine has conducted master classes at Islington Arts Factory, (UK) the Liverpool School of Performing Arts (UK) Roehampton College (UK), Goucher College (USA), Kean College (USA) and other various educational institutions.
She has led dance workshops, taught choreography, and performed for children and teenagers under the auspices of Artists in The Schools programs, Teen Arts, Young Audiences, and Very Special Arts programs. In 1991, Christine created a dance program for children and adults at the YWCA in Summit, NJ, directing the program from 1991-1996, and founding the highly regarded Free Community Dance Series there. Her work in community dance was supported by the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs and the New Jersey State Arts Council. In 1999, she established cj/MOVING ARTS PROJECTS’ MOVING KIDS SALONs to sponsor workshops for kids and “their grownups” in New York City. In addition to Christine, artists featured in the Moving Kids Salons were Risa Steinberg, Catherine Gallant, Cherlyn Smith, Larry Keigwin and Nicole Wolcott.
Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico and raised in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, Christine is a sixth generation Virgin Islander with roots in St. Kitts, St. Martin, St. Thomas, St. John, and Puerto Rico. She credits her dedication to art and community to her family upbringing and cultural heritage. Currently, she runs The Dance Enthusiast from Boston. Christine is delighted to be further serving the dance community as a board member of The Martha Graham Dance Company in New York City.
Read features by Christine Jowers/Follow @cmmjowers on Instagram
Read features by Christine Jowers/Follow @cmmjowers on Instagram
