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Ballet Review to Suspend Publication


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Very sad to see another venerable publication go under. Crowdfunding would also help with finances, but finding a younger staff, willing to work for little or nothing, is obviously not easy. It's all about finding the right individuals (essentially writers that have another sufficient source of income).

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So sad. The spring/summer 2019 (next-to-last?) issue includes a wonderful article on Ratmansky's research on Harlequinade.

 

Edited by Roberta
removed question about day jobs of dance writers; can begin thread for that later
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On 5/28/2019 at 6:04 PM, nanushka said:

Thanks, @miliosr. That's really disappointing. It looks like the notice is dated May 10, but I never received anything.

I saw a notice to writers earlier this spring, but didn't want to say anything until they made a general announcement.  I was worried when they said they were cutting back to two issues/year, but didn't think they would go dark entirely quite this quickly.  They've been a home for some of the best English-language writing about dance since they first launched -- I will miss their contribution to the field.

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My heart sank too when my issue arrived yesterday and I read the news. So sad. Such good, in-depth writing about dance, and ballet in particular, is hard to find. In fact, I can't think of anything to replace Ballet Review at present.  Is it because a certain generation of dance lovers is aging, and the younger generations coming up don't have as much interest in reading print publications with depth analysis of classical art forms? Nor as much interest in volunteering time to such a publication? I hope very much that I'm wrong.

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As I understand it, this is a sad combination of timing and money.  The current editorial team has been working on this project for a number of years, and though the quality of the writing has remained high, they have not been able to increase the subscriber base in such a way to cover the costs of production.  Fixed costs like printing and mailing have gone up, and although they still pay writers, all the other tasks that are required to put out a print publication are done by volunteers. 

While they have officially put the publication "on hiatus," I do not know what it might take to bring it back.

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I received the final (Spring-Summer 2020) issue of Ballet Review today. A letter enclosed states, in part, the following:

Quote

It is with a mixture of pride and sorrow that we present the final issue of Ballet Review, the culmination of our work over the past fifty-five years.

...

Marvin [Hoshino, editor] completed the editing and design of the issue in the Spring and supervised the printing, which was delayed due to the current pandemic. He reviewed an advance hard copy of the magazine in June and was very pleased. Sadly, and quite unexpectedly, Marvin died on June 23, age 73, of natural causes.

...

We mourn Marvin Hoshino, our dear friend and colleague. His loss is irreparable. But we know that we will be all the wiser for reading this final issue of Ballet Review, Marvin's last work. We dedicate this issue to his memory.

We thank you for your loyal support over these many years. And wish you well.

Warmest regards,

David S. Weiss [President, Board of Directors]

At the second elision are three additional paragraphs detailing Hoshino's life and accomplishments.

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On 8/28/2020 at 11:26 AM, nanushka said:

I received the final (Spring-Summer 2020) issue of Ballet Review today. A letter enclosed states, in part, the following:

At the second elision are three additional paragraphs detailing Hoshino's life and accomplishments.

Nanushka, what articles appeared in the final issue of BR? Any special themes?

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19 hours ago, pherank said:

Nanushka, what articles appeared in the final issue of BR? Any special themes?

It's another double issue, so there's a lot. Highlights listed on the spine: Balanchine at City Center, J. Stafford, M. Champion, Kirstein at MoMA, É. Platel, Classical Russes, J. Reilly, F. Ashton, Yuriko, Degas's Dancers, L. Chétouane, Bugaku, P. Lang, Victoria's Drawings, C. Dumais-Lvowski, Swedish Explorers. Haven't had a chance to read much yet, beyond skimming a few of the reviews.

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I got a very nice surprise in the mail today, six back issues (Fall 2017 – Spring 2020) of Dance Index with a note:

Quote

With the compliments of Ballet Society — Eakins Press Foundation, publisher of Dance Index and the Dance Research Foundation, publisher of Ballet Review

I'm guessing this may be because my subscription to Ballet Review was paid beyond their end of publication.

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I just got Dance Index as well. What a pleasant surprise. However, this makes me realize that I somehow did not receive the final issue of Ballet Review, despite being subscribed. I was out of town for awhile, and thought I had received all my mail, but this must have gotten lost. Bummer. 

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On 11/3/2020 at 3:55 PM, nanushka said:

I got a very nice surprise in the mail today, six back issues (Fall 2017 – Spring 2020) of Dance Index with a note:

I'm guessing this may be because my subscription to Ballet Review was paid beyond their end of publication.

I received the same six issues, as well. What a lovely surprise! 

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