The Dance Things We’re Thankful for This Year
We have a Thanksgiving tradition here at Dance Spirit: Every November, I ask my fellow editors to send me a list of the dance performances/artists/trends/miscellany from the past year that made them grateful to be part of this wild, wonderful little world. Because we’re always looking for excuses to celebrate all things dance—and what better excuse than #GratitudeSeason?
Without further ado, here are our dance-specific gratitude journals. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Cadence Neenan, Assistant Editor:
I’m thankful for the chance to watch my #BachNation fave Hannah Beast compete (and WIN!) on “Dancing with the Stars,” for all of the absolutely bonkers dancing going on in Moulin Rouge! The Musical (courtesy Sonya Tayeh), for the #LizzoBalletChallenge, and for literally everything Caleb Teicher does. Oh, and super thankful for my first few months at this amazing job, where I get to talk about dance all day, every day!
Amanda Sherwin, Assistant Managing Editor: I’m thankful for people of all ages and experience levels grooving together to celebrate National Dance Day, for the dance community in particular and their incredible support around #BoysDoBallet as we continue to break dance stereotypes, and for all the jaw-dropping, beautiful ways dance was captured on film, from music videos to company promos to national commercials. Keep up all the positive energy, creativity, and pure joy for this art form we love.
Margaret Fuhrer, Editor in Chief (yours truly): I’m thankful for the (slow but steady) progress the dance world has made in terms of diversity and tolerance. I’m thankful to have been able to feature 18 mind-bogglingly talented artists on our cover over the past year. I’m thankful for the gorgeous ray of sunshine that is Mark Kanemura. And after nearly two decades of resenting the heck out of The Nutcracker (oh, the cynicism of a former bunhead), I’m once again thankful for that magical ballet, which I’ll be seeing through new eyes when I take my 3-year-old to a performance next month.
