Alex Ross on critiquing art

The New Yorker’s saucy music critic Alex Ross is a bit of a idol for some of us Dd-ers. If you haven’t read his blog The Rest is Noise or either of his books, the first sharing the same name and the second called Listen to This, then you are certainly missing out. A colleague of mine at Lincoln Center has lent both to me and I am gradually working my way through them, finding an abundance of inspiration for a fun, creative project I am working on at LCPA and for, of course, Dd. I wanted to share a quote from the intro of Listen to This.

Every art form fights the noose of verbal description. Writing about dance is like singing about architecture; writing about writing is like making buildings about ballet.

It struck me right away and lingered with me throughout the day – his words can do that to a person –

Alex Ross's first book The Rest is Noise

because these few sentences hold such significance for Dd. In the next several months, you’ll see our contributors step up to the editorial plate, ready to swing with some big, bold, and meaty pieces, full of personal thoughts and feelings about this nation’s dance community. They’ll be attending a slew of dance performances, events, discussions, exhibits, and even films, and, as the reader, you’ll get to hear ALL about it. Turning a visual art form into words is no easy feat, but there is a purpose and importance to it!

Ready or not world…here comes Dd!