Gia Kourlas

I am the dance critic of The New York Times.

What I Cover

I cover dance no matter where it lives — from the proscenium stage at Lincoln Center to the subway platform and on social media, film and TV. I avoid hierarchies that elevate one form of dance over another: Hip-hop, modern dance, classical ballet, tap and many more are all integral to the art form. Dance is also a way into exploring everyday movement and the body’s place in society and in popular culture. Along with covering concert dance, I pay close attention to how dance and choreography exist in the real world. (I spoke more about my approach to criticism in this article, published after I became The Times’s full-time dance critic in 2019.)

My Background

I began writing about dance for The Times in 2000 and became a regular contributor soon after. During much of that time, I was also the dance editor at Time Out New York, where I wrote a weekly column about dance and performance in the city. I can’t remember a moment when dance wasn’t somehow on my radar. Growing up in Columbus, Ohio, I studied dance and was a figure skater.

It’s important to me to be able to reach people in parts of the country where live performance may not be robust. At The Times, I want to expand the idea of what a critic can be — combining words and video in innovative ways. And as important and gratifying as it is to watch dance and follow dance artists, I want people to dance themselves, to move — to find a connection with their bodies so that they might have a more personal experience when watching others do the same.

Journalistic Ethics

All Times journalists are committed to upholding the standards of integrity outlined in our Ethical Journalism Handbook. I want all of my work to be accurate and clear. As a critic, I stay true to my values and I champion imagination over changing trends or what is fashionable. I treat the people I write about with dignity and fairness. Making a dance is a brave and noble act, and I never forget that. I also feel that following dance is more than watching one performance; it’s an accumulation of knowledge. I work hard to stay open to all possibilities.

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