I write with great sadness that Dancing Times magazine will cease publication and that the September 2022 issue will be its last.
As many of you know, I have been writing a column for the magazine over the last few years called ‘Danza in Italia’ and so I have a close personal connection with both the magazine, and its tireless editor Jon Gray, though for reasons of geography and timing, we have never met face to face.
Dancing Times was established in October 1910 by founding editor Phillip J S Richardson and has been published continuously every month for 112 years.
Largely through the initiative of Richardson, Dancing Times played an instrumental role in the founding of the Royal Academy of Dance, the Camargo Society for the encouragement and presentation of British ballet (1930 to 1933), and the British Dance Council, which codified the technique and controls the standards of the “English Style” in ballroom dancing.
A press release states:
For over a century, especially during the period of editorship under Mary Clarke, the magazine has been considered – through the expertise of its writers, and the quality of the photographs it reproduces – the leading publication for the dance industry as a whole, appealing not just to professional dancers, teachers, directors and choreographers, but also dance enthusiasts and students.
Since 2020, the tremendous economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as the rapid increase in costs over the past year, means the magazine is no longer financially viable in its current form.
Jonathan Gray, director and editor, writes:
Everyone at Dancing Times is heartbroken that the magazine is not able to continue, especially as the team worked so hard during the pandemic to ensure there was an issue published for subscribers and readers every month. The magazine has overseen the dramatic and complete transformation of dance since the early 20th century, not just in the UK, but around the world, and it is devastating to think Dancing Times will no longer be able to report on the exciting future of dance.
We realise that this announcement will come as a complete shock and a surprise to many people, and I would like to take this opportunity now to thank everyone who has supported Dancing Times over the years, especially our subscribers, readers and advertisers, and also extend our grateful thanks to the wonderful writers and photographers who have helped make the magazine the beacon of excellence in dance journalism that it is.
Source: https://www.gramilano.com/