Jun 2, 2020
This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra speaks with Margaret Fuhrer, Editor in Chief of Dance Spirit magazine. Margaret holds a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and a master’s degree in journalism from New York University. Margaret went on to be a dance writer and editor for various publications, including The Huffington Post. She is now the Editor in Chief of Dance Spirit magazine, Content Director for The Dance Edit podcast, and Digital Content Director for Dance Media Publications. She is also the author of American Dance: The Complete Illustrated History.
Being in the dance journalism world, Margaret is on the front lines of the latest changes in both the dance world and in media. Since becoming Editor in Chief only a few years ago, she’s seen drastic changes to the journalism and performing arts landscapes. On the podcast, Margaret shares her story and gives “a day in the life” at one of dance’s most prestigious magazines, all while projecting what she believes the future may hold for the world of dance.
Moving Quotes:
“The arrival of social media has fundamentally changed the landscape in how dancers market themselves. The way they’re hired. The way their careers go and how those careers look."
“It’s funny. You don’t think of dance as a medium that lends itself well to podcasts, which is essentially radio. And yet, hearing dancers and members of the dance world talk about their craft is endlessly fascinating. There is so much to probe there."
“Dancers today are so much better educated at a much younger age about the breadth of content that various parts of the dance world are putting out. And I think the trend that we’re starting to see is a lot more cross-pollination than there used to be across genres and styles. Which, I think, is resulting in beautiful things."
“A field that sorely needs good people who really know dance is arts administration."
Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:
3:40: Margaret discusses how she went from watching The Nutcracker to dancing ballet to studying medieval studies at an Ivy League university to Editor in Chief of Dance Spirit.
10:24: Margaret, who studied at some of the best universities in the world, explains why she chose to attend those schools.
11:56: Fuhrer describes Dance Spirit and explains her role as Editor in Chief of the publication.
16:22: Margaret describes her team’s process in choosing the right stories to fill Dance Spirit’s pages.
18:45: Fuhrer explains how dance journalism has completely shifted with the advent of new media platforms (such as social media), even since she began her career not too long ago.
23:00: Fuhrer discusses what she believes is the future of dance and why she is very optimistic about the trends that we are seeing today.
24:58: Margaret explains how the opportunity to write her book came to be and how her timeline to create the book was paper-thin, on top of her normal day job.
29:46: Margaret shares about her podcast — The Dance Edit Podcast — and the idea that drove its creation.
32:11: Fuhrer, who is involved in the dance industry as a non-dancer, discusses some other critical non-dance roles that listeners may be interested in pursuing.
34:07: Margaret looks to the future and shares what she’s most excited about.
Bullet List of Resources –
Margaret Fuhrer
The Dance Edit Podcast
American Dance: The Complete Illustrated History