Dance, when you’re broken open.
Dance, if you’ve torn the bandage off.
Dance in the middle of the fighting.
Dance in your blood.
Dance, when you’re perfectly free.
-Rumi
Dancing Perfectly Free (DPF) was created in October 2007 as a way to share original criticism, ideas, reviews, previews, and commentary about dance and the arts in New York City. DPF strives to enrich dance culture by engaging the online dance community and cultivating new audiences. Reader participation is encouraged and welcomed since DPF and all blogs can serve as a mode of interactive communication.
Evan Namerow
Co-founder, Head Writer
Evan started dancing when she was three. She graduated from Barnard College of Columbia University in 2007, where she studied ballet, modern, movement analysis, dance history and criticism, and dance culture in NYC. She currently serves as a marketing and communications consultant for several dance organizations and writes about dance for The Brooklyn Rail and Dancing Perfectly Free. Evan has a certificate in arts management from NYU and will begin a master’s in nonprofit management at The New School in fall 2010. When not working or writing about dance, Evan can be found running in Central Park, attending performances, or hiking and kayaking in the Adirondacks. She can be reached at evan (at) dancingperfectlyfree (dot) com.
Allison Slater
Co-founder, Former Contributor
Allison grew up in Northern California. She was a competitive gymnast for eight years before she began studying ballet, jazz, and theater. She graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in May of 2007 with a concentration in biology and psychology. In college she spent a year studying at Columbia University, where she danced with Orchesis dance group and studied for five months in Vienna, Austria, where she taught dance and English classes at the Vienna Bilingual School. After living in New York for five years, Allison moved to California in June 2008. She currently lives in San Francisco.
Site photos by Allison Slater
HI Allison and Evan. I studied in New York many years ago. I look forward to more on your blog. Cheers, Dianne
Hi, Dianne! Thanks for visiting our blog. We love hearing from readers and hope you visit often. -Evan
I just found your web site & truly enjoyed it. I loved the photos and commentary on your home page, and this poem by Rumi, which I’d never read before is fantastic.
I am also a dancer and think you might enjoy my work. I have quite a few sites, not all about dance but more about dancing with your soul.
Evan, hi, it’s Sharron.
I love your blog. The photos are superb and your writing is clear and without the pretense that characterizes so much criticism in other places.
How fabulous that you’re doing this. Bravo!
Hey, fellow Barnard Woman! I found your blog while searching for the Grand Central Freeze video for a pal o’ mine. I’m also old enough to be your mom, but howdy anyway!
Wonderful blog. As a fellow dancer, and NYC arts enthusiast, this provides such a wonderful common place for all things passionate. Grazie!
The dance world needs a blog like this. Thanks!
Although far away from New York, I have visited and sketched at Paul Taylor’s dance rehearsals and this is what I did with the sketches:
http://www.jkunzle.com/3b_CoDance-Orig.html
Very interesting and inspiring website,
kia manuia from Rarotonga,
Judith
Hi Evan, thanks for your contribution to our community. I just discovered your blog and was inspired by the story about healing in Israel. I just started a blog following my dance career and about events in the dance community (www.christinailisije.wordpress.com) and am looking forward to reading more of your posts in the future!
I love your honesty and grace as you review the works.