Christine Jowers, Founder/ Senior Contributor of the innovative dance website, The Dance Enthusiast, received honors from two prestigious US dance institutions during the month of December– The American Dance Guild and The New York Dance and Performance Awards, The Bessies, also known as the dance industry’s version of the Academy Awards.

**The 2022 Distinguished Achievement Award in Dance from the American Dance Guild, a long champion of dance in all aspects, was awarded to Jowers for her visionary creation of The Dance Enthusiast.  American Dance Guild President Gloria McLean states: “We wish to honor Christine Jowers at the Festival by recognizing the unique vision that led her to segue from dancer/choreographer to creator of The Dance Enthusiast as one of the earliest applications of “social media” in our field; and for her unsung labor that has supported it over all these years, offering a platform for sharing and critique that is unique and much needed.” ADG also honored the esteemed artists, Phyllis Lamhut, and the late H.T. Chen, with American Dance Guild Lifetime Achievement Award at their event December 1-4 at the Ailey Citigroup Theatre in New York City. 

** A Bessie, awarded by the NY Dance and Performance Awards, New York City’s premier dance awards, honored Jowers’ outstanding service to the field on December 16th at the 38th Bessie Awards Reception which was held at the Chelsea Factory in Manhattan.  

About Christine Jowers:

Christine Jowers was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and raised in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, to a family devoted to the arts and service.  Her father, John Jowers was former Executive Director of the Virgin Islands Council on the Arts, and her mother, Dolores Jowers, was curator of the Virgin Island Museum at Fort Christian. The product of a Caribbean family with lineage in St. Kitts, St. Martin, St. Thomas, St. John, Puerto Rico, and Culebra, Christine began her dance training in St. Thomas at the Ballet Theatre of the Virgin Islands.  She credits her dedication to arts, community, and service primarily to her heritage and upbringing.

As a dancer, Jowers performed to critical acclaim, taught, and produced concerts particularly concerned with the role of women in dance history.  Her first production, The Singular Voice of Woman (1997) at The Place in London, was noted for “exceptional solos”.  Judith Mackrell, dance critic for The Guardian UK, hailed  Jowers as “not only a remarkable performer but an important dance historian.” 

Jowers founded the nonprofit, independent arts journal The Dance Enthusiast 15 years ago.  The site covers the NYC and world- dance scene and provides a space for artists to write, and for audiences to contribute their thoughts on performance. 

 Jowers has discovered and mentored new dance writers, provided a place for experienced journalists to share their work, and created a space for artists to write about their process and experiences. 

Her work promoting dance literacy has been funded by Dance USA, through the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation; the Mertz Gilmore Foundation; and the Lower Manhattan Community Council under the auspices of the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and the New York State Council on the Arts.