Be a Mentor, Find a Mentor: DCA Sponsors
Mentorship Matching Program

Mentors can make a difference in an aspiring dance critic's career and for the future of the profession. The DCA Board wants to develop a list of potential mentors for students of dance criticism, emerging dance writers of all types and those engaged in dance writing already who think they could use help in shifting the emphasis of their craft. Experienced writers can make a difference in nurturing writers new to the field.

Mentoring does take time, care and commitment. The mentor, though, isn't just on the giving end. As do all teachers, the mentor learns in the process and every writer we know could use a small dose of new perspective at various points in her career. So, if you are a dance critic with skills to impart, please be generous and add your name and e-mail address to our Mentors' List at dcamentors@dancecritics.org. DCA senior critics and long-time experienced members are particularly urged to do so. If you would like to be a mentee, please apply at the same address by including your name, contact information, a single paragraph describing your experience and what you would like to focus on with a mentor. Please include, as well, links or an attachment containing two long or three short recently published reviews or other examples of dance writing.

The DCA Board will try to make the mentee and mentor match. Once the match is made, the relationship, including an agreement on how often and how much time the mentor spends, will be worked out individually. Some mentor-mentee relationships are open-ended; others can be arranged for a specific period of time. All details must be mutually worked out and agreed upon by both the mentor and mentee. The DCA will keep all mentor-mentee relationships confidential. We look forward to hearing from you: email us at dcamentors@dancecritics.org.