Jennifer Homans

Jennifer A. Homans (born 1960) is an American historian, author, and dance critic. Her book Apollo's Angels: A History of Ballet was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award in 2010.

Jennifer Homans
Born	1960 (age 63–64) Chicago, Illinois, United States
Education	University of North Carolina School of the Arts School of American Ballet B.A., French literature, Columbia University PhD, Modern European History, New York University
Occupation	Author
Notable work	Apollo's Angels: A History of Ballet
Spouse	Tony Judt ​ ​ (m. 1993, died)​

Early life and education

Homans was raised in Chicago, Illinois, where she trained as a ballerina from the age of eight.^[1] By the time she was a teenager, Homans had enrolled in dance classes at the University of Chicago and eventually left the state for more serious training at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and School of American Ballet. After dancing professionally with the Pacific Northwest Ballet, Homans decided to enroll in Columbia University at the age of 26.^[2] After earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in French literature, she enrolled in New York University (NYU) for her PhD in Modern European History.^[1]

Career

Following her PhD, Homans accepted a position as a Distinguished Scholar in Residence at NYU, where she wrote her first book, Apollo's Angels: A History of Ballet.^[3] Apollo's Angels traced back the origins of ballet from the Renaissance to modern times.^[4] The book was described by The New York Times as "the only truly definitive history of ballet".^[5] It was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award^[6] and was named as one of the "10 Best Books of 2010" by the New York Times.^[7] Homans' claim that ballet is a dying art form generated controversy.^[8] Art critic Claudia La Rocco rebuffed Homans' claims and critiqued the book for its alleged lack of attention to post-George Balanchine developments in ballet, including William Forsythe.^[9]

From 2012 to 2013, Homans was granted a Guggenheim Fellowship as she began writing her second book, a history of George Balanchine.^[10] The following year, she established the Center for Ballet and the Arts at NYU with funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to help "establish ballet as a serious subject of academic inquiry."^[11] In its inaugural cohort, the institute accepted seven fellows; John Carrafa, Gregory Mosher, J. David Velleman, Heather Watts, Frederick Wiseman, Christopher d'Amboise, and John Michael Schert.^[12]

In 2016, Homans was selected as a Fellow of the New York Public Library's Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers.^[13] In 2019, Homans' Center for Ballet and the Arts received a three-year $2 million grant.^[14] She was also named The New Yorker's dance critic, replacing Joan Acocella.^[15]

She was named a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2021.^[16] Her 2022 book Mr. B: George Balanchine's 20th Century was a finalist for the 2023 National Book Critics Circle Award for Biography^[17] and the Pulitzer Prize for Biography.^[18]

Personal life

Homans married Tony Judt, with whom she had two children.^[19]

Bibliography

Books

• Homans, Jennifer (2010). Apollo’s angels : a history of ballet.
• — (2022). Mr. B : George Balanchine's 20th Century.

Essays and reporting

• Homans, J. (17 February 2002). "Steps, Steps, Steps". The New Republic.
• — (12 October 2010). "Is Ballet Over?". The New Republic.
• — (13 September 2012). "A Woman's Place". The New York Times.
• — (4 October 2013). "The Crisis in Contemporary Ballet". The New Republic.
• — (12 September 2014). "Charles James Was an Artist—But Don't Hang His Works in a Museum". The New Republic.
• Homans, Jennifer (January 6, 2020). "Song of experience : Nocha Flamenca gets deeper with age". The Critics. Dancing. The New Yorker. 95 (43): 66–67.^[a]
• — (September 12, 2022). "The return : touring the Soviet Union, George Balanchine confronted his homeland's fate". Life and Letters. The New Yorker. 98 (28): 20–26.^[b]

———————

Notes

1. Online version is titled "Nocha Flamenca gets deeper with age".
2. Online version is titled "George Balanchine's Soviet reckoning".

References

1. Rosenberg, Amy (Fall 2011). "Barre None". nyu.edu. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
2. McDonald, Jennifer B. (November 19, 2010). . The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 2, 2018. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
3. "Homans' "Apollo's Angels" Named One of "10 Best Books of 2010" by the New York Times". nyu.edu. December 20, 2010. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
4. McParland, Shellie I. (Spring 2013). "Apollo's Angels: A History of Ballet by Jennifer Homans (review)". Journal of Sport History. 40 (1): 178–179. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
5. Bentley, Toni (November 26, 2010). . The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 2, 2019. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
6. "Four NYU Faculty Finalists for National Book Critics Circle Awards". nyu.edu. January 25, 2011. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
7. "Homans' "Apollo's Angels" Named One of "10 Best Books of 2010" by the New York Times". nyu.edu. December 20, 2010. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
8. Bomboy, Erin (December 29, 2017). "Jennifer Homans Was Wrong: Ballet Is Experiencing a Mini-Renaissance". dance-enthusiast.com. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
9. La Rocco, Claudia (November 15, 2010). "Is Ballet Really Dying?". slate.com. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
10. "JENNIFER HOMANS". gf.org. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
11. Cooper, Michael (September 2, 2014). . The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 16, 2019. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
12. "Major New Research Center for Ballet and the Arts Launched at NYU". nyu.edu. September 8, 2014. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
13. "The New York Public Library's Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers Announces 2016-2017 Fellows". nypl.org. April 11, 2016. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
14. "Mellon Foundation Awards $2 Million to NYU Center for Ballet". philanthropynewsdigest.org. October 12, 2019. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
15. @AdriaBalletBeat (March 7, 2019). "Jennifer Homans, author of Apollo's Angels: A History of Ballet (2010), has been named dance critic for The New Yorker. Joan Acocella has stepped down from the position after 20 years" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
16. "Members Elected in 2021, by Class & Section". American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 2022-05-14.
17. Varno, David (2023-02-01). "NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE ANNOUNCES FINALISTS FOR PUBLISHING YEAR 2022". National Book Critics Circle. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
18. Stewart, Sophia (May 8, 2023). "'Demon Copperhead,' 'Trust,' 'His Name Is George Floyd' Among 2023 Pulitzer Prize Winners". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
19. Hormans, Jennifer (March 22, 2012). "Tony Judt: A Final Victory". nybooks.com. Retrieved April 27, 2020.