Guest Writer Policy

Emma Cohen

thINKingDANCE (tD) is committed to supporting our roster of writers through equitable pay, editorial support, education efforts, and opportunities for growth within the organization. As such, we have limited capacity for pieces written by guests. If you are interested in joining our organization, we encourage you to apply during our annual call for writers.

We accept letters to the editor and responses to writing published on the site, as well as proposals for guest-written pieces, on a limited basis.

What we are looking for from guest-written pieces:

  • Alignment with our mission statement
  • Thoughtful pieces that provide a perspective or address a topic that fills a gap in our roster-generated coverage
  • A clear connection to the Philadelphia dance community
  • We do not accept any previously published pieces

How to pitch an article as a non-tD writer:

  • Send a complete draft of your article, as well as a brief explanation of why you think it would be a valuable addition to tD, to editor@thinkingdance.net
    • With rare exception, pieces are limited to the following word-counts:
      • Reviews: 400-800 words
      • Interviews: 800-1200 words
      • Think pieces: 1000-1200 words
      • Book Reviews: 800-1000 words
  • If you do not yet have a complete draft, feel free to send an outline detailing what you are interested in writing about, what perspective you will bring to the piece, and why you think the piece would be a good fit for tD. If possible, please send a sample of your previous writing as well.

All guest writers will be paid our standard fee (20-21 season) of $50 per article and will go through our two-tiered editing process whereby the writer works with two separate editors to refine and publish the piece.

If you would like to request coverage or pitch a story to tD, feel free to email us at editor@thinkingdance.net, or reach out to us on Instagram at @thinkingdance. For more information on how coverage is determined at tD, take a look at What We Publish, How We Do It, and Why.

Share this article

Emma Cohen

Emma Cohen is a performing artist currently based in New York. Recently, she has worked with Gillian Walsh, Ligia Lewis, and Elena Bajo, among others. From 2017-2018, Emma participated in the Performance Research Project in Vancouver, BC. Learn more. She is a former staff writer with thINKingDANCE.

PARTNER CONTENT

Keep Reading

The Willis in a Red Mansion?

Ziying Cui

The Challenge of Chinese Ballet

At center stage, Baoyu, dressed in flowing white robes, leads a semicircle of female dancers dressed in pastel, Han-style costumes. The dancers extend one leg in high arabesque-like lines while holding delicate props such as fans and round silk fans, creating a symmetrical and airy composition reminiscent of classical Chinese painting. Behind them is a large golden backdrop textured like aged parchment. Red calligraphic Chinese characters are written across it, associated with the supernatural framework of the story. A circular opening in the center of the backdrop reveals a cool blue background, evoking the moon or an otherworldly portal. The stage lighting highlights the dancers’ flowing sleeves and soft colors—peach, pale green, yellow, and ivory—suggesting the youthful elegance of the family's girls.
Photo: The National Ballet of China

Science and Dance in Creative Conversation

Jen George

Science in partnership with dance yields collaboration and contrasting forces.

Two dancers wear black costumes, and the lighting is low and shadowy. One dancer lays face-up on the stage with arms softly outstretched to the sides and their chest lifted off the floor, legs bending at the knees. The other dancer sits, gazing downwards at them. Dancers: Sayer Mansfield, Marla Phelan
Photo: Tim Richardson