Arts Professional Story: Lucia Mauro, Arts Writer and Critic

Like many aspiring dancers, one of my earliest inspirations came in the form of the unapologetically melodramatic 1948 film, The Red Shoes, featuring Moira Shearer as art- and love-torn ballerina, Victoria Page. When asked why she dances, Shearer’s character famously responds, “Why do you want to live?” I became captivated by the movie’s strange and glamorous universe, complete with a Svengali-esque ballet impresario, Leonide Massine’s wild-eyed turn as a sinister cobbler in the fantasy-ballet sequence, and sweeping views of the French Riviera. But beyond the film’s almost kitschy allure, I think it inherently made me understand the art form’s unwavering demands, joys, heartaches and possibilities.

BACKGROUND

I began studying ballet, tap and jazz at the age of 9 at a small school in Chicago not long after seeing The Red Shoes on television. I continued my ballet studies at various studios before moving on to Chicago’s Ellis-DuBoulay School of Ballet, as well as attending classes at New York’s Joffrey School of Ballet and David Howard’s studio. Over time, I found that – as much as I loved to dance – I received greater fulfillment from my writing. And writing became and remains my first love. While still in elementary school, I realized I could combine my interest in dance and writing by becoming an arts writer and a dance critic. So it became a fairly steady goal. I still have a huge scrapbook, from my childhood and teenage years, filled with dance reviews and articles – my earliest training ground for a career in dance writing and criticism. Then, as editor of my high school newspaper, I added a section on dance, music and theater criticism. In retrospect, it’s hard for me to believe that American Ballet Theatre, Light Opera Works and the Goodman Theatre were some of the institutions reviewed. I actually was drawn to many art forms and, over the course of my career, I have covered dance, theater, music, film and visual art.

I graduated from Loyola University Chicago in 1986, with degrees in English and Communication. Since I was hard-pressed to find any openings for dance critics, I worked mainly in the publishing and public relations industries shortly after college. Early full-time jobs included Kraft’s Corporate Communications Department, MacLean Hunter Publishing, TravelAge Mid-America Magazine, and publicist for the Avandaro Golf & Spa Resort near Mexico City.

While working in these fields, I built a separate resume as a freelance dance/theater critic and arts writer for Pioneer Press Newspapers, Copley Newspapers, the Daily Herald and numerous weekly publications. From this point, my arts writing career began to take shape in unexpected ways. The best advice I can give to aspiring arts journalists is to keep an open mind about your career path and try to get as much writing experience as possible (even if it means starting out small). Honing your critical voice is akin to artists honing their craft.

By the mid-1990s, I found myself experiencing a domino effect of opportunities. I wrote for so many publications that I was able to become a full-time freelance writer. Those publications included New City, Chicago Sun-Times, PerformINK, UR Chicago, In Theatre Magazine, Footlights, Chicago Magazine, Chicago Social, DanceMagazine, Dance Teacher, Dance Spirit, Stage Directions, Fra Noi, and many more. I founded the first local website devoted to theater reviews: www.chicagotheater.com.

I currently review dance for the Chicago Tribune and write about the arts for Chicago Magazine, The Chicago Collection, Front Desk, Playbill, and more. I also have written three books for McGraw-Hill: Career Portraits: Fashion; Careers for Fashionplates & Other Trendsetters (now in its third edition); and Careers for the Stagestruck & Other Dramatic Types (now in its second edition). I served as editor of A Leap Across the Atlantic: The Memoirs of Two Ballet Dancers (2006).

Throughout my writing career, I’ve always welcomed the opportunity of serving on various arts panels and speaking about careers in the arts to elementary, high school and university students. That has led to countless speaking opportunities, which I enjoy as much as writing about the arts. I began talking about dance and theater on WGN-Radio’s “The Dean Richards Show,” and have been featured on the Minneapolis-based station, “The Career Clinic.”

Most recently, I am the dance critic for WBEZ-Chicago Public Radio’s “848” program. I also was featured in the Emmy Award-winning documentary, The Chicago Dance Project. Another very satisfying aspect of my work is conducting numerous pre- and post-show conversations and lectures. I host the monthly “About Dance” program – now in its fourth year – at the Chicago Cultural Center; the Auditorium Theatre’s FireSide Chats (for the fifth season); InConversation at The Arts Club of Chicago; American Ballet Theatre’s Spotlight Seminars at Chicago’s Civic Opera House and at New York’s Metropolitan Opera House, and many more. In 2008, my career path came full circle. I was named an adjunct professor of dance history in Loyola University’s Department of Fine and Performing Arts.

In addition to the arts, I have devoted a separate career to writing and speaking about Italian culture, history, language, the arts and my own Italy photography across the United States.

INDUSTRY CHANGES

We are all aware of the current downturn in newspaper and magazine profits due to the Internet. That ongoing fact has completely altered the career path for today’s aspiring arts writers/critics. We now live in a world where literally everyone is a critic via blogs and podcasts. However, I believe an individual can still build credibility, knowledge and experience within these new media. Always, always, always hone your writing and create a unique and definitive voice. I recommend the long-term method of establishing a sound foundation of craft and integrity over trendy, superficial and short-term approaches to one’s career. As uncertain as the job outlook may seem for many recent journalism graduates, the opening up of fresh and innovative media outlets is actually quite exciting.

Arts writers can be even more creative about how they tailor their work and lives, and are essentially able to customize their careers. I’m in the process of launching my own new media outlet, with the goal of further strengthening and uniting Chicago’s diverse dance community while attracting new audiences for dance. I’m a great believer in educating audiences about dance, but it’s crucial to approach it in a smart, engaging and spirited way. Dance and its multiple genres is forever growing and evolving. Chicago is one of the few cities that showcases the range of dance disciplines and offers numerous venues for dance artists.


THEORIES FOR CRITIQUING

Following are my guidelines for writing a review:

• A critic must respect the artists he/she is reviewing.
• Being a critic is more than a job. It’s a way of life, and critics should bring as much dedication, passion and integrity to their work as the artists they are critiquing.
• Speak to both the artist and the audience in the review.
• Provide an honest and balanced assessment and clearly state why the performance was moving or provocative or why it fell short of its goal.
• In a similar vein, offer constructive criticism; don’t attack an artist personally in print.
• Approach the writing of a critique as its own craft.
• Address key ideas that arise from the performance.
• Discuss how the work is relevant for our times.
• Don’t advance personal agendas.
• Avoid a smug and condescending tone.

Artists with questions can email me

LUCIA MAURO has been writing about the performing arts throughout Chicago since 1988. She is an arts writer and dance critic whose work appears in the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Magazine, The Chicago Collection, and more. She is the author of three books for McGraw-Hill, including Careers for the Stagestruck & Other Dramatic Types (now in its second edition). Lucia also edited A Leap Across the Atlantic: The Memoirs of Two Ballet Dancers, penned by former Sadler’s Wells Ballet soloist Christine DuBoulay-Ellis.

In addition to being Chicago Public Radio’s dance critic, Lucia hosts “About Dance” at the Chicago Cultural Center, the “FireSide Chats” at the Auditorium Theatre and many live conversations with artists across the country. She is an adjunct professor of dance history at Loyola University Chicago. Lucia is also a photographer and has published two books of photography: Frieze Frame: Textures & Colors of Italy (2004) and Frieze Frame II: Textures & Colors of Italy (2006).