Judith Mackrell on star-rating reviews Who do I write for: dancers or audiences?

'A disturbing but fascinating precedent was set last June, when the New York magazine Village Voice "let go" of its distinguished critic Deborah Jowitt, apparently on the grounds that she didn't write enough bad reviews. For four decades, Jowitt's coverage of the New York dance scene had been almost unequalled in its breadth and detail, yet the Voice decided her descriptive, essentially non-judgmental style was no longer suited to the times; most readers now want and expect star-rated verdicts on every show.'

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2012/feb/12/critics-notebook-judith-mackrell

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