George Jackson, a renowned dance critic, dance historian, author, and parasitologist died in his sleep in New York Monday August 5, 2024. I was his reader, and George read artsmeme, too, clicking on the occasional link, and perusing. I once received a balletomane’s note from him, in 2017, kind of complaining that our critic,
“apparently did not see Suzanne Farrell’s staging of Serenade – its accelerations and speed were incredible, and yet there was a richness to the retards. It was the crown jewel of this farewell season.”
He signed his note, “G J.”
George Jackson was born December 10, 1931 in Vienna, Austria and, as a very young boy, was put on a train to London to escape the Nazis. He was eventually reunited with his parents, and the family moved to Chicago, where he grew up. He saw his first ballet performance when he was 14 and fell deeply in love with the art form. In addition to attending every performance he could, George studied at the University of Chicago, becoming a microbiologist. As a parasitologist, he worked for Rockefeller University in New York and later for the U.S. Government in Washington, D.C.
As a dance critic, George combined his scientist’s eye and analytical mind to create a style that was not only analytical but vivid and descriptive as well.
George was longtime dance critic for the Washington Post, Dance Magazine, Dance Now, DanceView, the German magazine Ballett, and other publications. In addition to reviews, he was lauded for his fascinating interviews of famous dancers, including Alicia Alonso and Suzanne Farrell, in connection with their appearances at the Kennedy Center.
A tireless writer, George wrote three novels under his original name, Hans Georg Jakobowicz. He is survived by his husband, the dance photographer Costas, his cousin Vlasta Gyenes, and his nephew Adam Gyenes.
With thanks to publicist Audrey Ross for letting us know of this sad loss.
Dance critic Debra Levine, is the founder/publisher/editor of artsmeme now in its sixteenth year of arts-blogging.