The Land of 2001 Dances.

NEWS FLASH: This is the beginning of the new millennium.

Oh, great. We began our first year of publishing from California by lying to you. But I am reliably informed, by a scientist who spends a lot of time thinking about such things, that the year 2000 was not it. This, folks, is it: 2001.

Millennial or not, we had quite a year. We changed, we groped, we morphed, we grew. I became steadily more appreciative of the history of Dance Magazine, the richness of its past, the promise of its future. Platitudes--and mini-catastrophes--aside, I am grateful for the year I've spent here.

What have I learned? First, to be careful what I wish for; editing a magazine is a lot harder than wanting to, though far more rewarding. I have a sense that we are reaching a wider dance audience than we did in the past, and that the breadth of that reach has proven disconcerting to some of our readers, intriguing to others, and enticing to newcomers. (And you're all as welcome as flowers in spring, tra-la.) I said it last year and I'll say it this year: Please let us know how we're doing. If there's something you want to see in here, we want to hear about it. If there's something that you'd like to clarify for us, or if we're just plain wrong, please let us know. If you love us, well, that would make our day. Write to us at: Readers Forum, Dance Magazine, 111 Myrtle Street, Suite 203, Oakland, CA 94607. We will answer every letter and publish as many as we can. Or you can email us through our Web site, www.dancemagazine.com.

I promised to talk more about the staff--a solid year ago--and now there are more staff to talk about. Or is it is? Editorial assistant Cheryl Ossola, who leads our proof-readers, will be the person to check with, or, as she'll tell me, with whom to check. She dances, of course. Everyone around here dances. My new assistant, Heidi Landgraf, is a modern dancer. News/Young Dancer Editor Heather Wisner, whose movie stories are just one more thing she's done beautifully during this year, has made the leap from ballet to hip-hop. New York Editor Wendy Perron, who wrote that wizardly piece on Baryshnikov in November, is a known modern-dance entity, still choreographing in what passes for her free time. Stern's Directory Editor Stephanie Forster is a modern choreographer. College Guide Editor Kate Thomgren is a Pilates instructor. Senior Associate Editor K.C. Patrick, who imbues Teach and Learn and our reviews with her distinctive knowledge of schools and companies all over the world, used to be a dance teacher and edited a magazine by that name. Production manager Valerie Whitesell, who designed September's and October's knockout covers, doesn't dance, but she paints. Meredith Winer, our advertising liaison manager, is an artist, too, going to her studio and making things out of clay after pushing all the ads into shape.

Shawn Raecke, our new design director, does swing dancing, and his layouts show that he's definitely got rhythm and a sense of style. West Coast Advertising Manager Laura Bronstone does ballet and is also a new mom. She and her husband, Advertising Director Howard Bronstone, have named their baby Grace.

Our Web diva, Julia Sewell, knows all about Latin dance. Managing Editor David Favrot, who actually runs the place (I'm just here so he can badger me about writing this column), doesn't dance, although when he left his newspaper job to come here, his pals Quarked him into a pair of tights for a farewell poster. Executive Editor Richard Philp studied theater, not dance, in college, but as is immediately discernible to anyone who has had the pleasure of knowing him during his thirty years here, he obviously has dance in his blood, as, after fifty years of writing about it, does Senior Editor Clive Barnes. Greta Martin, Richard's assistant, has danced on Broadway and off. Publisher's assistant Holly Biehl and Data Manager Dee Dee Castro are both dancers. Me and dancing you already know about. (Sorry, Cheryl.)

What does all this mean? That we aren't just in the business because it's something to do. That we don't just hire people who can write, design, edit and do advertising. That we run stories that fit what we like to do as well as what fits to print. And finally, that we have a lot of extremely fussy (oh, let's just say driven) talents hereabouts, and they've (very literally) made the magazine what it is today--and, in fact, every single month. I am indebted to them all.

This month we bring you "25 to Watch": dancers, trends, innovations for 2001. Like last January's adventure in numerology, "Twenty-One Leaps Into the Twenty-First Century," the intent is to look around us for the best and the brightest. It's something we resolve to continue doing all year long. We're also keeping in mind your wish for big, beautiful photos throughout the magazine, incorporating more of them into our redesigned, easier-to-navigate Table of Contents. Let us know how you like it. We're proud to welcome the singular ballerina Allegra Kent to our masthead as a contributing editor with her memories of her great teacher Carmelita Maracci. And we celebrate the life of 1961 Dance Magazine Award honoree Gwen Verdon.

Dance Magazine has always been about the history and the future of dance, as well as what's happening today. Thanks to our team of professional magazine-makers-these dancers and dance lovers of every stripe--yesterday, today and tomorrow hold great pride and promise. For 2001, we can only wish you the same.

Janice Berman, Editor in Chief