Zita Allen

Zita Allen, the first African American dance critic for Dance Magazine, has written for the Amsterdam News, New York Times, Village Voice, Essence and others. Her works also include the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's 25th Anniversary Souvenir book, the Kennedy Center's Masters of African American Choreography booklet, the American Dance Festival/PBS documentary Free to Dance website, the book Black Women Leaders of the Civil Rights Movement (Scholastic) and several chapters in the Smithsonian's book Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing: How the Apollo Theatre Shaped American Entertainment (Random House). Ms. Allen holds a Masters Degree in Dance History from New York University. She also teaches a course in The Black Tradition in American Dance at Fordham University as part of the Ailey/Fordham BFA program.