Lewis Whittington is an arts journalist based in Philadelphia. He started writing professionally in the early 90s as a media consultant for an AIDS organizations and then as a theater and dance reviewer for the Philadelphia Gay News. Mr. Whittington has covered dance, theater, opera and classical music for the Philadelphia Inquirer and City Paper.
Mr. Whittington’s arts profiles, features, and stories have appeared in The Advocate, Dance International, Playbill, American Theatre, American Record Guide, The Harvard Gay and Lesbian Review Worldwide, EdgeMedia, and Philadelphia Dance Journal. Mr. Whittington has received two NEA awards for journalistic excellence.
In addition to interviews with choreographers, dancers, and artistic directors from every discipline, he has interviewed such music luminaries from Ned Rorem to Eartha Kitt. He has written extensively on gay culture and politics and is most proud of his interviews with such gay rights pioneers as Frank Kameny and Barbara Gittings.
Mr. Whittington has participated on the poetry series Voice in Philadelphia and has written two (unpublished) books of poetry. He is currently finishing Beloved Infidels, a play about the murder of filmmaker Theo van Gogh. His editorials on GLBTQ activism, marriage equality, gay culture and social issues have appeared in Philadelphia Inquirer, City Paper, and The Advocate.
Brian Sanders’ acrobatic dance troupe JUNK swung into action at Verizon Hall with Kensho Watanabe conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra for three performances of the “Carmen
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater was back in Philadelphia for two distinct programs at the Academy of Music of repertory works and premieres. There was
Pioneers, Stars & Raves The Martha Graham Dance Company (MGDC) is currently on a US tour and returned to Philadelphia for a three-performance run at
Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) returns to the Annenberg Center this weekend, Jan 20-21, to kick off the second half of its nationwide tour. The
Martha Graham & George Balanchine were two of the most celebrated choreographers of the 20th century. Yet they both resisted attempts by biographers to document
Ballet Hispanico’s founding director Tina Ramirez created an artistic haven in the early 70s for Latino communities in New York City. Now, 50 years later,
French choreographer Jerome Bel and his company have been headliners on the international dance festival circuit. He returned to the 2022 Philadelphia FringeArts with a
The Philadelphia Orchestra’s season opening gala on September 28 was complete with a swank cocktail & dinner party in the Kimmel Center’s Commonwealth Plaza for
Philadelphia-based choreographer Silvana Cardell is nearing completion for the premiere of a multimedia dance piece titled ‘Disposable Bodies’ which will have its first performance run
