Dear Dance Community, Friends and Supporters,

We are writing with an update on behalf of Deborah Jowitt, who is a National Treasure to so many of us in the dance world in myriad ways. She is recovering from her fall and frostbite, though it is slow going due to poor circulation caused by chronic congestive heart failure.

While she has improved, Deborah is in the throes of advancing Alzheimer’s disease, and she will need continuing care. The effects of Alzheimer’s are deeply felt; when asked to write a simple sentence, Deborah was only able to get two words on the page. She is anxious and often confused, particularly at night, and is experiencing sundowning.

Deborah’s devoted son Tobias Ralph is working two jobs, one of which is overnight and a fair distance from their home in the Berkshires, and they absolutely need his income. He has arranged 24-hour in-home care for Deborah, which is absolutely essential given that leaving her alone has become dangerous; but this level of care is very expensive. Unfortunately, these costs are not covered completely by Medicare.

Tobias wants to keep Deborah home as long as possible, but she will soon need memory care. He is currently searching for a memory care facility that can meet all of her needs. In the meantime, they continue to need financial support to cover her care until they have stabilized her finances.

We are asking for your continuing support to this fundraising campaign.

If you are unfamiliar with Deborah Jowitt, from 1967 to 2011, Deborah was the dance writer at the Village Voice and taught at NYU Tisch Dance until 2019. Deborah authored Errand Into the Maze: The Life and Works of Martha Graham and Time and the Dancing Image, among other industry-defining books.

Feel free to share this over any social media or to salient friends.

I am now based in Los Angeles teaching at USC and am in constant contact with Tobias, dancer/educator Traci Klein and dancer/dance historian Patricia Beaman. Traci, Patricia and I have joined in a combined effort to support Tobias and Deborah.

Thanks again for contributing! Let’s continue to get Deborah the help she needs!

Patrick