After dancing professionally with the Pacific Northwest Ballet, Homans decided to enroll in Columbia University at the age of 26.
[2] After earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in French literature, she enrolled in New York University (NYU) for her PhD in Modern European History.
[1] Following her PhD, Homans accepted a position as a Distinguished Scholar in Residence at NYU, where she wrote her first book, Apollo's Angels: A History of Ballet.
[8] Art critic Claudia La Rocco rebuffed Homans' claims and critiqued the book for its alleged lack of attention to post-George Balanchine developments in ballet, including William Forsythe.
[12] In 2016, Homans was selected as a Fellow of the New York Public Library's Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers.