On any given night across the country, queer people can be found dancing hand in hand, arm in arm, cheek to cheek in bars, bowling alleys, and convention centers. From line dance classes to salsa parties to Irish dance céilís, social dance culture is becoming increasingly queer-friendly, often flipping the script on the strict gender binary these genres have traditionally upheld. And while the recent surge in LGBTQ+ social dance is undeniable, so too are the progressive—and, in some cases, queer—roots of many of these dance styles.

The much-anticipated Martha Graham Dance Company season at New York City Center is upon us. From April 11–14, the company will present classics like Chronicle, the sly melodrama Embattled Garden and of course Graham’s visceral masterwork The Rite of Spring. This season also includes works by internationally acclaimed choreographers Lucinda Childs, Lar Lubovitch and Sidi […]

Abdiel Jacobsen is a jack of all trades. A member of the Martha Graham Dance Company since 2011, Jacobsen dances principal Graham roles and performs in works by Nacho Duato, Robert Wilson, Sonya Tayeh and Luca Veggetti, to name a few. But when he’s not dancing with MGDC, he’s teaching or competing in Latin ballroom. […]