a male dancer standing on an outdoor stage lifting his arms over his head

The New York Public Library’s “Border Crossings” Exhibit is Part of a Developing Conversation About Modern Dance’s Radical Roots

For decades, the development of American modern dance was largely seen as a reaction to classicism. But many other forces drove modern pioneers’ art. “At the heart of modernism, there is trauma,” says art historian Bruce Robertson. Robertson­ and dance historian Ninotchka Bennahum are the curators behind the New York Public Library for the Performing­ Arts’ exhibit “Border Crossings: Exile and American Modern Dance, 1900–1955,” which recognizes the foundational—and often overlooked—contributions that marginalized dancers, including Limón, made to the development of American modern dance.

#TBT: José Limón on What a Theater is Supposed to Be

The cover of the April 1956 issue of Dance Magazine featured a portrait of José Limón by renowned dance photographer Jack Mitchell. By that time, 10 years after the formation of the Limón Dance Company, its namesake was a well-established force in American modern dance. Born in Mexico and having immigrated to the U.S. at […]

The Actually-Good News You Might Have Missed in the Last Month

With the circumstances created by the pandemic changing from day to day, looking to the future right now can feel particularly fraught, if not downright farcical. But in the face of so much uncertainty, pausing to celebrate the good news when it comes is as important as it’s ever been. Here are the latest promotions […]

Are We Too Precious With Classic Dance Works?

Choreographer Natascha Greenwalt loves the music of Swan Lake, but she has a few problems with the ballet itself. “I don’t see this love story,” Greenwalt says. “I see—there isn’t consent.” To her, Siegfried seems predatory, Odette seems far too apologetic, and the Odette/Odile duality reinforces toxic tropes about women who are either dangerously sexy […]

"Teaching Itself Is One Of The Greatest Teachers"

I have always felt a need to communicate and, even more importantly, to be understood. But as a child, I always hit an emotional wall when trying to speak. Although my great-aunt Rose had no connection to dance, she intuitively saw that I needed an outlet, and recommended that I take a movement class. It […]

To Celebrate Our 90th Birthday, We Took a Trip Down Memory Lane

It’s our 90th anniversary! To celebrate, we excavated some of our favorite hidden gems from the DM Archives—images that capture a few of the moments in time we’ve documented over the decades. Ted Shawn surveys the construction of the Jacob’s Pillow theater, 1942 Courtesy DM Archives Trisha Brown (right) and company walking on the Great […]