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.

The latest episode of the award-winning KQED series “If Cities Could Dance” shines a spotlight on Katherine Dunham and her impact on East St. Louis, Illinois. Meet the dancers and teachers who carry on her legacy in the city where she settled—which is now home to the Katherine Dunham Center for Arts and Humanities and […]

To call Katherine Dunham a trailblazer is something of an understatement. She was the first American to present indigenous dance on the concert stage, the force behind the first self-supporting Black dance company in the U.S., an unflinching proponent of racial equality and the creator of one of modern dance’s foundational techniques. Born June 22, […]

When I was a young dancer in Louisville, Kentucky, my ballet teacher used to speak a lot about Merrill Ashley. She brought neoclassical technique to exquisite new heights under Balanchine, and as a technician, she famously paved the way for today’s balletic whiz kids. (Later, when I was a teenager, I was lucky enough to […]

At a time when the political climate is increasingly divisive, it’s no wonder people want to compartmentalize. Some want their pirouettes separate from their politics, and can be quick to protest when dancers challenge that both on and off the stage. Most recently, American Ballet Theatre principal Isabella Boylston was scrutinized when she shared this […]

In this moment of history, choreographers of all walks of life are addressing racism and violence through dance. But this is not a new trend. For as long as this country has struggled with racial discrimination, dance has been a way to bring community together, a way to share a message and a way to […]