Morris "Bboy Morris" Isby balances on one arm, his legs both extended to 2 o'clock while his head is at 8 o'clock. He wears a white t-shirt, grey sweats, and well worn black Converse. Many members of the crowd watching at the side of a wooden dance floor have expressions of shock and delight.

2023–24 Season Preview: The Shows at the Top of Our Must-See Lists

Unexpected collaborations, women-led ballets, superstar choreographers turning their talents to opera and musical theater, singular dancemakers wrestling with issues of labor, environmental justice, and more—here’s what our contributors are looking forward to most as the 2023–24 season gets underway.

a male coach standing at the edge or rink

How Three Dancers Became Figure Skating Coaches and Choreographers

Like dance, figure skating blends both athleticism and creativity: Skaters perfect highly technical maneuvers like triple Axels and upright spins, often while weaving a narrative into their programs. To develop the lines, control, and artistry needed to execute a winning program, many competitive skaters rely upon the skills of dance coaches and choreographers.

Inside Breaking’s Debut at the Olympics

We all associate the Olympic Games with sport, with physicality, with beauty and even artistry. The Summer Games scheduled to take place in Paris 2024, however, are slated to bring us something new. For the first time, dancers will compete in the Olympic Games, as breaking makes its debut. Dance as a sport has long […]

What Does It Take to Choreograph a Submission to the Olympic Opening Ceremony?

The massive scale of choreographing an Olympic opening ceremony really has no equivalent. The hundreds of performers, the deeply historic rituals and the worldwide audience and significance make it a project like no other. Just consider the timeline: For most live TV events like award shows, choreographers usually take a month or two to put […]

Could Break Dancing Be Added to the Olympics?

You might still be thinking wistfully of the figure skating choreography at the 2018 Winter Olympics or already looking forward to the gymnastics competition at next summer’s games, but we’re officially marking our calendars for Paris 2024. Why? There’s an excellent chance that break dancing will make its Olympic debut. The head of the planning […]

We Love the Olympics, But It's Missing One Sport

To say we’re pumped for the Winter Olympics is a definite understatement. We love watching cold-weather sports like bobsledding (Feel the rhythm! Feel the rhyme!), the terrifying-but-exhilarating art of ski jumping, figure skating (perhaps the most dance-centric event) and even more obscure options like curling. But that’s not the say the Olympics aren’t lacking in […]

This Former Ballet Kid Is Heading To The Olympics—And Is Expected To Win

One of the United States’ top hopes for medaling at the Olympics this month has a secret weapon: a serious ballet background. Figure skating champion Nathan Chen spent six years training at Ballet West as a kid. “The technique there was impeccable,” the 18-year-old said in a media teleconference last week. “To have had that […]