What is it like to be a plus-size dancer today? Complicated. Diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts have raised awareness about exclusionary practices in all kinds in dance, and the mainstream body-positivity movement has led to some progress—most noticeably impacting the dance world since the rise of social media. Yet sizeism remains an especially recalcitrant, systemic issue that continues to plague dancers worldwide.

If you use TikTok, you’ve almost certainly noticed that Broadway dancers are having a big moment on the app. Sharing behind-the-scenes tidbits, demystifying #tourlife, orchestrating backstage hijinks, nerding out over favorite shows: Musical theater performers are creating content that makes full use of their distinctive talents—and earning big followings in the process. And many of these social media stars are ensemble members, swings, and understudies, whose roles are vital to the success of any show, but who don’t typically get much time in the spotlight.

The TikTok app has brought new meaning to the word—and a new space for dancers to create and share the moves they’re making with the world.

Some things—like Fosse’s iconic choreography—never go out of style. One of the latest trends to take over TikTok is the #FosseChallenge, where everyone from pro dancers to amateurs are taking a stab at moves from Sweet Charity‘s “Rich Man’s Frug.” Even some original Fosse performers have been getting in on the action. In what seems […]

With #SocialDisDancing still very much in place, it’s a challenge for dance partners to perform safely, and even harder to perform safely together. But Broadway’s Cory Lingner may have found the solution—on TikTok. He’s using the app to tap alongside some of the most iconic movie stars, including Gene Kelly, Gregory Hines, Ann Miller and […]

Kara Leigh Cannella, a senior dance major at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, was scrolling through TikTok one day this fall, when she came across a sound that caught her attention. It was a 15-second clip called “HOOPLA,” by the user known as @kyleyoumadethat, and it instantly made her want to dance. She […]

Actor Anthony Hopkins might be forever etched into the public consciousness for his famous turn as the cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs. But his latest role is much, much lighter: recreational TikTok dancer. Yes, it seems that even the 82-year-old Hopkins isn’t immune to the allure of TikTok. In […]

TikTok seems tailor-made for dancers. The app’s short-form video format makes it easy to show off your best moves to a song that’s gone viral. And an algorithm that favors unknown users means up-and-coming dancers have a better chance of reaching a large audience than they might on Instagram or YouTube. Dance challenges are especially […]