Umi IMAN dances the Jingle Dress Dance against a white background, wearing a sacred regalia known as the Jingle Dress. IMAN’s dress, like others of its kind, is adorned with rows of metallic cones that create sound as she moves. The Jingle Dress Dance is a healing dance that originated with the Ojibwe people and is now embraced across many Native communities.

Creating a Home for Afro-Indigenous Dance

Afro-Indigenous Muslim dance artist Umi IMAN explores how home, identity, and community shape her work through Al Taw’am and Sequoia Ascension, using dance as a tool for cultural preservation, resistance, and belonging.

March 30, 2026 | Read Article

Quynn Johnson is a Black woman dressed in a sleeveless, denim jumpsuit and silver sparkled loafers, dancing in a pool of light. She glances toward the floor as she shifts her weight from one foot to the other. There is a drum set in the background catching some of the light and a collection of living room decorations, including a lamp and a stool, piled in the foreground.

Spreading the Joy of Rhythm and Movement

Quynn Johnson, a Maryland-based master tap dancer and teaching artist, fuses tap, sand dance, and body percussion to tell stories in classrooms and on stages around the world.

March 23, 2026 | Read Article

Ani leaps along a sandy shoreline, wearing flowing magenta clothing and lifting a long palm frond overhead as the ocean and pale blue sky stretch behind.

Being the Bridge

Ani/Anito Gonzales Gavino, a Pilipinx multidisciplinary artist, discusses Ani/MalayaWorks, an ongoing collaboration with their daughter, Malaya, as well as how their work serves to bridge the Pilipinx diasporic experience.

March 16, 2026 | Read Article

A person sits casually on a wooden stool in a dance studio while a dynamic, dance‑like silhouette is cast dramatically on the wall behind them.

Creating Dance for Community

Brooklyn-based choreographer John Heginbotham shares his artistic path and his commitment to creating community-centered dance works, including a new intergenerational project with people living with Parkinson’s.

March 9, 2026 | Read Article

Latest Articles

Creating a Home for Afro-Indigenous Dance

March 30, 2026

Spreading the Joy of Rhythm and Movement

March 23, 2026

Being the Bridge

March 16, 2026

Creating Dance for Community

March 9, 2026

A young woman supports an older man in a gentle partnered movement exercise inside a studio space.

Improving the Reach of Dance

Niamh O’Loughlin, a dance artist based in Scotland, shares how her choreography blends folklore, community engagement, and inclusive dance practices—most recently through "Spell Body," a dance‑film project created with people living with Parkinson’s.

March 2, 2026 | Read Article

A group of dancers wearing colorful, ribbon-adorned costumes performs energetic movements along a busy urban roadside.

Putting Dance Back in Public Spaces

Illuminatetheatre, a Nigerian dance collective founded by Ojudun Taiwo Jacob, brings performance into public spaces to make dance accessible for the community, to empower youth, and to celebrate African heritage.

February 23, 2026 | Read Article

Three people in vibrant, flowing outfits strike expressive poses together in front of a large modern sculpture under a bright blue sky.

The International Museum of Dance: A Living, Future-Facing Framework

Hilary Palanza Gutkin, founder of the International Museum of Dance, discusses how she is building a globally connected, future‑focused museum model that uses technology, education, and storytelling to make dance more accessible and relevant.

February 16, 2026 | Read Article

A reflection in a window shows two people sitting in a studio near a speaker setup as the cityscape glows at dusk.

Dance Isn’t What It Used To Be

Dance journalist Emmaly Wiederholt reflects on the perceived decline of San Francisco’s arts landscape while highlighting how both longstanding leaders and newly emerging dance artists continue to sustain the field through resilience, community focus, and creative determination.

February 9, 2026 | Read Article

Five dancers in a high school gym link arms and lunge. They are wearing white.

Burning Desire to Choreograph

JoAnne Tucker, an artist in her 80s living in Costa Rica, reflects on the current political upheaval and her desire to create a dance of resistance.

February 2, 2026 | Read Article