Plate Number 191. Dancing (fancy) by Eadweard Muybridge, 1887

The Intersection of Dance and Science

Lynn Matluck Brooks dives into the ever-evolving relationship between movement and technology.
American actors and singers Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey perform on stage as nightclub performers in Germany during the Weimar Republic in the film version of the Broadway musical 'Cabaret' directed by Bob Fosse, 1972.

Cabaret Condemns and Shows Fascism’s Sinister Allure

Cabaret’s depiction of a Weimar-era nightclub reveals how easy it is to slip between satire of, indifference to, and complicity with Nazi aesthetics.
John Travolta movie art for the film 'Saturday Night Fever', 1977. (Photo by Paramount/Getty Images)

Disco and Classical Music: A Copacetic Couple

Despite seeming like strange dance partners, disco and classical make the best music—together.
German Singing Society, 22nd Infantry, Ft. Keogh, May 13, 1894

German Song in America

In the late 1800s, German American singing festivals united German immigrant communities and brought new kinds of cultural activities to the United States.
The "Hungaria Skins" group on the 1997 Day of Honour demonstration, Budapest, Hungary

How Hungary’s Hard Rock Became Hard Right

Punk and hard rock—or at least extremist, right-wing versions of them—are alive and well in post-Cold War Hungary.

The Geographical Misdirection of Cold War B-Movies

Some American Cold War films meant to allude to the contested theater of Vietnam were filmed in Thailand or the Philippines. Why the positional shenanigans?
Unclassics: Obscure Electronic Funk and Disco, 1975–1985

Quebec Disco: Influenced by Italo Disco?

Ostensibly developing on continents apart, the sounds Quebec Disco and Italo Disco exhibited an identifiable sonic kinship.
Negril, March 11, 1982

Mashup at the Intersection of Deco and Hip-Hop

Archived at Cornell University, a collection of flyers promoting dance-inspiring DJ sets in the Bronx established the visual identity of a new cultural era.
Lady Gaga speaks during the Spotify: Little Monster Press Conference in New York City, March 2025

Lady Gaga’s Return to Form

With Mayhem, Lady Gaga offers (again) utopia on the dance floor—but is there anyone left in the club to experience it?