The Wonderful World of the Water Ski
Invented in 1922, water-skiing quickly became shorthand for American ideas on beauty, athleticism, and affluence.
Send in the Clowns
Lulu Adams came from a long, illustrious line of circus performers and was credited—even if wrongly—with being the world’s first female clown.
Cher’s Vocoder Is the Sound of Both Y2K and Camp
Released on the global stage by Cher, the vocoder effect speaks for the millennium and for queer subculture.
Blackface on Stage in “Old Japan”
The use of blackface may seem out of place in a Japanese-inspired stage production—until you think about the money to be made by dealing in stereotypes.
The Intersection of Dance and Science
Lynn Matluck Brooks dives into the ever-evolving relationship between movement and technology.
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.
Disco and Classical Music: A Copacetic Couple
Despite seeming like strange dance partners, disco and classical make the best music—together.
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.
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.