The True Story Behind Olympic Breakdancing

The Sport Debuting in Paris Erases an American Urban Dance Legacy

The Olympians competing in the inaugural breaking exhibition event at the Paris Games are sure to perform incredible feats of acrobatics while music plays. But you won’t catch them doing actual rhythmic dance outside of a few shuffle steps.

It’s a shame, but it’s also not a surprise. Within the alleged success of the breaking or breakdancing craze is a story of innovation hijacked by a cancerous commercialization—as the Bronx street dancers who were part of its creation and evolution know all too well.

Back in late 1974 or early ’75, teenagers …

How Do We Find Connection in the Public Square?

On Forming Bonds Over Bars, Benches, Books, and Breakfast

The public square is the meeting ground where people make society happen. In these spaces, physical or metaphorical or digital, we work through our shared dramas and map our collective …

| Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

A Song and Dance for Los Angeles’ Cultures and Communities

Zócalo’s ‘Diaspora Dance Party’ at the Port of L.A. Celebrated the Music and Melodies That Define and Connect Us

They drove from Van Nuys, Boyle Heights, and Long Beach. They biked from Santa Monica. And they made the short walk from just down the street for “How Does a …

Paul Taylor Dance Company’s Michael Novak

The Dancers in the Company Keep Me Going

Michael Novak is the artistic director of the Paul Taylor Dance Company. Before joining us for this week’s Zócalo/The Music Center conversation, “How Is Art A Weapon in War?,” presented …

Beyoncé’s Dance Floor Liberation | Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

Beyoncé’s Dance Floor Liberation

From the Golden Age of House to ‘Break My Soul,’ Black Divas Continue to Lift Us Up in Hard Times

I can very clearly remember in 1993 the first time I heard Robin S.’s “Show Me Love.” I felt moved.

It wasn’t just me. The infectious groove and Black gospel diva …

Why Americans Love a Dance Challenge

From the Early 20th-Century Grizzly Bear to Lizzo’s Latest, Social Dancing Has Always Been Silly and Subversive

In what already feels like a different year—but was really just a few weeks ago—Reese Witherspoon, Selena Gomez, and just about every single person on the internet was posting a …