Get footloose with these Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest dance scenes
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In the 1500s, ballet roles for female characters were performed by men. Women entered the art form in the late 1600s and are now dominant in ballet.
Libby Zhang, Texas, 2016
Like many art forms, dance transcends cultures, countries and continents. Flamenco, breakdancing, ballet, tango and other well-known genres are all forms of movement performed all across the globe.
While being a professional can take decades of dedication and training, one appeal of dance is that you don’t have to be an expert to participate in or enjoy it. Just visit any preschool for evidence of that. “The arts teach tolerance because there is no one way of doing anything,” said dance icon and Emmy winner Debbie Allen. While some forms of dance are more structured and formal than others, they’re all about using the body as a tool of expression. Take a look.
In Istanbul, a customary trance-like dance, embodying spiritual devotion and the pursuit of unity with the divine, is performed as part of a Sufi ceremony. Uku Sööt, Turkey, 2024/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/b2/54/b254bf61-26ba-4bc1-a4b9-f1144f012829/fd55c5ca-e36b-48eb-8ec8-7332b3463134.jpg)
Passersby cheer and applaud energetic dancers in vibrant colors as they entertain a crowd at Fuzhou. Yi Yuan, China, 2024/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/d0/90/d090cb22-d78e-4197-a40f-2d94bc6f3a09/e73e8e3c-dfb6-421e-b52c-266ef8ec0cb3.jpg)
A young dance student’s elegant movements are complemented by the flow and motion of her beautiful garment. Felicia Tolbert, Michigan, 2024/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/a3/dc/a3dcd65c-407e-4e95-b514-e7e67e003b05/1eedc26b-10c7-4119-8903-6ba6f26ed229.jpg)
During a celebration in Tyrol, the locals perform a traditional dance called Schuhplattler, which is very demanding physically and requires the dancers to reach their shoes while jumping. Ory Schneor, Austria, 2024/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/ab/1d/ab1d7323-01d7-48df-a6f4-e19ab861840a/e4c7ffd5-8665-46a1-a119-6ab8cb8d27a5.jpg)
Young dancers strike poses for photos before participating in a performance at Brihadeeswara Temple. Ravikanth Kurma, India, 2019/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/c0/20/c0201b0c-e735-4c74-9c63-aad3ce2e4ed8/01597738-02b0-4185-8069-e401c3362dd7.jpg)
Members of Hush Crew, based in Boston, perform at public venues around the city—and all over social media—showing off their dance skills. Paul Karns, Massachusetts, 2024/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/e2/9b/e29ba86b-078f-47b9-a40b-87a00bf82e78/adbac6ac-6e4c-4646-a610-87f09fe1acc9.jpg)
A flamenco dancer from Granada jumps to heights that could rival any NBA Hall of Famer. Javier Fergo, Spain, 2017/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/0d/d8/0dd8e51e-ff99-407a-94b7-070dc7bb1178/63714ecc-90b3-418d-89ed-85e7f17256d3.jpg)
Dancers of the Ho Chi Minh City Ballet nearly collide as they practice for a performance titled The Roof. Le Nguyen Huy Thuy, Vietnam, 2015/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/b7/22/b722711e-1ad6-46c3-95cf-ba0744808aa6/388ec5a5-c2e9-40bc-834d-55b2e2b1dbe1.jpg)
Genres converge as two dancers fuse the movements and choreography of ballet and hip-hop. Tom Griscom, Tennessee, 2015/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/64/bf/64bf495a-3f61-4a16-abc7-abd567517e62/201d41ad-8a45-4840-93d7-eb977f27db64.jpg)
A teenage dance student celebrates the first day of summer with an iconic ballet leap. Vicki Surges, Minnesota, 2010/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/4b/e6/4be6fe2b-c142-4a9a-a5de-ca50f5f99c61/255b380ab24017d14b83dc7c6f529e1902d32b63.jpg)
Dressed in elaborate, ornate garments, dancers celebrating Day of the Dead participate in a colorful parade. Michelle Atkinson, Texas, 2013/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/89/90/899002ec-7467-40ad-9a9f-ad03e9cbb526/6fef58a5-f1ef-497e-ada1-a41601d06bdf.jpg)
With roots in Italy, ballet, like many forms of dance, is now common in countries and cultures around the world. Xiaoping Mao, China, 2023/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/1b/5d/1b5d0156-fcf8-49e4-9fcd-2cfef4e2f5a0/296a1a46-ca1d-4ba3-b20f-efc71f969d5d.jpg)
Bodies blur as they move to the music during a party to celebrate the festive week of Maslenitsa at the St. Petersburg State University. Anton Golyshev, Russia, 2011/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/de/84/de847738-3f7c-494c-8e47-17d9879b57f3/f1e1df92-43c5-4402-b15b-560eb166f305.jpg)
A wedding party celebrates new nuptials with a dance through the historic alleys of New Orleans’ French Quarter. Osman Sharif, Louisiana, 2021/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/88/80/8880e1da-5845-4c33-999c-3a5309419f92/5e290d99-990e-4efc-832c-261a6ec3986f.jpg)
