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Dance and theatre

Essays and videos on the arts, literature, travel, rituals and celebrations

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Two men on stage acting, one holds an apple on a stick and looks through two glass lenses held by the other man, in dramatic lighting.

essayDance and theatre

What actors know

Acting is an ancient and intrinsically human way to establish vibrant connections with one another. And it’s available to us all

John Britton

Ancient fresco showing two figures in flowing robes dancing against a dark blue background, one holding a tambourine.

essayDance and theatre

Why the old man dances

Religious ritual to appease the gods or free expression of human agency? For the ancient Romans, dance could be both

Karin Schlapbach

A sepia photograph of a woman from the 19th century, sitting on an ornate wooden chair, wearing a ruffled dress with buttons.

essayStories and literature

The real Miss Julie

Victoria Benedictsson assumed a male identity, achieved literary stardom, and took her own life. Then Strindberg stole it

Elisabeth Åsbrink

Black-and-white photo of three dancers in dynamic poses; one man lifting a woman in a dress while another woman in a black dress dramatically leans back.

essayThinkers and theories

Dancing and time

For Rachel Bespaloff, philosophy was a sensual activity shaped by the rhythm of history, embodied in an instant of freedom

Isabel Jacobs

A traditional Noh theatre mask lies on a table, surrounded by pottery and art supplies in a workshop. A person works in the blurred background.

videoDance and theatre

How a Noh mask-maker summons a lifelike face from a single block of wood

16 minutes

Close-up of an old book page displaying a portrait of a man with text in the background, titled “Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies.”

videoDance and theatre

Leaf through Shakespeare’s First Folio for a riveting journey into theatre history

13 minutes

A close-up of a robotic prosthetic leg displayed on a wooden surface, with chrome and black components, reflecting light from surroundings.

videoBiotechnology

What it’s like to wear a prosthetic that ‘feels’

6 minutes

A ballerina adjusting her ballet shoe ribbons, wearing pink tights and pointe shoes against a neutral background.

videoDance and theatre

From calluses to burnt shoes, the elegance of ballet is built from the ground up

4 minutes

Performers in traditional attire dancing energetically on a stage, with some clapping while seated and others standing mid-movement.

videoDance and theatre

Absorb the infectious rhythms of Setapa – a joyous dance from southern Africa

7 minutes

Five dancers in colourful leotards performing in a well-lit studio with large windows, arched backs and arms extended behind.

videoDance and theatre

Technology, philosophy, randomness – how Merce Cunningham pushed dance to its limits

7 minutes

Two women touch hands through a clear plastic barrier, one wearing a mask and gloves, the other smiling and wearing a striped top.

videoWellbeing

A unique theatre performance explores what touch means in an age of lockdown

17 minutes

A person sits alone at a desk near large windows with a city skyline view. The ceiling above has a wavy, golden design.

essayArchitecture

Acoustic naturalism

Our movies and offices are engineered to sound natural based on what rang false in the theatres of 18th-century Paris

Joseph L Clarke

Woman in green dress playing conga drums with colourful mural in background, looking joyful.

videoMusic

The formidable female rumba group shaking up Cuba’s conservative music scene

20 minutes

A staged theatre performance with actors in Renaissance costumes and modern attire in front of a painted backdrop.

essayDance and theatre

Phantasia

Imagination is a powerful tool, a sixth sense, a weapon. We must be careful how we use it, in life as on stage or screen

Paul Giamatti & Stephen T Asma

A shirtless dancer posing on stage with an angled room in the background where a couple interacts, creating an illusionary effect.

essayDance and theatre

To the core

A devastating loss can shatter the façade we put up for others, exposing our deepest, rawest self. A work of art can do the same

Julia F Christensen

Five people leaning in unison on a dimly lit stage with a dark background, highlighting a dramatic performance scene.

videoDance and theatre

Dancers tumble in and out of love as the ground spins beneath their feet

6 minutes

Hexagonal building tiles, some crafter with small pots with plants growing from them. The pots have a rustic, earthy texture.

videoFuture of technology

Ceramic coral reefs and sawdust houses – the architects 3D-printing the future from scratch

4 minutes

A dancer in motion on a dark stage. The blurred effect creates a sense of fluid movement and ethereal light.

ideaDance and theatre

How dancing helps me think, and thinking helps me dance

Glory M Liu

Black-and-white photo of a dancer in a costume performing against a shadowy background, with one hand raised near his head.

ideaDance and theatre

For Nietzsche, life’s ultimate question was: ‘Does it dance?’

Kimerer LaMothe

The actor Benedict Cumberbatch dressed as Sherlock Holmes being interviewed outside a terraced house, number 221b. Co-star Martin Freeman and another man stand watching.

ideaNeuroscience

Acting changes the brain: it’s how actors get lost in a role

Christian Jarrett

Photo of excited concert-goers capturing the moment on their phones, with vibrant purple stage lights illuminating the scene.

ideaDance and theatre

The pandemonium of modern celebrity began in 19th-century theatre

Sharon Marcus

A group of women wearing colourful traditional attire, dancing and smiling as part of a cultural celebration.

ideaDance and theatre

The dancing species: how moving together in time helps make us human

Kimerer LaMothe

A ballet dancer’s feet in pink pointe shoes standing on a wooden floor in a dimly lit room.

ideaDance and theatre

How ballerinas defy the corporeal in a quest for the ethereal

Olivia Campbell

A black and white photo of two dancing figures, one with wings hovering over the other who is kneeling with an arm extended.

videoDance and theatre

Classical ballet transforms into a dance of the surreal in this duet from 1968

14 minutes