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Stories

  • Article

Sex work and critical campaigners

When campaigners filmed secretly in the club where she worked, exotic dancer Ella Smith felt frightened and degraded. Here she speaks out about the attack on her livelihood.

  • Article

When contemporary dance meets dyspraxia

Discover why a rare neurological condition meant an enthusiastic club-night dancer struggled with formal dance classes. And how persisting with those classes paid off.

  • Article

Mask, ritual and fertility

Today many of us learn about fertility, conception and pregnancy online. But that wasn’t always the way. Discover how masks and rituals played an important educational role.

  • Article

Dancing for joy

Dancing is a mood enhancer, it increases social bonding and it improves creativity. Maybe you really can dance all your troubles away.

All stories (11)

Images

  • Dancers possibly Marathas. Gouache drawing.
  • Ballet dancers preparing to perform. Wood engraving.
  • Siam (Thailand]): two dancers. Photograph by John Thomson, 1865.
  • Siam (Thailand]): two dancers. Photograph by John Thomson, 1865.
  • Sri Lanka: traditional 'devil dancers' in costume. Photograph, ca. 1860.
  • Burma: a sanctuary (?) with towers, temples, musicians and dancers. Gouache painting.
  • Burma: musicians and dancers perform while courtiers pay homage to a king. Gouache painting.
  • A procession of dancers following a music-making Death. Etching by A.W. Thompson, 1867.
  • Giza, Egypt: a dance by sword dancers in the commandant's house. Watercolour by Luigi Mayer, 17--.
  • The Maidan park, Calcutta, India: traditional Bhutan Devil dancers, some wearing masks: group portrait. Photograph, 1906.
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