The hottest Dance Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Culture Topics

Ancient Wisdom: Dick Van Dyke Is (Almost) 100 and He’s Still Having Fun

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 2652 implied HN points • 07 Dec 25
🎭️ Culture Dance
  1. A performer can stay active and joyful even at 100, still dancing, singing, and embracing life every day.
  2. The 'old man' comic persona grew out of watching and learning from elders in the family, showing how personal history shapes performance.
  3. Iconic character roles can be easily forgotten, and credits or pseudonyms sometimes obscure who actually played them.

Seventies Afrofunk and the Future

Animation Obsessive • 9238 implied HN points • 04 Jul 25
🎭️ Culture Dance
  1. The movie 'Crocodile Dance' explores the life of Roukia, a mother and musician dealing with a generational curse, and it combines traditional Nigerian stories with modern elements.
  2. The film's music is a mix of 1970s Afrofunk and contemporary Nigerian sounds, aiming to connect different generations and cultures.
  3. Directors Shofela Coker and Nadia Darries focus on the character's personal journey and power, wanting audiences to see themselves in Roukia's story while showcasing African women's experiences.

‘It’s about changing minds. I want to make choosing bhangra ‘normal’ for everyone.’

NN Journal • 139 implied HN points • 05 Oct 24
🎭️ Culture Dance
  1. Bhangra is a fun and energetic dance from Punjab that is great exercise. It has traditional roots but now mixes with popular music and fitness classes.
  2. Everyone is welcome to join Bhangra classes, no matter their background or skill level. The focus is on inclusivity and making dance enjoyable for everyone.
  3. Dancing Bhangra can help improve mental health and build confidence. It's not just about physical activity; it also provides a break from everyday stress.

Ancient Wisdom: Why I’m Dancing at 80

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 292 implied HN points • 23 Jan 26
🎭️ Culture Dance
  1. Dancing in later life can be joyful and energizing, offering movement, music, and a strong boost to wellbeing.
  2. Learning Latin dances like cha-cha, bachata, and samba can spark memories and reconnect you with cultural sounds and youthful energy.
  3. Community dance classes for older adults are a fun, social, and accessible way to stay active and age gracefully.

Classical Music Got Invented with a Hard Kick from a Peasant's Foot

The Honest Broker • 5917 implied HN points • 21 Feb 25
🎭️ Culture Dance
  1. Classical music is more about human movement than math. It has roots in how people dance and move, not just numbers.
  2. The history of music shows a struggle between hands and feet. Highbrow music often focuses on hand movements, while lowbrow music is driven by dancing.
  3. Understanding music requires recognizing its connection to our bodies. Rhythm in all genres is tied to how we physically react and move to the music.
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Just do your dance already

Experimental History • 3868 implied HN points • 28 Jan 25
🎭️ Culture Dance
  1. It's common to get stuck trying to give detailed responses to questions. This can lead to wasting too much time on one email.
  2. Finding balance in communication is important to stay productive. Spending all day on one task can keep you from accomplishing other things.
  3. Prioritizing efficiency in response can help manage time better. Instead of focusing on a perfect answer, aim for getting back to others more quickly.

Doing "The Twist" with Chubby Checker

Rock 'n' Roll with Me • 179 implied HN points • 14 May 24
🎶 Music Dance
  1. Dancing is for everyone, no matter your age or skill level. You can move to your favorite music in any way that feels good.
  2. Chubby Checker's song 'The Twist' became a huge hit twice, and it's a dance that anyone can do easily and with fun.
  3. Over time, people often lose their confidence to dance, but it's important to embrace joy and creativity, just like we did as kids.

STRIPPERS ARE PEOPLE TOO

Cintra Wilson Feels Your Pain • 845 implied HN points • 17 May 23
🎭️ Culture Dance
  1. Club workers in the nightlife scene have a unique lifestyle with a strong sense of community and solidarity.
  2. Personal anecdotes highlight the eccentricities and dynamics within the club scene, such as conflicts and unexpected encounters.
  3. The story delves into the world of exotic dancers, shedding light on perceptions and reactions to their performances.

Art in an Emergency

Seven Senses • 739 implied HN points • 04 Nov 23
🎭️ Culture Dance
  1. Art, like dance and music, helps heal our spirit and emotions. Many cultures have known this for a long time.
  2. Holding on to emotions can cause physical discomfort or pain in our bodies. It's important to process these feelings through creative activities.
  3. Making time to dance, sing, or be still can greatly improve our well-being. Connecting with these activities can revive our energy and joy.

The Sugar Plum Sisters

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 885 implied HN points • 19 Dec 24
🎭️ Culture Dance
  1. Olivia and Mary Thomas MacKinnon share a deep love for dancing and perform together in 'The Nutcracker'. They have a close bond as sisters and roommates in New York City.
  2. When they were young, they had a friendly rivalry over the lead role in a special performance of 'The Nutcracker'. They decided to share the role, showcasing teamwork over competition.
  3. Their journey began in their living room, a reminder that even small spaces can become stages for dreams and creativity.

The best slow dance song ever - a 1970s classic

Rock 'n' Roll with Me • 119 implied HN points • 04 May 24
🎶 Music Dance
  1. Slow dancing is all about the right approach and technique. Pay attention to how you start, hold your partner, and move together to create a smooth experience.
  2. The best slow dance song needs to have a good tempo and lyrics that set a romantic mood. The right song can help you make a connection with your partner.
  3. Using pop culture references, like scenes from shows, can make learning how to dance more relatable and fun. It helps to know the dos and don'ts to impress when it's time to hit the dance floor.

THE USHER BOWL

The Nelson George Mixtape • 196 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
🎶 Music Dance
  1. Usher, as a true soul singer, stands out from current R&B singers who heavily use autotune and rap-singing.
  2. Usher's confidence and immense stage presence make his performances, like his Vegas residency show, epic and engaging for the audience.
  3. Usher's upcoming album release and arena tour mark a significant moment in his four-decade career, with expectations of him integrating past performance traditions like never before.

☘️ Call round for a céilí.

New_ Public • 314 implied HN points • 30 Apr 23
🎭️ Culture Dance
  1. Attending a c�il� dance can spark thoughts about identity and community
  2. Dance patterns at c�il�s foster cooperation and build community
  3. The internet reflects a mix of fast-moving trends and slow social constructs

Happy Chinese New Years!

Moly’s Substack • 98 implied HN points • 10 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Dance
  1. The Spring Festival Gala is an annual tradition in China, with varying quality each year, but the 2024 edition impressed many viewers, featuring diverse performances.
  2. The Gala showcased a range of traditional Chinese arts and performances, such as Chinese drums, dragon ribbon dances, embroidery displays, martial arts, and folk songs from different regions.
  3. Some comedy skits in the Gala received mixed reactions, with some being appreciated for their humor and others criticized for reinforcing stereotypes or being unoriginal.

Notes on Dance

Justin E. H. Smith's Hinternet • 915 implied HN points • 28 Oct 23
🎭️ Culture Dance
  1. Dance encompasses a broad range of cultural practices involving choreography beyond traditional performances like ballet.
  2. The avant-garde in art history emerged in the late 19th century and declined by the 1980s due to societal shifts towards norm-enforcement in artistic expression.
  3. Art, like dance, serves as a powerful form of representation that taps into deep human experiences and emotions beyond language.

NYC Street Performance

Splattern • 99 implied HN points • 07 Dec 23
🎭️ Culture Dance
  1. Performing in public can be a fun and freeing experience. It allows a person to connect directly with people and share joy.
  2. Building confidence is important, and sometimes small steps can help overcome fears. Wearing something like a suit can create a sense of credibility.
  3. Street performance may not always pay well, but the joy and smiles shared with others can make the experience worthwhile and fulfilling.

Spring Festival Gala Review by Chinese Doom Scroll

ChinaTalk • 429 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Dance
  1. Many people found the 2024 Spring Festival Gala to be enjoyable and a hit among the past few years' shows.
  2. The performances included a variety of acts showcasing traditional Chinese arts like drums, dancing, opera, martial arts, and folk songs.
  3. Despite some controversial comedy skits, overall the Gala featured high-quality, impressive performances and a mix of propaganda and entertainment.

Strapping Mephedrone to My Balls (19/30)

psychotechnology • 15 implied HN points • 20 Nov 25
🎭️ Culture Dance
  1. He sneaks and uses mephedrone at a nightclub to alter his state and work through emotional stuff, treating the trip like a DIY therapy session.
  2. Nightclub security feels like performative theatre — intrusive, inconsistent, and often more about control than real safety.
  3. Drugs and dancing act as a kind of tribal, entheogenic ritual that can deepen emotional and social experience, but the author still feels out of place and resents being supervised.

Notes on the art of following

Eternal Sunshine of the Stochastic Mind • 59 implied HN points • 25 Jan 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Dance
  1. Following in dance involves synchronizing with your partner's movements and being fully present in the moment.
  2. Leading in dance is about clear communication and creating a dialogue with your partner, rather than a monologue.
  3. Embracing uncertainty and letting go of control can lead to more creative and connected experiences in dancing and in life.

Solstice Dance

Splattern • 39 implied HN points • 22 Dec 23
🎭️ Culture Dance
  1. Dancing with a community can feel very different from dancing alone. It's nice to join with others and get into a good flow together.
  2. It's okay to have both solo adventures and connections with others. Being open to working with people can lead to rewarding experiences.
  3. Love can come from many sources, not just romantic relationships. Keeping your heart open can help you receive love in a variety of ways.

Can you dance to this?

Splattern • 39 implied HN points • 05 Dec 23
🎭️ Culture Dance
  1. Dancing can enhance the experience of listening to music or audiobooks. Doing both activities together can make each one more enjoyable and engaging.
  2. Responding to difficult content through dance can help process emotions. This allows for a physical reaction while remaining attentive to the material being listened to.
  3. Incorporating music and rhythm into learning can improve memory and comprehension. Using dance or songs can make educational experiences more memorable and fun.

Fighting with smiles

Splattern • 39 implied HN points • 02 Dec 23
🎭️ Culture Dance
  1. Using a positive internal dialogue can help shift your mindset. Instead of saying 'I should,' try saying 'I could' to see more options.
  2. Dancing and expressing yourself can be a powerful way to show love and defiance against negativity. Embrace the feeling and let it flow.
  3. Staying calm and showing love in chaotic situations can create a peaceful atmosphere. It's harder to bring peace than to fight, but it's much more rewarding.

How I teach myself dance routines | #45

pole • 19 implied HN points • 29 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Dance
  1. Map out the space before taking action to avoid mistakes and wasted effort
  2. Memorize by doing the actual activity and practicing, not just rote memorization
  3. Master a skill by reaching a point of minimal thinking and making the task enjoyable