Dance Magazine has been both a resource for and a reflection of the dance community since publishing its first issue (then titled The American Dancer) in 1927. As the magazine’s centennial approaches, we’ve been examining how the publication grew and changed over each decade, highlighting some of our most memorable covers. Next, a deep dive into the 1980s, a vibrant era of rule-breaking and exploring multimedia art.
If the 1970s were about autonomy and individuality, the 1980s pushed that boundary even further. Dance burst into the mainstream via iconic films like Footloose and Dirty Dancing, while artists like Mikhail Baryshnikov, Pina Bausch, and Mark Morris redefined modern dance. Classical ballet shared the stage with breaking and experimental multimedia projects. Dance in the ’80s wasn’t about following rules—it was about rewriting them.
August 1980
The start of a star-studded series of 1980s covers, the August 1980 issue features Gene Kelly, Olivia Newton-John, and Michael Beck, who starred in the film version of the musical Xanadu. This entire issue centers on dance and video, a theme that would continue to be important throughout the decade.
February 1981
Although alternative and postmodern dance gained prominence in the ’80s, ballet remained important—and no figure represented that better than Mikhail Baryshnikov. In his 1981 cover feature, Baryshnikov detailed his journey of leaving American Ballet Theatre, working with George Balanchine at New York City Ballet, and transitioning into creating work of his own. “[Balanchine] deflated certain of my fantasies about myself,” he said, “while helping me to acquire greater confidence in my field.”
August 1983
Another iconic cover star popped up in 1983, when Dance Magazine caught John Travolta on the set of the film Staying Alive. In the feature, Travolta said he grew up wanting to dance, and that he hoped his appearances in dance films like Staying Alive would help “[get] people into jazz and ballet classes.”
April 1984
In 1984, the magazine dedicated nearly an entire issue to breaking, featuring artist Funky Frank in a classic cover image. In addition to a deep dive into the roots and background of breaking culture, it included a breaking glossary aimed at educating readers further on the language and community of the street style.
October 1984
1984 produced so many standout covers, we had to include two. While the April cover embodied the dance community’s broader acceptance of street styles, this cover feels visually representative of the concert dance world’s artistic influences. Keith Haring’s famous figures are featured in the background, mirrored by dancers Bill T. Jones and Arnie Zane, innovators in the downtown dance movement.
August 1985
Natalia Makarova’s August 1985 cover story discussed her starring role in Roland Petit’s The Blue Angel, inspired by the acclaimed film. The prima ballerina reflected on the creative agency granted to her by this role, and her ability to explore a range of emotions and sexuality through dance—a departure from her usual work in ballet.
April 1986
The 1986 issue explored the avant-garde Japanese dance form butoh, with a cover featuring Ushio Amagatsu, artistic director of the butoh company Sankai Juku. Inside, a feature article profiled Kazuo Ohno, a dancer who helped introduce butoh to Western audiences. Ohno rejected Western conventions in his work, stating in the article that “ballet tends to ‘talk too much,’ in terms of storytelling.”
February 1987
February 1987 brought an in-depth report on the downtown dance world, spotlighting artists on the fringes of the community. This cover story contrasted young artists of the ’80s with artists of past decades, clarifying that “downtown” doesn’t represent a particular location, but rather a collection of ideas that challenge mainstream dance traditions.
May 1988
The 1988 issue focused on the first New York International Festival of the Arts, which helped raise the profile of international dance in the U.S. The festival aimed to educate and uplift exciting artistic voices from around the world, shaping a new generation of well-rounded artists.
May 1989
In the final year of the decade, Dance Magazine interviewed the then–95-year-old Martha Graham, one of the mothers of modern dance. Graham reflected on her career, and encouraged artists to continue challenging conventions without forgetting their roots. “Dance has changed and I have changed,” she said. “We live in a different time, but that is no reason for not reconstructing the dances of the past and performing them now. The past is not dead; it is not even past.”
