A Look Back: Dance Magazine in the 1970s

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’ll be examining how the publication grew and changed over each decade, highlighting some of our most memorable covers. Up first, a look at a period of exponential growth in the dance world, and the world at large: the 1970s.

The 1970s were about autonomy and individuality. The Civil Rights Movement and resistance to the Vietnam War spurred the rise of identity politics, and much art, including dance, responded to disruptive political changes. Across dance styles, artists were creating innovative and colorful works that challenged expectations. A diverse new group of choreographers began crafting identities for themselves and their companies; finding something that made their work distinctive became more important than holding themselves to any traditional standard. 

March 1970

In 1970, many of Dance Magazine’s cover lines considered dance as a political force. In his March 1970 cover story, Arthur Mitchell discusses the impact of his newly formed Dance Theatre of Harlem and its implications for the world at large. As one of the first companies to carve out a space for Black ballet dancers to express themselves, Dance Theatre of Harlem sent a powerful message: Ballet is for everyone.

January 1971

In January 1971, Dance Magazine featured the French dancer and choreographer Maurice Béjart. His mix of ballet, jazz, modern, and Hindu movement traditions shook up the dance world, garnering both praise and intense criticism. In his cover feature, he says, “I only work for the young”—emphasizing his alignment with a new generation.

November 1972

Judith Jamison, then Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s biggest star, graced the November 1972 issue of Dance Magazine. “Dancing, femininity and blackness, make up who and what I am,” she says in her cover story. “I have never tried to separate them because if I did I would be fragmented, maybe shattered.” She later became a longtime director of AAADT. 

February 1973

Ballet Rambert was featured on the cover of the February 1973 issue in an article titled “The Company that Changed its Mind,” highlighting the company’s transformation from a classical ballet troupe to a dancer-focused contemporary collective. During the 1970s, the new Ballet Rambert championed creativity and individuality, particularly under artistic director Norman Morrice, who shaped an eclectic repertoire.

April 1974

In April 1974, Dance Magazine featured choreographers Twyla Tharp, Merce Cunningham, Trisha Brown, and Yvonne Rainer, among others, discussing the general movement away from dance as an art of classical techniques and towards a more open and experimental art form for all. The story argued that much of the most engaging dance was being made by artists who questioned traditional definitions of the form.

May 1975

The May 1975 issue featured a report on the continued triumph of Dance Theatre of Harlem, demonstrating the type of success that had become reachable for Black ballet dancers. DTH star Lydia Abarca was one of the first Black ballerinas to be featured on the magazine’s cover. A new vision for the dance world was no longer just a dream; it was starting to become a reality.

April 1976

Meredith Monk’s unique approach to performance was the focus of Dance Magazine’s April 1976 cover. Known for her interdisciplinary, immersive, and experimental work, Monk represented a new type of entertainer—one not restricted by the confines of traditional dance movement. This cover design also marks a stylistic shift, borrowing from the pop-art styles that were fashionable at the time.

September 1977

The September 1977 issue highlights Paul Taylor, Alvin Ailey, Twyla Tharp, and Martha Graham, four of the biggest leaders in dance during the 1970s (and beyond). Tim Wengerd, a star dancer for Martha Graham, reflects on what drew him to the Graham method: its singular vision. The issue hones in on a main goal of dance during the ’70s, which was to send a message to the audience rather than simply entertain them.

February 1978

The February 1978 cover epitomizes the Broadway dance aesthetic of the 1970s, featuring Fosse dancer Ann Reinking, then starring in Fosse’s popular musical Dancin’. Reinking praises Fosse for creating an original, multifaceted style—the style that has since allowed his works to travel through time, playing with the audience’s expectations.

July 1979

In the July issue of the final year of the decade, Dance Magazine featured Janet Eilber, a protégé of Martha Graham, on its cover, and emphasized the growth of female agency and choice in the dance world. Eilber’s article comments on her success as a dancer and the opportunities available to her as a result. Throughout the piece, Eilber—who has been artistic director of the Graham company since 2005—maintains that, despite offers from the worlds of film and television, the world of modern dance is what truly called to her, and that her choice to stay was one of passion, not necessity.