This video provides an overview of the tensions between of Booker T. Washington and William Monroe Trotter.

In this video John Bullet Standingdeer a member of the Warriors of AniKituhwa of Cherokee, NC, describes the cultural importance of the ceremonial Eagle Dance, performed by the Warriors of AniKituhwa, and the social Beaver Dance, performed by the Raven Rock Dancers.

Dancer Lakshmi Sriraman talks about the bharatanatyam, a classical dance from India in this video from the Dance Arts Toolkit series.

Cheryl Pan, a dancer from China, talks about the Chinese fan dance and shows a variety of fans used in Chinese dances in this video from the Dance Arts Toolkit series.

Jingzian Zhang, a retired professor of Chinese opera, talks about the purpose and form of the Chinese Sword Dance in this video from the Dance Arts Toolkit series.

Jeaunita and Adebola Olowe of Bi-Okoto Drum & Dance Theatre talk about the Sohu, a ritual cleansing dance from Togo, in this video from the Dance Arts Toolkit series.

Jennifer Rose, a dancer, musician, and folk historian from Berea, Ky., talks about the background of the Tarantella, in this video from the Dance Arts Toolkit series. The Tarantella is a folk dance that originated in Italy.

Pursuing a career in the theater can seem intimidating and overwhelming. In this video from Treasures of New York: The Drama League, students receive advice from successful theater professionals like director Diane Paulus and actress Judith Light. From practical suggestions like staying informed by reading the newspaper, to more general advice like finding one’s passion, students hear from and are inspired by the words of experienced artists.

In this video from August Wilson: The Ground on Which I Stand the playwright discusses the influence that the blues has had on his writing. The clip also features a performance from Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and commentary from several theater scholars.

In order to practice conducting, you need an orchestra! Learn about what it takes to become an orchestra conductor in this video from Treasures of New York: Juilliard. At Juilliard, the world-famous performing arts school located in New York City, students have the opportunity to work with musicians to hone their conducting skills.

“No Hablo Español” explores the conflicted cultural identity of a Latina high school student who can’t speak Spanish. Playwright Rosa Estevez explains why parents born in a Spanish-speaking country might prefer English for their children. People behind the scenes describe the play’s fresh pathways for discussing cultural identity, the importance of authenticity and language, and the role of the dramaturg in advocating for the playwright. The play was part of the New Voices Young Playwrights Festival at Actors Theatre of Louisville.

In Los Angeles, jam skaters draw from a community and culture built over generations at Venice Beach and at rinks across the city. Over the past year, roller skating hit the mainstream as a safe and relatively accessible pandemic-era pastime, its international popularity bolstered by people recording their shaky progress on social media. Skates were sold out for months, and skaters have become major influencers on Instagram and TikTok. But longtime skaters are quick to remind everyone: This isn’t a fad.

Blend phonemes and practice long "i" sounds with NYCDOE Universal Literacy Reading Coach Anna Scretching-Cole. Students will practice blending and reading with the long "i" sound with a focus on the "igh" and "-y" spelling.

When it comes to corn, Indigenous people have long known the benefits. Host Dr. Lee Francis of Laguna Pueblo discusses the health benefits of a classic Indigenous staple food: blue corn mush. What makes blue corn blue? Why is ash added to traditional blue corn mush? What makes it so healthy?

Andrew Branca, a high school student from Central Academy of Technology and Arts, in North Carolina talks about how he was inspired to write Boal after attending a summer theater workshop on Brazilian theater activist Augusto Boal. Cast members discuss what it was like to collaborate on the playwriting process and why they felt it was important to start a serious discussion on racism and Islamophobia.

Sensitive: This resource contains material that may be sensitive for some students. Teachers should exercise discretion in evaluating whether this resource is suitable for their class.

Dancer Amit Patel is reinventing Bollywood dance and making space for queer expression in the South Asian community. At 10, he began Bollywood dance training with Mona Khan Company and later started contemporary dance. He realized he could express himself outside of Bollywood’s traditional male roles. Today, he teaches "Bollywood Heels," a mix of Kathak gestures and jazz performed in 5-inch heels.

Inspired by James Brown and the Black Panthers, the Black Resurgents are one of the dance crews who pioneered Oakland's boogaloo dance, the foundation of many other funk styles. However, their cultural contributions are little-known outside of the Bay. Meet these veteran dancers passing on their tradition to a new a generation, bridging the gap between boogaloo, pop-locking and turf dancing.

Oakland, California, home to the Black Panthers, also birthed the pioneering funk-driven freestyle dance Oakland Boogaloo, characterized by strong hits and poses. In the late 1960s and 1970s, before the emergence of hip hop, the city’s African American youth took inspiration from James Brown, the Temptations, Charlie Chaplin, cartoon characters, and sci-fi robots, and created a repertoire of original moves like the “Dime Stop,” the “Hit, the “Mack Pose” and “the Ditallion.” Youth in nearby San Francisco and Richmond soon developed variants of boogaloo, respectively known as strutting and robotting. Today, these techniques are collectively known as “the funk styles,” owing to their development during the funk era. Despite its pioneering status, Oakland boogaloo’s cultural contributions are little-known outside of Bay Area dance circles.

Cartography is the art and science of graphically representing a geographical area on a flat surface such as a map. For Indigenous peoples, cartography is more than just topography or mapping locations. For many Indigenous communities, it's about values, culture and traditional understandings.

La Mezcla is an all-female San Francisco dance company rooted in Latinx traditions, Chicano culture and social justice. Founder Vanessa Sanchez and the other dancers blend tap dance and zapateado or traditional footwork from Veracruz, Mexico, to create a style they call “zapatap.” Watch as they perform dynamic choreography in front of iconic Mission District murals and landmarks, then bring us back to the 1940s West Coast Zoot Suit era (popularized by Bay Area playwright Luis Valdez) when young Mexican-Americans or “pachucas” proudly repped Chicana identity and resistance, while defying cultural and style taboos. Rocking big hair and flashy zoot suits, the women of La Mezcla reclaim this early history, combining tap with son Jarocho Zapateado.

If Cities Could Dance is a Webby Award-winning video series featuring dancers from cities across the United States. Step into the shoes of dancers from across the country who dare to imagine what it would look like if their city could dance.

Enjoy a sweet way to learn about opposites, and explore what is the same and what is different as you read, watch and play together.