In the digital age, journalism has expanded to include new forms of storytelling. While most people associate journalism with written or visual media, dance has begun to be recognized as a powerful medium for communication. Similarly to a reporter sharing news through words, a dancer can express social, political, and cultural issues through movement.

Dance, like traditional journalism, serves as a tool for storytelling and conveys emotions and issues in ways that words sometimes cannot. Renowned choreographer Martha Graham once said, “Dance is the hidden language of the soul.” Her work, Lamentation (1930), tackled themes such as loss and grief, engaging viewers emotionally. 

Investigative journalism can uncover hidden truths, and dance can bring personal and collective stories to light in an immediate and impactful way and offer marginalized communities a platform. Dancers like Alvin Ailey, whose work has been performed at the Theatre of Harlem, have used movement to protest and raise awareness of racial injustice, provoking reflection and inspiring action.

In 1980s New York, the ballroom scene captured in Paris Is Burning (1990) used dance as a form of resistance to mainstream culture. Through voguing, a dance style with sharp poses and dramatic movements, 2SLGBTQI+ people of colour told stories of marginalization, giving voice to an often invisible community. 

Similarly, choreographers such as Akram Khan use dance to address global issues, as seen in Desh (2011), where Khan explores themes of identity and migration, sparking important dialogue on globalization and displacement.

Dance’s ability to communicate without words makes it especially compelling in today’s noisy media environment. Its visual and physical language transcends cultural and linguistic barriers. Global dance companies like Alvin Ailey’s raise awareness about social issues, reaching diverse audiences. Revelations by Alvin Ailey, for instance, expresses African-American history and pain without spoken words, allowing universal themes of suffering, resilience, and hope to resonate across all backgrounds.

With the rise of digital platforms, the boundaries between journalism and art are increasingly blurred. The Square (2017), a film exploring art, activism, and journalism, features performance art, including dance, to address social issues. Digital dance performances shared on platforms like YouTube have the potential to go viral, offering commentary on societal issues. 

To elevate dance as a recognized form of journalism, we should encourage collaborations between journalists and dancers and support digital dance content. Creating awards for dance that address journalistic themes would help integrate it into the broader media landscape. 

Performances such as Swan Lake, which explores themes of love and betrayal, or contemporary works that comment on political unrest exemplify the way choreography can serve as a potent form of storytelling, transcending words to connect deeply with audiences.

Dance is an essential form of journalism that deserves recognition. Through its ability to reflect on societal issues and communicate across language barriers, dance offers a unique emotional lens on the world. It moves people to inform, provoke thought, and inspire action, much like a well-crafted news report or investigative story.