Table of Contents

Raven Wilkinson

Raven Wilkinson
The Archive  ·  Legacy Raven Wilkinson The Ballerina Who Danced Through the Jim Crow South 1935 – 2018 Dance Mogul Magazine  ·  Legacy Series Introduction Raven Wilkinson wanted one thing: to dance ballet. That desire, in 1950s America, was enough to put her life in danger. In 1955, she became the first African American woman…

Read More

Maria Tallchief

Maria Tallchief
The Archive  ·  Legacy Maria Tallchief America’s First Prima Ballerina 1925 – 2013 Dance Mogul Magazine  ·  Legacy Series Introduction Before Maria Tallchief, America did not produce prima ballerinas. The title belonged to Europeans — Russians, French, Italians, English. American ballet existed, but it existed in the shadow of European tradition, importing its stars from across the…

Read More

Joan Myers Brown

Joan Myers Brown
The Archive  ·  Legacy Joan Myers Brown The Woman Who Built Black Dance Infrastructure 1931 – Present Dance Mogul Magazine  ·  Legacy Series Introduction Joan Myers Brown is not the most famous name in dance. She may be the most important. While individual dancers broke barriers on stage, Brown built the infrastructure behind the stage — the…

Read More

Janet Collins

Janet Collins
The Archive  ·  Legacy Janet Collins The First Black Prima Ballerina at the Met 1917 – 2003 Dance Mogul Magazine  ·  Legacy Series Introduction In 1951, Janet Collins became the first Black prima ballerina to perform at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. That sentence is easy to read. What it cost her to…

Read More

Arthur Mitchell

Arthur Mitchell
The Archive  ·  Legacy Arthur Mitchell The Man Who Built a Home for Black Ballet 1934 – 2018 Dance Mogul Magazine  ·  Legacy Series Introduction Arthur Mitchell had two careers, and either one alone would have secured his place in dance history. In the first, he became the first Black principal dancer at New York…

Read More

The Whitman Sisters

The Whitman Sisters
The Archive  ·  Legacy The Whitman Sisters The Royalty of Black Vaudeville Mabel (1880–1942)  ·  Essie (1882–1963)  ·  Alberta (1887–1964)  ·  Alice (1900–1968) Dance Mogul Magazine  ·  Legacy Series Introduction The Whitman Sisters were four Black women who, for over three decades, ran the most successful and highest-grossing Black act in American vaudeville. They were…

Read More

Norma Miller

Norma Miller
The Archive  ·  Legacy Norma Miller The Queen of Swing 1919 – 2019 Dance Mogul Magazine  ·  Legacy Series Introduction Norma Miller danced for over eighty years. She was twelve years old when she first walked into the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem, and she was still performing, teaching, and commanding stages well into her nineties.…

Read More

Josephine Baker

Norma Miller
The Archive  ·  Legacy Josephine Baker From Harlem to the French Resistance 1906 – 1975 Dance Mogul Magazine  ·  Legacy Series Introduction Josephine Baker was born into poverty in St. Louis, Missouri in 1906 and died in Paris, France in 1975 as one of the most consequential performers of the twentieth century. Between those two…

Read More

James Brown

James Brown
The Archive  ·  Legacy James Brown The Godfather of Soul and the Body That Started Hip-Hop Dance 1933 – 2006 Dance Mogul Magazine  ·  Legacy Series Introduction James Brown is universally recognized as one of the most important musicians in American history. What is less commonly understood — but equally significant — is that he was one of the…

Read More

Frankie Manning

Frankie Manning
The Archive  ·  Legacy Frankie Manning The Ambassador of the Lindy Hop 1914 – 2009 Dance Mogul Magazine  ·  Legacy Series Introduction Frankie Manning did not just dance the Lindy Hop. He shaped it into an art form, invented its most spectacular innovation, and then — after decades of obscurity — spent the last twenty-three years of his life…

Read More

Florence Mills

James Brown
The Archive  ·  Legacy Florence Mills The Queen of Happiness Who Changed the Stage 1896 – 1927 Dance Mogul Magazine  ·  Legacy Series Introduction Florence Mills was not simply a performer. She was a phenomenon — a Black woman who, in the 1920s, became one of the most celebrated entertainers in the world at a time when…

Read More

Earl “Snakehips” Tucker

James Brown
The Archive  ·  Legacy Earl “Snakehips” Tucker The Dancer Who Redefined Movement in Harlem 1906 – 1937 Dance Mogul Magazine  ·  Legacy Series Introduction In the smoky brilliance of Harlem’s Cotton Club during the late 1920s and early 1930s, a young man from Maryland took the stage and moved his body in a way no…

Read More

Sammy Davis Jr.

James Brown
The Archive  ·  Legacy Sammy Davis Jr. The Greatest Entertainer Who Ever Lived 1925 – 1990 Dance Mogul Magazine  ·  Legacy Series Introduction Sammy Davis Jr. is often called the greatest entertainer who ever lived, and the claim is difficult to refute. He could sing at a level that rivaled Sinatra. He could act with…

Read More

Rennie Harris

James Brown
The Archive  ·  Legacy Rennie Harris The Man Who Put Hip-Hop Dance on the Concert Stage 1964 – Present Dance Mogul Magazine  ·  Legacy Series Introduction Before Rennie Harris, hip-hop dance existed in two worlds that did not communicate with each other. There was the street — the ciphers, the battles, the clubs, the block parties. And…

Read More

Timothy “Poppin’ Pete” Solomon

James Brown
The Archive  ·  Legacy Timothy “Popin’ Pete” Solomon The Ambassador Who Carried Popping to the World 1961 – Present Dance Mogul Magazine  ·  Legacy Series Introduction If Boogaloo Sam created popping, Popin’ Pete carried it to the world. Timothy Solomon, born in 1961 and raised in Fresno, California alongside his older brother Sam, became popping’s…

Read More

William Henry Lane

James Brown
The Archive  ·  Legacy William Henry Lane“Master Juba” The Man Before Tap Dance Had a Name c. 1825 – 1852 Dance Mogul Magazine  ·  Legacy Series Introduction Before tap dance had a name, before metal taps were attached to shoes, before vaudeville existed, there was William Henry Lane. Born around 1825 — a free Black man in…

Read More

John W. Bubbles

James Brown
The Archive  ·  Legacy John W. Bubbles The Father of Rhythm Tap 1902 – 1986 Dance Mogul Magazine  ·  Legacy Series Introduction If Bill Robinson made tap dance visible to America, John W. Bubbles made it dangerous. Born John William Sublett in Louisville, Kentucky in 1902, Bubbles took a form that had been refined into…

Read More

Buddha Stretch

James Brown
The Archive  ·  Legacy Buddha Stretch The Bridge Between Old School and New School Hip-Hop 1968 – Present Dance Mogul Magazine  ·  Legacy Series Introduction In the late 1980s and early 1990s, hip-hop dance was at a crossroads. The breaking era of the early ’80s had cooled in mainstream visibility. A new generation of movement…

Read More

Sam “Boogaloo Sam” Solomon

Frankie Manning
The Archive  ·  Legacy Sam “Boogaloo Sam” Solomon The Creator of Popping Birth Year Undocumented – Present Dance Mogul Magazine  ·  Legacy Series Introduction Somewhere in Fresno, California in the mid-1970s, a teenager named Sam Solomon watched James Brown move on television, went outside, and began trying to make his own body do something no…

Read More

Bill “Bojangles” Robinson

James Brown
The Archive  ·  Legacy Bill “Bojangles” Robinson The Man Who Made Tap Dance Visible to America 1878 – 1949 Dance Mogul Magazine  ·  Legacy Series Introduction Bill Robinson was the most famous tap dancer in the world for nearly three decades. Born in Richmond, Virginia in 1878 — just thirteen years after the end of the Civil…

Read More

Norma Miller | The Queen of Lindy Hop

Norma MIller the Queen of Lindy Hop
Norma Miller & The Lindy Hop | Dance Mogul Magazine Dance Culture | History | Legacy Dance Mogul Magazine — Documenting Black Dance History Since 2010 Dance History  |  Harlem Renaissance  |  Legends Queen of the Lindy Hop:Norma Miller and the Dance That Shook the World From the hardwood floors of Harlem's Savoy Ballroom to…

Read More

The 12-Week Reset

The 12-Week Reset
Dance Mogul Magazine  |  Health & Empowerment Health & Empowerment Series The 12-Week Reset One season. Three evidence-based pillars. A complete lifestyle framework for mental health -- backed by clinical research. Why 12 Weeks?The number 12 appears across the most significant depression research of the past decade -- not by coincidence, but because of biology.…

Read More


The Dancer’s Prescription:

Move, Eat, Shine

The Dancer's Prescription: Move, Eat, Shine
Dance Mogul Magazine  |  Health & Empowerment Health & Empowerment Series The Dancer's Prescription: Move, Eat, Shine Three evidence-based pillars of lifestyle change that together create a complete approach to mental health. The Three Pillars -- An Integrated FrameworkDepression is not one thing. It is a convergence of biology, chemistry, environment, relationship, history, and habit.…

Read More


What You Eat Is
Talking to Your Brain

What You Eat Is Talking to Your Brain
Dance Mogul Magazine  |  Health & Empowerment Health & Empowerment Series What You Eat Is Talking to Your Brain Nutritional psychiatry is one of the fastest-growing fields in medicine -- and the results are changing how we treat depression. What You Eat Is Talking to Your BrainEvery meal you eat sends a signal -- not…

Read More

Why 12 Weeks
on the Dance Floor
Changes Everything

Why 12 Weeks on the Dance Floor Changes Everything
Dance Mogul Magazine  |  Health & Empowerment Health & Empowerment Series Why 12 Weeks on the Dance Floor Changes Everything The science of duration -- why consistency is the variable that makes dance therapy work. The 12-Week Threshold -- Why It MattersAcross virtually every clinical study on exercise and dance therapy for depression, one number…

Read More


Your Body Knows
Before Your Brain Does

Your Body Knows Before Your Brain Does
Dance Mogul Magazine  |  Health & Empowerment Health & Empowerment Series Your Body Knows Before Your Brain Does The science of somatic healing and why dance targets depression at its deepest root. Your Body Knows Before Your Brain DoesDepression is often described as a mental illness -- a disorder of thought, mood, and cognition. But…

Read More


Treatment-Resistant

Depression & the
Dance Floor That Helped

Treatment-Resistant Depression and the Dance Floor
Dance Mogul Magazine  |  Health & Empowerment Health & Empowerment Series Treatment-Resistant Depression -- And the Dance Floor That Helped When nothing else works, researchers are turning to movement. The results are rewriting the rulebook. Treatment-Resistant Depression -- A Silent CrisisTreatment-resistant depression (TRD) is defined as depression that has not responded to at least two…

Read More

Bachata Saved My Life

Bachata Saved My Life
Dance Mogul Magazine  |  Health & Empowerment Health & Empowerment Series Bachata Saved My Life How one style of dance became a documented clinical tool for overcoming depression -- and why it matters. A Patient, a Diagnosis, and a Dance FloorIn 2018, Italian researchers Romina and Maurilio Tavormina published a case report in the journal…

Read More

What Doctors Are Now
Prescribing Instead of Pills

What Doctors Are Now Prescribing Instead of Pills
Dance Mogul Magazine  |  Health & Empowerment Health & Empowerment Series What Doctors Are Now Prescribing Instead of Pills The medical community is rethinking depression treatment -- and movement is at the center of the conversation. What Doctors Are Now Prescribing Instead of PillsThe conversation around depression treatment is shifting. For decades, the default answer…

Read More

Why Dance Is Medicine

Raven Wilkinson
Dance Mogul Magazine  |  Health & Empowerment Health & Empowerment Series Why Dance Is Medicine Science is proving what dancers have always known -- moving your body heals your mind. Why Dance Is Medicine -- The Science Behind the MovementFor decades, dancers have known something profound: the moment music starts and your body begins to…

Read More

TYRONE ‘THE BONE’ PROCTOR

TYRONE 'THE BONE' PROCTOR
TYRONE 'THE BONE' PROCTOR — Dance Mogul Magazine Street Dance Legend · Popping Virtuoso Freestyle Master — The Technical Soul of the Street Dance Generation By Dance Mogul Magazine Issue #46 Updated April 2025 8 min read 5+Decades Active SoulTrain Legend GlobalWorkshop Teacher DMLifetime Achievement Tyrone "The Bone" Proctor is a street dance legend whose…

Read More

Black Dance: From the Beginning of Time to the World Stage

Black Dance: From the Beginning of Time to the World Stage

Black dance is not a genre. It is the root system of human movement itself — a living, breathing archive of survival, spirituality, resistance, joy, and identity that stretches back to the very beginning of civilization. Long before concert halls, competitions, and cameras, Black dance was how communities communicated with the divine, processed grief, celebrated…

Read More

Angie Cosculluela | MTV Video Music Awards 2023

Angie Cosculluela | MTV Video Music Awards 2023

    Dance Mogul Magazine Exclusive…  Dance Mogul: Can you describe the moment you found out you’d be performing at the VMAs? What was your initial reaction? Angie: I remember receiving an email from my agent with the words, “You’re booked!” Jumping with excitement, I called my mom. My emotions were so overwhelming, I struggled…

Read More

DaeSun Cupid | MTV Video Music Awards 2023

DaeSun Cupid | MTV Video Music Awards 2023

” I think we’re naturally moving in a direction where artists are valuing dancers more. From the performers I met and watched, it seems artists appreciate the significance of dancers enhancing a performance. It’s vital for artists to remain open-minded about how to integrate dancers, rather than merely using them as set decorations.” Dance Mogul:…

Read More

Brittany Perry Russell & Isaiah Russell Bailey | The Ultimate Mother & Son Entertainment Duo

Brittany Perry Russell & Isaiah Russell Bailey | The Ultimate Mother & Son Entertainment Duo

Brittany Perry Russell & Isaiah Russell Bailey ISAIAH RUSSELL-BAILEY- NETFLIX’S “FAMILY REUNION” Isaiah plays Shaka in the Netflix hit series “Family Reunion”. It was just announced that “Family Reunion” was nominated for a 2020 NAACP Award. Isaiah has also appeared on shows such as “Raven’s Home”, “SWAT” and “Criminal Minds”. Isaiah’s newest project, a Netflix…

Read More

Jefferson Y Adrianita | Salsa World Champions

Jefferson Y Adrianita | Salsa World Champions

wo-time Salsa World Champions and real-life couple, Jefferson y Adrianita have been dancing together for more than 16 years and have been competing at the professional level for almost 10 years. This dazzling duo captivates audiences worldwide with their electrifying fast footwork and jaw-dropping tricks every time they hit the stage. Hailing from Cali, Colombia, …

Read More

SAMANTHA LONG Founder of A THREAT

SAMANTHA LONG Founder of  A THREAT

  Dance Mogul Magazine Exclusive…  Dance Mogul:  What inspired you to start dancing? Samantha: Growing up I loved entertaining & always had so much energy I didn’t know what to do with. I started dancing when I was 4 years old around my house and in public (grocery stores etc.) to where my parents had…

Read More

Falon Johnson Exclusive…

Falon Johnson Exclusive…

Dance Mogul: What inspired you to start dancing? Falon J: I’ve always been an entertainer at heart, we used to have a greenhouse in our backyard and it was my studio where I’d learn choreo and music from my fav artists and perform (sing and dance) in front of my family all the time. Inspired…

Read More

Alexandria Kaye | Super Bowl LI Exclusive

Alexandria Kaye | Super Bowl LI Exclusive

Dance Mogul: What was it like to perform at the Super Bowl this year? Alexandria: Did that really just happen!? Performing at the Super Bowl was one of the most surreal exhilarating experiences I’ve ever had. It was like the best roller coaster ride you’ve ever been on and never want to end. Gaga had…

Read More

Debbie Allen’s The Hot Chocolate Nutcracker

Debbie Allen’s The Hot Chocolate Nutcracker

Our trip to LA was very productive. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Ms. Debbie Allen, dance Legend and Cultural Icon. To find out how she continues to inspire young dancers and people all over the world, see notes below….. Join us as we celebrate sharing… Debbie Allen’s The Hot Chocolate Nutcracker  …

Read More

Tas Aleeah | Maximizing Opportunities

Tas Aleeah | Maximizing Opportunities

  Akbar Muhammad (ArtbyAkbar.com)   Dance Mogul: What inspired you to start modeling?Tas Aleeah: I believe all girls grow up looking at magazines, tv commercials and even in-store ads wanting to see someone that resembles their beauty represented before them. For me, being a mixed child: native black mommy and eastern Indian father, I always…

Read More

Alisa Aslanova | Glorifying Ballet In Multiple Ways

Alisa Aslanova | Glorifying Ballet In Multiple Ways

Dance Mogul: What inspired you to start dancing? Alisa: There wasn’t a specific inspiration. I just came to love ballet very much and this love is forever. Having touched this art once, you will never be able to come off. Dance Mogul: What is the dance culture like in Russia? Alisa: In the Russian ballet…

Read More

Michael Joy | Director of Artistic and Educational Programs

Michael Joy | Director of Artistic and Educational Programs

ichael began training in the performing arts while studying biology at William Paterson College in Wayne, NJ, where he appeared in several college productions, one of which earned him the Award of Excellence at the 1981 Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. Later that year he began formal dance training as a certificate student at…

Read More

Sono Osato

Norma Miller
The Archive  ·  Legacy Sono Osato The Asian American Ballerina Who Defied Every Category 1919 – 2018 Dance Mogul Magazine  ·  Legacy Series Introduction Sono Osato’s career reads like a map of twentieth-century dance itself. She danced with the Ballets Russe de Monte-Carlo at fourteen. She moved to American Ballet Theatre and performed leading roles…

Read More