The Rockettes, a ubiquitous all-American, all-female dancing troupe that graces the stages of New York’s Radio City Hall every Christmas, found themselves to have become a surprisingly radical chorus line in 2017. Having performed in two presidential inaugurations in 2001 and 2005, the group was now invited to appear at the inauguration of Donald Trump in an effort to bolster his flagging event with some star power. The Rockettes were divided, with many resenting being forced to support a man known for his degrading “locker room” comments about women, and a presidential campaign replete with attacks on the LGBT community and none-too-subtle racism.

Many Rockettes stepped out of their typically uniform chorus line and refused to perform. Their union, the American Guild of Variety Artists, was less enthusiastic about their decision and ruled that all full-time dancers were under a contractual obligation to perform at the inauguration.

They may not have known it, but the rebellious Rockettes were part of a long line of American dancers who refused to surrender their artistic talents to the forces of reaction. In fact, the history of dancers using their bodies to express their opposition to racism, sexism, and attacks on minorities runs deep in the cultural DNA of the United States. The story of modern dance, and its leading lights, is deeply intertwined with the history of radical politics itself.