Library of Congress looks at politics of dance

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The Associated Press 4:16 PM Monday, February 20, 2012

WASHINGTON — Throughout much of the 20th century, choreographers created political dances that protested injustices, advocated reforms and showed diverse cultural expressions.

A new exhibit at the Library of Congress in Washington is now exploring the politics of dance. In "Politics and the Dancing Body," the library offers visitors a look at how American choreographers used dance as a political tool from World War I through the Cold War.

Items on view include the invitation from Germany's Third Reich to modern dancer Martha Graham to participate in the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics. Graham refused the invitation. There's also a page from dancer Jane Dudley's FBI file and photographs from American Ballet Theatre's 1960 trip to the Soviet Union, among other items.

The exhibit opened Thursday and will be on view through July.

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February 20, 2012 08:56 PM EST

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