The electrifying artistic force that was Elvis Presley can't be contained in a single account. Variously thought of as the King, Elvis the Pelvis, a degenerate, and a teen icon, Presley was the living confluence of America's multiple cultures. Born to poor parents in Tupelo, Mississippi, he lived w

Charming, Cool, Lush, Masculine, Mythic, Oldies rock, Pioneering, Pop, Sexy

Emboldening classical ballet, the Dance Theater of Harlem takes up the old and gives it an articulate, contemporary spin. The group sharpens the edge of the familiar with a bit of bombast, but always with impeccable classical precision. Arthur Mitchell founded the DTH in 1969, inspired to create

Classical, Clean, Composed, Dramatic, Innovations since balanchine, Pioneering

It has been said that no photograph ever captured the mysterious allure of Vaslav Nijinsky. The cameras of his time were too slow to capture the spectacular height of his leap, and static images could never depict the sensuality of his dancing. Both men and women were drawn to his powerfully expressi

In-your-face, Melancholy, Opulent, Pioneering, Severe, Sexy, The early russians

He earned his name from the frenzied, high-pitched solos that make so many heads spin. By climbing into the trumpet's two highest registers and belting out syncopated feats of harmonic daring, Dizzy Gillespie developed an indubitably revolutionary sound. Bebop, that high-speed, rhythmically and tonal

Bebop, Ebullient, Ecstatic, Improvised, Intense, Pioneering, Swing/big band