Editorial #13

Though dance festivals are becoming increasingly numerous, more dancers are leaving the profession and pursuing other careers earlier than ever before. This is one of the conclusions of the 13^th issue of CN D Magazine, which continues to explore the paradoxes and challenges facing the dance world.

According to our long interview with French choreographer Boris Chamatz, the dance world is going through a crisis. Dance remains connected to current social and political issues: while choreographers are exploring how to tackle sexual violence on stage, other artists are interrogating the lack of representation of bisexual and lesbian dancers in ballet. Even in contexts like Iran, where free speech is limited and the contemporary dance scene is confined to the private sphere, dance continues to question and reinvent itself.

In this context, CN D Magazine maintains that looking to the past can help us better understand the present. This perspective is reflected in the latest and final installment of Decolonizing Dance, a series we have published throughout 2026, interrogating the use of the term “oriental dance.” This issue’s From the Vault article also takes a retrospective approach, drawing on a series of photographs to explore how the Lyon Opera Ballet and William Forsythe transformed the codes of ballet technique. 

Contemporary creation, in all its diversity, remains at the heart of the magazine’s coverage. This fall, we turn the spotlight on British dance and theater artist Ben Duke; Zimbabwean artist nora chipaumire, who is known for her multidisciplinary approach; and Austrian choreographer Michaël Turinksy and his self-described “crip choreography.” Pavillon ADC in Geneva – the headquarters of the Swiss dance scene – is also featured in the latest installment of our Dance Spaces video series.