Back to Show
If Cities Could Dance
Memphis Jookin: A Ballet for the Streets
Season 2
Episode 7
Jookin, born out of the Memphis rap music scene in the ’90s, is often referred to as "urban ballet". The dance, performed in sneakers as opposed to pointe shoes, is all about footwork: graceful slides, dizzying toe spins and impossible-looking ankle breaks.
Sign up now for inspiring and thought-provoking media delivered straight to your inbox.
Support Provided By

6:57
East St. Louis’ artists foster African American dance legend Katherine Dunham's legacy.

6:42
Hula instructor Snowbird Puananiopaokalani Bento teaches the story behind hula dance.

6:33
LA Black skaters push the culture forward amidst a pandemic and economic downturn.

8:33
Originators of Oakland's 1970s funk boogaloo reflect on the birth and impact of the dance

6:55
Dancer Amit Patel is reinventing Bollywood dance for queer expression

5:12
The Dance Champz of Atlanta want to take this underground LGBTQ+ dance to the next level.

5:58
Once known as La-la, Zydeco dance and music thrives in Houston

6:03
Albuquerque’s hip-hop & freestyle dance scene is influenced by various Indigenous tribes

4:02
Sixteen dancers from across the country, representing a range of dance styles, move as one

6:34
Sisters Mar and Maria Cruz are preserving the legacy of this dance of resistance.

5:59
The women of La Mezcla call on the history of percussive dance to create their own style.

6:56
Beat Ya Feet is the street dance empowering a new generation of Black D.C.