The fluid, ever-present forms of dancers have fascinated artists in various ways since the late nineteenth century. With the exhibition "DANCE!", the Kunsthalle Mannheim traces about 125 years of artistic engagement with the ephemeral nature of dance—ranging from historical perspectives, such as those of Edgar Degas and Auguste Rodin, to contemporary performative works by Tino Sehgal and Isaac Chong Wai.

From painting and sculpture to drawing, costume, and installation, as well as video and performance, "DANCE!" showcases a wide spectrum of artistic practices of expression and themes. Forms of choreography and movement have been continuously transformed into visual works of art, for example through developments of abstraction and explorations of embodiment. Using the dancing body as a point of reference, the exhibition explores questions of social norms, ideal bodies, and the attribution of gender and class, along with other markers of social differentiation. New commissioned works highlight current approaches to dance in art.

The extensive publication, featuring numerous illustrations of the works, complements the exhibition with scholarly essays by interdisciplinary experts.