What does it mean to be a dancer? Has dance always been a girls’ activity? Why have professional female dancers sometimes been met with criticism and contempt in the exercise of their profession? How did one become a ballerina at the Paris Opera in the 19th century? How did hip-hop dancers emerge on the streets of New York in the 1970s? Depending on the era, culture, and style, the reality of the dancing profession has constantly evolved over time. Aimed at young readers, this book offers an immersion into this long and rich history through a selection of examples. It provides keys for understanding the diversity of backgrounds and styles, while showing how dance interacts with broader History with a capital H (societies, arts, technologies, political events, and social upheavals). Richly documented and illustrated, it complements the “Youth” series developed by the CN D, and the two volumes already published: Ma danse, tout un art (dedicated to the practice of dance) and Cette danse, quel spectacle! (which aims to sharpen the eyes of young spectators).