Towards the end of the 19th Century, as artists are veering away from the art academies, their search for new styles, topics and mediums is closely related to dance. Their interest in various cultures and folk-art inspired a closer look at folk dances, including colorful costumes and expressive movements. The growing metropolis like Paris, Berlin and New York brought young, often impoverished girls onto the stage, whether as ballet dancers, in cabarets, circuses, or even shadier places. Women were at the forefront of creating new dances and changing social mores. Some artists were highly inspired by the new directions in modern dance, while others pursued new expressions of more universal dances, in search of an underlying connection between all cultures. Throughout the decades, ‘dance’ develops from being a theme in painting and sculpture to an integral element of stage sets, kinetic art, performance.