Dance Nation

"Barron paints a wholly plausible picture of teenage insecurity and ambition ... a play that wittily shows how dance can be a source of liberation without ever quelling the tremulous terrors of adolescence." - The Guardian

Somewhere in America, a revolution is coming.

An army of competitive dancers is ready to take over the world, one routine at a time.

With a pre-teen battle for power and perfection raging on and off stage, Dance Nation is a ferocious exploration of youth, ambition and self-discovery.

Winner of the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and The Relentless Award, Dance Nation is Clare Barron’s explosive play about the challenges of being young, and competitive dancing.

Published for the first time in Methuen Drama's Modern Classics series, this edition features a brand new introduction by Eboni Booth and Purva Bedi.

Clare Barron is a playwright and performer from Wenatchee, Washington. In addition to Dance Nation, her plays include You Got Older, which received its world premiere with Page 73 Productions and later appeared at Steppenwolf (Obie Award for Playwriting, Drama Desk Nomination for Outstanding Play, #1 most-recommended play on The Kilroy's List, and Susan Smith Blackburn finalist); I’ll Never Love Again, which premiered at The Bushwick Starr in 2016 and was a New York Times Critics' Pick, and Baby Screams Miracle, which premiered at Clubbed Thumb and subsequently was produced at Woolly Mammoth. She won the James Tait Black Prize for Drama in 2019 and was a finalist for the Pulitizer.