Stars of the stage and screen
Dance has produced some unforgettable stars, and this word search gathers many of them. You'll be finding ballet legends like PAVLOVA, NUREYEV, FONTEYN and BARYSHNIKOV, and Hollywood greats like ASTAIRE, ROGERS and KELLY.
Each puzzle pulls a fresh selection of surnames from the list, so the line-up changes every time you play — gentle on Easy, and a longer-word challenge once the diagonals and backwards words appear on Hard.
Ballet, modern and beyond
From classical ballet to modern dance, the words are here. There are the pioneers DUNCAN, GRAHAM, AILEY, CUNNINGHAM and BAUSCH, ballet stars MARKOVA, MAKAROVA, COPELAND and ACOSTA, romantic-era greats TAGLIONI and CERRITO and the original NIJINSKY, the choreographers BALANCHINE and BOURNE, and the tap great HINES.
Dancers who changed how we move
Each name here pushed dance somewhere new. Anna PAVLOVA was so beloved a ballerina that a meringue dessert was named after her, and Rudolf NUREYEV and Mikhail BARYSHNIKOV thrilled audiences with leaps that seemed to defy gravity. In Hollywood, Fred ASTAIRE and Ginger ROGERS made dancing look effortless on screen, and Gene KELLY famously danced through the rain — turning ballet's discipline into pure joy for millions of cinema-goers.
Others tore up the rulebook. Isadora DUNCAN and Martha GRAHAM invented 'modern dance', performing barefoot and freely instead of in stiff ballet steps; Alvin AILEY celebrated African-American life and culture on stage; and choreographer George BALANCHINE reshaped ballet itself. More recently Misty COPELAND broke barriers as a leading ballerina. Behind every graceful performance lies years of daily practice and incredible fitness, which makes dancers an inspiring fit for a dance or performing-arts topic.
Great for a performing-arts topic
It's a great fit for a dance or performing-arts topic — we use surnames to keep words short, and Easy mode uses a small grid with no diagonals or reverse words (longer names like BARYSHNIKOV appear on Medium and Hard). Play online, print a PDF pack, or use Make Your Own to build a grid from your own favourite dancers.
Frequently asked questions
Which dancers are in the word search?
Stars of ballet and beyond — Pavlova, Nureyev, Baryshnikov, Fonteyn, Astaire, Graham and more. Each puzzle uses a fresh selection of surnames.
Does it cover ballet and beyond?
It does — ballet legends PAVLOVA, NUREYEV, FONTEYN and BARYSHNIKOV, Hollywood greats ASTAIRE, ROGERS and KELLY, modern pioneers DUNCAN, GRAHAM and AILEY, plus choreographer BALANCHINE and the tap great HINES.
Is it good for a performing-arts topic?
Great fit for a dance or performing-arts topic. We use surnames to keep words short, and Easy mode uses a small grid with no diagonals or reverse words.