In recent decades, there has been a growing interest in artistic practices as a lens through which to explore inequalities, navigating the intricate dynamics of mobility, citizenship and belongingness. In particular, music and dance have emerged as illuminating pathways for reimagining migration and diversity research. This transformative perspective challenges conventional categories such as “migrant,” “migration,” “diversity,” “alterity,” “North,” and “South,” exposing their normative dimensions. It invites a reconsideration of the circulations of practices, practitioners, and representations within the realms of music and dance, prompting methodological and epistemological inquiries. How can the creativity and agency of actors be reconciled with the institutional constraints they encounter? How can the cultural hybridizations and syncretism resulting from the movements of people, creations, and information be conceptualized? In what ways does a focus on music and dance practices empower scholars in migration and diversity studies to rethink normative categories and dismantle entrenched notions of alterity? This introduction seeks to provide an overview of the compelling issues emanating from research on music and dance in the context of migration and diversity studies. It explores the novel avenues opened up by this research domain, offering a platform for critical reflections on global inequalities.