4th Historical Dance Symposium - Dance in Italy, Italian Dance in Europe, 1400 - 1900

Dance in Italy,  Italian dance in Europe 1400 - 1900

for Barbara Sparti (1932 - 2013)

A conference for dancers, lovers of dance, researchers

Italy and dance - At the centre of our fourth Symposium is a passionate love story lasting many centuries - a theme which fascinated Barbara Sparti, one of the leading dance research­ers of the 20th century, throughout her life. We  have chosen to dedicate this Symposium to her memory.

Our starting point on this path lies in the late Middle Ages, when the first dance books in history were written in Lombardy. The path leads us further through the highest flourishing of the Renaissance, when Italian dance masters and dancers were active in all European courts and laid important foundations for the later ballet. Special emphasis is placed on the period of the cultural duel with France in the 18th century and the develop­ment of the great ballet reform, before we finally end our journey in the Risorgimento, Italy’s struggle for a unified statehood.

Biographies of dancers and choreographers, their journeys and their artistic development, detailed study of works and cultural history research at stations along the path breathe life into the most varied facets of the phenomenon of "Italy and the Dance".

True to the motto "research dance - dance research", the central goal of the conference is to bring together dancers and researchers and thus enable intensive interaction between the latest research and current dance practice.

• A series of lectures presents the present status of dance research.
• Workshops give an opportunity to try out new dance styles and reconstructions.
• Short performances demonstrate current artistic interpreta­tions.
• A bookshop offers a wide range of literature and music relating to dance.
• Social dance evenings with live music help make a variety of new contacts.
• A celebratory ball with costumes of the period represents the culmination of the conference.
• Sharing leisure and programme together in the castle enables a time of especially intensive contact.

Conference languages:  English and German

Detailed information on the conference is available on our home page: www.historical-dance-symposium.org

Registration: http://burg-rothenfels.de/bp.html?&cHash=43b9fd35e0e125ae546aa0e8f6cf798...