Call for Proposals: Study Forum 2015: Dance Disguised & Obscured

Following the success of the Study Forum of 2013, we offer another opportunity to share the latest research in historical dance from the fifteenth to the nineteenth centuries, focussing primarily on practice. Proposals are invited for workshops, papers and lecture-demonstrations exploring new material from sources and fresh insights into dances, steps and performances.

Saturday and Sunday 21st and 22nd March 2015

Dance disguised

• What do we know of the following genres and the dances belonging to them: mummings, guisings, moresche, morrises, mascheratas, masques & masquerades?
• Can we recreate dances from the commedia del'arte and harlequinades?
• What was the function and challenge of the mask in 17th and 18th century dance theatre, ballet and pantomime?

Dance obscured

• How can we understand popular and vernacular dance, when sources are scarce?
• Does oral tradition offer a good resource to the field of historical dance?
• Can we throw better light on challenging texts to understand practice?
• Can you share a 'lost' source to illuminate dance practice?
• How can we explore 'lost' dances, steps or practices that we know existed?
• Can we recreate stage performances, from a variety of surviving traces?

Proposals for workshops and papers on these and related topics are welcomed. Workshops should take 60-90 minutes. Papers/lecture-demonstrations should be limited to 20 minutes. The proposal should state how long is required.

Venue: Goldsmiths, University of London, New Cross, London, SE14 6NW
(Council Chamber of Deptford Town Hall) supported by the Music Department

Proposals for workshops and abstracts of papers should be sent to arrive no later than 30 September 2014 to conference@dhds.org.uk or by post: Dr. Anne Daye, 96 Dover Crescent, Bedford, MK41 8QH