Exploring the complex and multifaceted relationship between identity and choreographic practice, this conference aims to examine how culture and training influence choreographic vocabulary, and also touch upon how identity is revealed in practice, from practitioners’ unique signatures to the preservation, exploration or development of methodologies that have come before.
The conference will explore the struggles for visibility and recognition that some practitioners face within their chosen field. Panel discussions will examine the challenges and triumphs faced by Black dancers when attempting to break the glass ceiling of classical ballet. Additionally, there will be a reflection on colonial pasts and new aesthetics, discussing both the rich, diverse and complex heritage and how this has influenced contemporary dance. The event will also look at interdisciplinary practices, recognising, articulating and celebrating the blending of technique and style.
Interspersed with performances from establishing artists, the conference is an opportunity for conversation; a chance to recognise dance artists and practitioners’ right to have an individual voice, stimulate dynamic connections between training, theory and practice, and transverse obstructions to creativity and opportunities.
For the conference we welcome as keynote speaker, Joan Myers Brown, founder and artistic director of PHILADANCO. Other speakers contributing include Francis Angol, Delia Barker, Sandie Bourne, Nora Chipamaurie, Yinka Esi Graves, David Hamilton, Terry Ofosu, H Patten, Sheron Wray and the event will be hosted by Pawlet Brookes, Serendipity.
*Early Bird Available until 28 March 2017
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