CALL FOR PAPERS
2012 Conference of the Congress on Research in Dance
Re-generations: Cultural Legacies in Contemporary Contexts
Albuquerque, NM
November 8-11, 2012
Embassy Suites Hotel and the University of New Mexico
Deadline for Proposal Abstract Submission:
February 27, 2012
Deadline for full paper submission for the 2012 Graduate Student Research Award:
March 1, 2012
When we speak of dance traditions, dialogue coalesces around concepts like purity, innovation, legacy and change. Recognizing that many “traditional” artists display an endless series of innovations in practice, and even the most “experimental” artists make conscious decisions to engage with “traditional” values, we aim to move beyond the dichotomy of tradition/innovation. We encourage applicants to consider explorations of cultural legacies that account for complexities like the recontextualization of flamenco in the United States after the Spanish Civil War, the relocation of sacred indigenous dances within the secular sphere, the recuperation of traditions like Cambodian classical dance following the genocide by the Khmer Rouge, the syncretism of Yoruba religious practice within the framework of Catholicism and slavery in the New World, the queering of heteronormative icons like the Swan, the reinvention of bharatanatyam in the transition from colonialism to Home Rule, or the formation of new traditions by experimental artists like Merce Cunningham, innovators whose changes to convention became codified structures or systems. These topics are suggestive of the kinds of inquiries that might be pursued, but are not intended to limit the scope of possibilities under this conference theme.
Proposals might address the following questions:
- What is at stake in the maintenance of a tradition, in a given context?What aspects survive or fall away, and why?
- What is the role of change in the preservation or assertion of a cultural legacy?
- How are “traditions” defined and taught to future generations?
- In an increasingly global contemporary context, connected by tools such as youtube and Facebook, how does technology construct and perpetuate cultural practices?
- How do dance traditions shape cultural identities, creating and distinguishing between communities?
- What are the roles institutions and governments play in forcing and enforcing "tradition?"
Program Committee Members: Michelle Heffner Hayes, Chair, Jennifer Brody, Mark Broomfield, Mary Fogarty, Ahalya Satkunaratnam, Hannah Schwadron, Ann Mazzoco
Participation Guidelines
CORD’s proposals for the Annual Meeting are invited in seven categories. Please see below for details. All proposals must be electronic and will include a proposal form and an abstract.
When submitting a proposal online, first choose the appropriate submission type.
- Single Papers: Individual paper presentations, which can be traditional or performative in format, are 20 minutes long and are followed by 10 minutes of discussion.
- Performances: Submissions for up to 90 minute performance presentations are welcome. Specific venues are yet to be determined, and production elements and access to space for technical rehearsal will be limited. Submissions should define a clear relationship between the proposed performance and the conference theme, and should include technical requirements.
- Lecture-Demonstrations: Up to one hour long. Can include films. Lecture-demonstrations should allow for audience interaction, but should be distinct from fully participatory workshops. Submissions should define a clear relationship between the proposed lecture-demonstration and the conference theme.
- Workshops (participatory): Informal, interactive hands-on session on one topic for a maximum of two hours.
- Organized Panels: Organized panel sessions are 90 minutes or two hours long. A 90-minute panel consists of three papers, which can be traditional or performative in format. A two-hour panel consists of either four papers or three papers plus a discussant. Each presentation (a paper or a discussant’s formal response) will be 20 minutes long, followed by 10 minutes of questions and general discussion. Panel abstracts will be evaluated individually as well as collectively. The Program Committee reserves the right to suggest the addition of a panelist where an independently submitted abstract appears to fit a panel. (Those interested in a more flexible format with more participants may want to consider proposing a round table.) Proposals for organized panels should be submitted by the panel organizer. Include an abstract describing the rationale for the panel as a whole. This overall panel abstract is the linchpin of the panel, although individual abstracts for each presenter are also necessary.
- Round Tables: Round table sessions provide opportunities for participants to discuss a subject with each other and with members of the audience. Sessions of up to two hours long should include at least four, but no more than five, presenters. We especially encourage round tables that connect with the conference themes. The organizer will solicit position papers of up to 10 minutes from each presenter and will facilitate questions and discussion for the remaining time. Proposals for round tables should be submitted by the session organizer and must include an abstract outlining the purpose/agenda and organization of the session, as well as the anticipated contributions of each participant (unnamed in the abstract). The organized session form provides a separate space where participants and their institutional affiliations should be listed.
- Open Forum Working Sessions: Informal session where conferees gather without formal presentation pieces for 1.5 to 2 hours. This can be structured like a seminar, research group, reading group, or forum, as well as formats yet to be imagined. The flexible format allows session leader(s) to convene small groups around a proposed area of inquiry or practice, and to structure a method and format that best suites the goals of the group. No formats will be privileged over others; all proposals will be given equal consideration according to their merit. We especially encourage working sessions that bring together music and dance research and connect with the conference themes. The organizer must submit an abstract stating a rationale for the intellectual /scholarly / artistic merits of the session as well as a rationale for its format. In the organized session form (not in the abstract), list the name(s) of the discussion leader(s) as “discussant(s).”
Once the program committee makes its selection of open forum working sessions, each session convener will issue a specialized call for participants for that session; this second round of calls for participants in working sessions will be posted on the CORD with a late May deadline for submission.
SUBMISSIONS, REQUIREMENTS, AND DEADLINES
About Abstracts:
Abstracts should demonstrate a clear focus or statement of the problem, a coherent argument, knowledge of previous research, and a statement of the implications for dance research. When submitting an abstract proposal online, carefully observe these and other instructions given at the website: Please use single-spaced type and, separate from the body of the abstract, include the
presenter’s name and institutional affiliation (for organized session abstracts, the session organizer’s name) and the paper title (for session abstracts, the name of the session).
All abstracts must comply with the following requirements:
- Abstracts should appear as a single paragraph.
- Abstracts over 250 words will be automatically disqualified.
- Abstracts identifying presenters, fellow researchers, or other participants will not be accepted.
- Abstracts must be submitted online by 27 February 2012.
Limit on the number of presentations:
An individual may submit ONLY ONE abstract proposal to CORD. (Exception: Organizers of panels may submit an individual presenter abstract as well as the panel abstract.) In addition to ONE of the above activities, however, an individual may also chair ONE panel, round table, or workshop, where her/his role as chair is limited to administrative functions such as making introductions, keeping time, and facilitating question/answer sessions.
For online submissions of proposals:
Go to http://www.cordance.org/2012AnnualConference.
Submission deadline: 27 February 2012.
CORD GRADUATE RESEARCH AWARD
In addition to submitting an abstract for consideration for presentation at the 2012 Annual Conference, individuals interested in having their work considered for the 2012 Outstanding Graduate Research Award must submit a full-length paper electronic copy of their completed paper to Ashanti Pretlow, CORD’s Executive Director, via email to ashanti@cordance.org. While the deadline for submitting an abstract for consideration is February 27, 2012, full-length papers must be submitted to CORD by 1 March 2012. Full papers should be no longer than 12 pages, not including the bibliography, which should be attached or listed in footnotes. All submissions must be typed in 12-point font, double-spaced, and have page numbers included on each page. Since there will be a blind review process, the name of the author should not appear in the paper, but should be attached on a separate cover sheet that lists the author’s name, university affiliation, and contact information. Please include 2012 Graduate Award Nomination as the email subject line.
Inquiries are welcome; please contact Michelle Heffner Hayes, Program Committee Chair at mhayes@ku.edu, or Tony V. Shay, Conference Committee Chair at tonyvshay@aol.com.
The Congress on Research in Dance (CORD) is a 501 (c) (3) organization that provides opportunities for dance professionals from a broad range of specialties to exchange ideas, resources, and methodologies through publication, international and regional conferences, and workshops.
