28th Annual Conference

Once upon a Ballet: Storytelling in Ballet Culture, Pedagogy, Choreography, and Scholarship

July 23-25, 2026

University of California, Irvine

The submission window for 2026 conference proposals is now closed.

Call for Conference Presentation Proposals

For 28 years, CORPS de Ballet International has supported the development, exploration, and advancement of ballet in higher education. By seeking excellence in ballet pedagogy, scholarship, and choreography, we promote and recognize the contributions of all those who have shaped and continue to shape the art form.

This year, CORPS de Ballet International’s 28th Annual Conference Once Upon a Ballet: Storytelling in Ballet Culture Pedagogy, Production, and Scholarship is held in collaboration with the University of California, Irvine and the National Choreographer’s Initiative (NCI), an annual choreographic festival. NCI notably provides choreographers with the time and space to pursue and tell their own creative stories. Inspired by NCI’s commitment to community and creativity, CORPS seeks to explore the act and process of “storytelling,” as its overarching theme this year.

In 2026, we consider the stories we tell in Ballet — culturally, creatively, historically, and pedagogically — onstage and off. In this year’s conference, we aim to consider how the bodies, minds, and storytelling of dancers, teachers, scholars, and choreographers mold and shape our field. We also aim to consider how these stories change when focus shifts from those who have traditionally held the spotlight to those waiting in the wings. Through thoughtful academic investigation and physical embodiment, we intend to share stories passed down through ballet’s lineages and developed from our individual experiences, exploring the arc of ballet through the past to present day and beyond.

We invite research proposals relevant to this theme, broadly considered. Submissions might relate to the following:

  • What knowledge is transferred through expressions of storytelling in technique, and in  what circumstances (and toward what end) might these ideologies be re-examined,  reframed, and/or reshaped?
  • How are the stories we tell in ballet, both literally on the stage and metaphorically  throughout ballet culture, evolving and shaping the future of ballet? 
  • How has the expression of ballet narratives manifested and evolved across generational  styles – abstraction [Neoclassicism] vs representationalism [Ballet Modernism]?
  • How does narrative style affect contemporary generations of storytellers?
  • What are the untold stories of marginalized dancers and choreographers throughout history?
  • How does reliance on legacy and storytelling serve to gatekeep? In what ways do  traditional ballet stories implicitly contribute to the notion that ballet is an exclusionary  and elitist art form? How do our stories silo us? 
  • How do we reimagine story-ballets from previous eras in ways that might reflect  changing cultural and social values?
  • What narratives about ballet may be pervasive in the minds of ballet practitioners and/or the public? How might we shift unhealthy narratives to build and communicate a  culture of care in ballet pedagogy, choreography, and administration?

Types of Presentations


PAPERS (full-length and “allegro” options)

“Adagio” papers are full-length research paper presentations which will be assigned a 20- minute timeframe with additional time allotted for Q&A. Please note that accepted paper submissions may be scheduled in tandem, with a shared timeframe for Q&A, depending on content and scheduling needs.

“Allegro” presentations will be assigned a 10-minute timeframe, typically scheduled in groupings of up to four individual presenters, with a shared 10-minute Q&A following the completion of all presentations.

During the submission process, submitters will choose to submit their paper for either the “Adagio” or “Allegro” options. Following the blind-review, submitters may be offered a different option based on adjudication feedback and conference scheduling needs.

Proposals must be submitted via the Conference Presentation Proposal Form, which requires:

  • General presenter information
  • Presenter’s biography (250-word maximum)
  • Paper abstract (250-word maximum)
  • Sample bibliography


PANELS

Group panels will be assigned a 45-60-minute timeframe (depending on content and scheduling needs), which includes time for Q&A. Proposals must be submitted via the Conference Presentation Proposal Form, which requires:

  • General presenter information for all panel members
  • Biographies for all panel members (250-word maximum each)
  • Overall panel description (250-word maximum)
  • Sample bibliography


INTERACTIVE (Movement Class, Lecture/Demonstration, Workshop, etc.)

Classes, Lecture/Demonstrations, Workshops, etc. will be allotted a 45-60 minute timeframe (depending on content and scheduling needs), which includes time for Q&A. Proposals must be submitted via the Conference Presentation Proposal Form, which requires:

  • General presenter information for each presenter
  • Biographies for each presenter (250-word maximum each)
  • Overall description of session (250-word maximum)
  • Sample bibliography


POSTERS (“Petit Allegro”)

“Petit Allegro” presentations are poster presentations with groups of presenters in shared spaces, allowing participants to walk the room(s) and attend each presentation.
Proposals must be submitted via the Conference Presentation Proposal Form, which requires:

      • General presenter information
      • Presenter’s biography (250-word maximum)
      • Paper abstract (250-word maximum)
      • Sample bibliography

Please view the Submission Assessment Rubric for further guidance regarding how proposals will be evaluated. 

NOTE: All presenters are expected to register for the full conference.

Proposals must be received by November 16, 2025

8:59 pm PDT
9:59 pm MDT
10:59 pm CDT
11:59 pm EDT  

(England) November 17, 2025
3:59 am WET
4:59 am CET