24th Annual Conference
Fairies, Queens, and Cavaliers: Ballet’s Production and Disruption of Gender
June 21-24, 2022
The 2022 Annual Conference will be held in Richmond, Virginia (with virtual elements).
Call for Conference Presentation Proposals
Ballet has often been cited as a profession that reinstates notions of gendered performance contingent on its cisgender, binary identity and following the historical circumstances that it developed in, through, and from. Preserving canonical works, gender is traditionally represented and dramatized in ballet performance, while repeatedly rehearsed and reinstated through its systematized and highly regulated training practices. Yet ballet’s evolution has also expanded its shape, allowing for the interruption and subversion of conventional cultural norms. For instance, it is interesting to consider the auspices under which deviant performances of gender were rendered acceptable for ballet audiences in consideration of changing times and tastes, such as comedy, the grotesque, and erotic pleasure, to name a few.
How is ballet positioning its subjects as gendered and how are these codified behaviors taught and reinforced as defined by history and tradition? How might the art form and profession of ballet be promoting gender stereotypes and limited definitions of gender expression? How does the feminization of dance and ballet as an artform factor into bias, expectations, assumptions, and unchallenged traditional and hierarchal structures within the workplace? Where might expansive definitions of gender and a liberatory social framework allow for the body of work—and the bodies performing these works—to become more inclusive? How might we consider the interconnectedness and intersectional interplay between gender, sexuality, race, class, and ableism?
This conference will examine themes about gender identity and representation in ballet as a profession, educational system, and performing art. Broad subject matter will be considered. Conference submissions might relate to the following:
- representation of gender performance on ballets’ stages, including hyper-cisgendered representation, en travesty, drag, etc.
- past and current choreographers or figures in ballet who have either upheld or redefined gender norms;
- historical gendering of the dance d’ecole;
- pedagogical considerations and methodologies in the ballet classroom;
- reconstructions and re-imaginings of canonical works;
- dance criticism and its contributions to the mediated image of gender construction and reproduction;
- ballet’s implications in the MeToo Movement;
- and trans and gender non-conforming bodies in ballet performance and training.
Submission Guidelines
Proposals must demonstrate relevance to CORPS de Ballet International’s mission and objectives and connect to the year’s conference theme: Fairies, Queens, and Cavaliers: Ballets’ Production and Disruption of Gender. Proposals may be for papers, panels, and workshops in pedagogy, methodology, curriculum development, administration, research, creativity, or performance as well as larger social/cultural/political perspectives as they relate to ballet in education.
Adjudication of proposals for the 24th Annual Conference will be conducted through a blind review process. Proposals are scored individually by three adjudicators. Scores are averaged and a proposal is accepted based on the overall average score. To allow for equitable opportunities to present research, applicants may only appear on one abstract proposal submission (including panel submissions) per conference.
- The Conference Presentation Proposal Form must be completed per the instructions on the form.
- The Conference Presentation Proposal Form must be emailed to Jessica Zeller at j.zeller@tcu.edu. Please include your LAST NAME and CORPS 2022 in the subject line of the email.
- Deadline: Monday, November 8, 2021 at 5pm, Pacific Standard Time. No extensions.
- Abstracts must not include identifying information.
- Membership: Proposals may be submitted by non-members or current members of CORPS de Ballet International. If accepted, the presenter must become a member or renew their membership. Only current CORPS members will be allowed to present at the conference. Membership and Conference Registration information is available at: http://www.corps-de-ballet.org/.
Types of Presentations
Papers
Individual conference paper proposals must be submitted via the official Conference Presentation Proposal Form, which requires:
- General presenter information
- Presenter’s biography (250-word maximum)
- Paper abstract (250-word maximum)
- Sample bibliography
- Requested technology and space requirements
Note: All paper presentations will be allotted a 30-minute timeframe, which includes at least 5 minutes of Q&A.
Panels
Group panel proposals must be submitted via the official 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
Note: All panel presentations will be allotted a 45-50-minute timeframe, which includes at least 5 minutes for Q&A. (When panel presenters are notified, all panels will receive the same time frame of either 45 or 50 minutes. Thank you for your flexibility.) All panel presenters must be CORPS members at the time of presentation.
Other (Classes, Lecture/Demonstrations, Workshops, etc.)
Proposals must be submitted via the official 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
Note: Classes, Lecture/Demonstrations, Workshops, etc. will be allotted a 45-50-minute timeframe, which includes at least 5 minutes for Q&A. (When presenters are notified, all will receive the same time frame of either 45 or 50 minutes. Thank you for your flexibility.)