The conference aims to encourage reflection and scholarly discussion on the role of dance studies within the broader context of general history and culture, in which Italy and France played a leading part in developing techniques, theatrical repertoire and social dance.

Argument

The conference aims to encourage reflection and scholarly discussion on the role of dance studies within the broader context of general history and culture, in which Italy and France played a leading part in developing techniques, theatrical repertoire and social dance. The lexical constructions and discourses surrounding dance 'in the Italian style' and 'in the French style' during the Ancien Régime, up to the formation of national schools between the 18th and 19th centuries, ballet d'action and the grotesque genre, must be reconsidered in light of recent historical, geographical, biographical, artistic, musical, economic and technical studies. These studies have revealed new interconnections between Italy and France (and other European nations), shedding light on ideological and identity-based processes closely linked to historical and social events that also shaped artistic and choreographic experiences in the 20th century. In this context, the migration of artists and performing arts personnel between Italy and France, mutual cultural influences, and the political management of the theatre industry inevitably (though not always directly) had an impact on careers and artistic choices.

In recent decades, important new research on European theatrical and social dance has shaped an increasingly precise and interdisciplinary history of dance and dance technique. These studies examine the history of practices through comparative and multidisciplinary approaches, which are necessary for developing a comprehensive vision of the history of an art form that is fully embedded within the practices of musical theatre.

Back in 2014, AIRDanza and association des Chercheurs en Danse promoted the International Conference entitled: La Ricerca in Danza tra Francia e Italia: Approcci, Metodi e Oggetti di Studio (Dance Research in France and Italy: Approaches, Methods and Subjects of Study), in collaboration with the University Côte d’Azur and the University of Turin, held in Nizza from 2–4 April and in Turin from 5–6 April.

In 2016, AIRDanza organised the International Conference Il mondo di Gennaro Magri, held in Naples from 6 to 8 October, in partnership with the Fondazione Teatro di San Carlo, the University of Paris-Sorbonne, the Centre national de la danse in Paris, the Fondazione Pietà de’ Turchini, and the ACRAS Association (France)

Subsequently, the association initiated a project to enhance nineteenth-century sources, holding international conferences in Naples in 2017 (Danza e Ballo a Napoli: un dialogo con l’Europa, 1806–1861) and in Salzburg in 2019 (Times of Change: Transnational Migrations and Cultural Crossings in Nineteenth-Century Dance).

Proposals for papers, including interdisciplinary and co-authored contributions, are welcome from both affiliated and independent scholars in the following areas (maximum presentation length: 20 minutes; accepted languages: Italian, French and English). Contributions will examine exchanges and interconnections between Italy and France with regard to the following points:

• Theatrical dance between pedagogy and spectacularity;
• Social dances;
• Artists, theorists and practitioners;
• Musical and scenographic aspects;
• Research methodologies and synergies between Italy and France.

Submission guidelines

Proposals must be sent to convegniairdanza@gmail.com,

by 30 March 2026.

Please attach a single Word file named after the speaker and including the following:

• Title and abstract (maximum 300 words).
• CV (maximum 200 words);
• Institutional affiliation and contact details.

Participation in the conference is free of charge for all, including non-members of AIRDanza and aCD. No reimbursement for travel or accommodation expenses is provided. A dinner will be organised on the evening of the first day of the conference at each venue.

Scientific Committee

• Roberta Albano (Accademia Nazionale di Danza)
• Luca Aversano (Università “Roma Tre”)
• Antonio Calbi (Istituto Italiano di Cultura Parigi- Presidente Accademia Nazionale di Danza)
• Laura Maria Colombo (Università di Verona)
• Annamaria Corea (Università “La Sapienza” di Roma)
• Francesco Cotticelli (Università di Napoli “Federico II”)
• Lucio D’Alessandro (Università “Suor Orsola Benincasa” di Napoli)
• Anthony Del Donna (Georgetown University)
• Gloria Giordano (Accademia Nazionale di Danza)
• Paologiovanni Maione (Università della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”)
• Bianca Maurmayr (Université de Lille)
• Marina Nordera (Université Côte d’Azur and aCD)
• Debra H. Sowell (Southern Virginia University emerita)
• Madison U. Sowell Birmingham Young University emeritus)
• Nika Tomasevic (Università di Teramo)
• Maria Venuso (Università di Napoli “Federico II”)