“Transitions” – Dance in times of Change, 1400–1900
3–7 June 2026, Burg Rothenfels am Main, Germany
Registrations are now open for the 6th Historical Dance Symposium.
For centuries, dance has accompanied people through their daily lives, at
joyful celebrations and ceremonial occasions, in private as well as at
magnificent court balls. But how does our dance change when our lives change?
When religious wars shake all foundations, old enemies become friends, new
worlds are discovered and boundaries are broken down? What influence did the
turbulent times of European history between 1400 and 1900 have on the occasions,
practices, styles and functions of dance? When and where were there
continuities, ruptures or parallel developments? Did they follow fashions and
new artistic trends, conquests and migrations or philosophical
currents?
Changes and transitions in European social and stage dance in the
eventful years from 1400 to 1900 are the focus of the upcoming symposium.
The conference will be preceded by a high-quality baroque dance
course that can be combined with the symposium:
“The Art of Dancing” – Kellom Tomlinson and the Beauty of Port de Bras, with Caroline Copeland, USA
31 May – 3 June 2026, Burg Rothenfels am Main, Germany
The focus will be on Kellom Tomlinson’s “The Art of Dancing” (1735), his
choreographies, and his style in steps and port de bras. The course is aimed
at dancers with a good knowledge of baroque dance.