Contemporary dance explored at Leeds Met this summer

The 'Thinking Dance' fortnight, held from 7 - 17 July, has been organised by Dance at Leeds Met and Yorkshire Dance, in association with the Northern School of Contemporary Dance and Phoenix Dance Theatre and with support from the Centre for Culture and the Arts at Leeds Met. It will culminate in a one-day symposium on Friday 18 July.

The programme aims to bring together scholars, practitioners and postgraduate students from within the dance sector to embrace and encourage debates around international and industry-informed dance research and practice. Discussions will cover current cultural trends and practices in contemporary dance and choreography for the 21st century.

The symposium will include keynote addresses from Claire Hicks, producer at Dance 4, choreographer Rosemary Butcher, and Emilyn Claid, Professor of Choreographic Practices at Roehampton University; as well as a combination of individual research papers, roundtable discussions and practical presentations of practice or practice-led research.

Beth Cassani, Senior Lecturer in Dance at Leeds Metropolitan University said: "We are delighted to announce this opportunity which we hope will advance academic debates that invite and explore new and experimental approaches to dance practices in the UK. Dance at Leeds Metropolitan University, although new, is embedded in the cultural landscape of Leeds and Yorkshire and is gathering momentum across staff research, professional practice, undergraduate and postgraduate courses. We are excited that this two-week initiative is taking place in collaboration with our partners Yorkshire Dance, Phoenix Dance Theatre and key organisations in the region.

"The programme highlights the key ethos of dance at Leeds Met: to articulate refreshing critical angles on contemporary practice and its place in our cultural experience. This is a significant milestone for Dance at Leeds Metropolitan University and we are happy to play a part in debating the future of British dance practices."

For the full programme of activity throughout the fortnight, and to book onto some, or all, of the programme please contact kirstyredhead@yorkshiredance.com by Monday 30 June 2014.

To attend the symposium on Friday 18 July, please visit - http://bit.ly/ThinkingDance

The fee for the symposium is £30 or £15 for students and the unwaged. A limited number of bursaries of £20 towards travel for research students who are enrolled in postgraduate study are also available.