CFP: UMass Amherst Bach Symposium (“Bach and Dance”), 23–24 April 2027 Call for Papers Meetings & Events NEW

UMass Amherst Bach Symposium 2027

April 23-24, 2027

BACH and DANCE

Johann Sebastian Bach’s music has long been recognized for its rhythmic vitality, structural elegance, and expressive power—qualities that have made it central not only to concert performance, but also to the world of dance. From the stylized dances of his suites and partitas to the kinetic energy of his fugues and arias, and from the historical practices of Baroque courtly and theatrical dance to modern choreographic interpretations by Georges Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Twyla Tharp, Boris Eifman, John Neumeier, Paul Taylor, Mark Morris, Ja’ Malik, and others, Bach’s music continues to inspire movement and embodiment. In addition, Bach’s dances and dance forms were central to twentieth century compositional practices, including French Neoclassicism and Dodecaphony in and after the Second Viennese School. This international symposium invites scholars, performers, choreographers, and directors to explore the many intersections of Bach and Dance, across historical periods, genres, geographies, and modes of interpretation.

Keynote speaker: Bettina Varwig (Emmanuel College, University of Cambridge)

We especially encourage interdisciplinary proposals and those that bridge academic research with performance practice, inviting new perspectives on music, dance, and Bach.

Organizers: Erinn E. Knyt, Evan MacCarthy, and Ernest D. May

Abstract Submission Form: https://forms.gle/s9sr1weWNdRfVo6P8

Deadline for abstract submission: 1 September 2026