Welcome to the Dance & Dance Culture community! We’re so happy you’re here and we want you take full advantage of the opportunities our new platform provides. Please read over the code of conduct so we can continue to ensure a safe and supportive space for all. Thank you for your dedication to the Popular Culture Association!

CALL FOR PROPOSALS 

PAPERS, PANELS, AND OTHER FORMATS WELCOME

The “Dance and Culture” area of the national PCA solicits proposals on dance and culture in the Americas and/or dance in popular culture worldwide. All methods of inquiry and delivery are welcome. Given the association and membership, participants are encouraged to consider their research’s interdisciplinary connections, 21 st century innovations in the field of dance, and the diverse interests of their potential audience.

The national PCA/ACA sponsors an annual conference at which papers, presentations, and activities in all areas of American culture and of world popular culture are explored through formal scholarly panels, roundtable discussions, film showings, keynote addresses and receptions, and an exhibition hall of publishers and acquisition editors. The conference can draw more than 2,000 participants and feature more than 500 interdisciplinary panels.

Over the past decade, the Dance and Culture area has curated and co-sponsored 10 to 15 panels annually at The Popular Culture Association’s four-day conference. We welcome scholarship that engages dance as a vital mode of cultural production, communication, resistance, and imagination. Our sessions explore the wide reach of dance across contemporary and historical contexts, including, but not limited to, topics such as:

• Dancing bodies in emerging technologies and digital landscapes
• Dance and storytelling in film, television, and media
• Choreographic responses to cultural, political, and social issues
• Intersections of dance and popular music
• Global lineages and transformations of traditional and contemporary dance forms
• Innovations and provocations in 21 st -century performance and choreographic research
  

Full conference information will be available on the PCA website, https://pcaaca.org later this summer.

• PCA 2026 Conference is in Atlanta, Georgia April 8-11, 2026
• Conference proposal submissions open September 1st , 2025 and close November 30, 2025
• You must be a registered PCA member to submit a proposal
• Conference presenters receive a conference discount and must register for the conference before it begins, usually by February 15th.
  

GENERAL SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS / INFORMATION

ALL submissions must be made through the conference submission site. First, go to the conference webpage, follow the instructions and create an account, then make your submission. Submit a title and 250-word abstract for individual papers. For panels, each presenter must submit their own presentation, then contact the area chair to gather them into the intended panel.

Presenters may deliver only one formal paper, but they may also participate as a panel chair, discussant, or respondent. If you are interested in assisting in an additional capacity (such as panel chair), please email the Dance Area Co-Chairs.

Please have the following information ready to input for your submission:

● Title(s) of presentation [for group: panel title, if more than one presentation or paper is included in proposal, as well as each individual title, if applicable]
● Name(s) of participant(s) as they want them displayed in the conference program, including institutional affiliation or listing as an independent scholar/artist
● Short bio/background of 50 words for each participant may be requested
● Contact information for each participant (email is essential, as most conference information is communicated by email and online)
● Abstract of paper, panel, or session (do not exceed 250 words)
● Format, e.g., individual paper (20 minutes per paper for a panel of 3 presenters, or 15 minutes for a panel of 4), roundtable discussion, lecture/demonstration, etc.
● Special needs, if any.

AV INFO –The conference organizers provide a projector, display, and connecting cable in each presentation room (Mac users will need to bring their own HDMI adapter). All presenters should have a backup plan in case of unforeseen technical difficulties.

Submissions will receive responses no later than two weeks after submission. You MUST be available to attend all four days of the conference. Pre-register for the conference to appear in the conference program. Discounted rates are available for early registrants.

Awards for Graduate Students and International Participants: There are a small number of competitive awards for graduate students and international presenters from any discipline who are presenting at the annual conference. Please consult the PCA website.

For Additional Information, Please Contact the Area Chairs

Cynthia Williams, williams@hws.edu

Tristan Koepke, tristankoepke@gmail.com

Important Dates to Remember:

• Database opens for Submissions - Sept. 1, 2025
• Early Bird Registration Begins - Sept. 1, 2025
• Deadline for Paper Proposals - Nov. 30, 2025
• Travel Grant Applications Due - Dec. 15, 2025
• Early Bird Registration Ends for Presenters - Dec. 31, 2025
• Regular Registration Begins for Presenters - Jan. 1, 2026 
• Travel Grant Decisions / Notifications - Jan. 31, 2026
• Regular Registration Ends for Presenters - Jan. 31, 2026
• Late Registration Starts for Presenters - Feb. 1, 2026
• Preliminary Program draft available - Feb. 6, 2026

Those Presenters Not Registered by Feb. 15 Will be Dropped from the Program

CONFERENCE IN ATLANTA, GA - April 8-11, 2026