The School of Performing Arts and Department of Dance Studies is pleased to announce that resident academic Dr Brandon Shaw has been named recipient of the Gertrude Lippinncott Award for the most outstanding essay within the field of Dance Studies for 2015. In November Dr Shaw traveled to Pomona College (California, USA) to receive the prestigious award. Dr Shaw also presented as guest panelist at the international conference jointly hosted by the Congress on Research in Dance (CORD) and the Society of Dance History Scholars (SDHS). His award-winning article, ‘Phantom Limbs and the Weight of Grief in Sasha Waltz's noBody’ (Theatre Journal 67.1 (2015): 21-42), was described by the committee as 'seeking to retrieve and discover a way to combat the pain and heartlessness of death by using dance and philosophy'. He was also an invited speaker on a panel exploring pedagogy and improving writing within Dance Studies study units. Additionally, Dr Shaw delivered a presentation, ‘Battling with Shakespeare in Rennie Harris/Puremovement’s Rome and Jewels,’ which compared practices of textual composition, editing, and dance between the worlds of Shakespeare and contemporary hip hop.
Additionally, the newly formed Dance Studies Association (due to a recent merger of CORD and SDHS) has selected the University of Malta to host its 2018 conference. Taking place from 4-8 July 2018 the conference will address the topic, 'Contra: Dance and Conflict' and will bring nearly 400 delegates from around the world to Malta.
Congratulations to Dr Shaw and the Department of Dance Studies.