We encourage lively, performative sessions of papers or panels about popular dance and performance forms and their relationships to culture. We seek a variety of critical approaches and creative presentations.

Examinations of race, gender, class, and other social constructions are often lacking or inadequate in dance criticism of popular and/or commercial forms of dance performance and practice. We welcome global, interdisciplinary, and international perspectives and encourage the linkage of theory and performances in individual and group presentations and papers.

Because of the location of the conference, panels and papers are especially encouraged about vernacular dances from Mexico, Latin, and Central American countries, such as Salsa, Samba, Afro-Cuban, Tango, and many others. We are also interested in North American dance forms that are African-American, Appalachian, Jazz-Tap Dancing, and/or Celtic.

Proposals may be in either English or Spanish. Please send a typed abstract of 250 words, and include a title. Give the name and academic title of each presenter and give the name and complete address of each presenter. Include the telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address of each presenter. . Must indicate all AV and space requirements; performances should be manageable without any complex production.

We prefer that abstracts be sent via email, fax or message service.

Deadline for proposals is 1 June, 2003.

The Vernacular Congress began as a cultural section of the Congress of the Americas, which itself was established after the 1994 economic crisis made it difficult for Latin American academics to attend meetings in the United States. The 2001 Congress of the Americas attracted more than 900 papers. It was decided that a major restructuring was needed if the fellowship that marked the earlier and smaller meetings was to continue. Vernacular is the result, a completely new and independent project.

The international vernacular meetings will be held at the same time as the North-South Colloquium. The North-South Colloquium complements the vernacular sessions with some timely socio-political topics. Registration for either congress suffices for both, and the same steering committee is in charge of both meetings. The meeting rooms and hotels are all the same. Special events such as receptions will often be for both. Think of the two colloquiums as different "majors" in the same college.

Graduate students are welcome. So are spouses and friends, and there is a reduced rate registration for them.

For full information about the conference, check the Conference web site.