For centuries, dance has accompanied people through their daily lives, at joyful celebrations and ceremonial occasions, in private as well as at magnificent court balls. But how does our dance change when our lives change? When religious wars shake all foundations, old enemies become friends, new worlds are discovered and boundaries are broken down? What influence did the turbulent times of European history between 1400 and 1900 have on the occasions, practices, styles and functions of dance? When and where were there continuities, ruptures or parallel developments? Did they follow fashions and new artistic trends, conquests and migrations or philosophical currents?

Changes and transitions in European social and stage dance in the eventful years from 1400 to 1900 are the focus of the upcoming symposium.