Faculty News, Student News

Shipman '17 and Gover to Present at Philosophy and Dance Conference

Antony Shipman ‘17 and faculty member in philosophy Karen Gover will present a panel at the symposium “Engagement: Philosophy and Dance” at Texas State University in San Marcos on September 8-10. 

The collaboration was conceived thanks to a coincidence of interests between student and faculty member. This past spring, Shipman approached Gover, with whom he was taking a course on Nietzsche and his Followers, to discuss some ideas related to philosophy and dance, knowing that they both studied dance—Shipman as a central part of his plan, and Gover as a hobby. When Gover, who writes about art and intellectual property, later received the call for papers for the conference, she says, “I naturally thought of him and suggested that we submit something together, as a ‘duet.’” Gover and Shipman’s proposed panel on plagiarism and dance was accepted by the conference organizers and they will each present thoughts on the topic in September. 

The interdisciplinary symposium will feature performances and speakers from the fields of ballet, modern, and popular dance, aesthetics, dance theory, choreography and other fields. Participants will explore aspects of dance that impact our understanding of what it means to be a human being, through discussion and dialogue as well as practice and performance.

The symposium is international in scope, with participants coming from as far away as Greece, Sweden, Portugal, the UK, and Brazil.