Performers College MA Course Leader presents at International Dance Studies Conference
Dr Sally Crawford-Shepherd, MA course leader at Performers College Manchester, recently presented at the Dance Studies Association International Conference in Washington, DC, where she led a panel exploring the evolution of tap dance in England.
The conference, Indeterminate States: Bodies, Fields, Praxis, took place at George Washington University from 25-29 June 2025. Dr Crawford-Shepherd’s panel, Tapping Outside the Box: Evolving Tap Dance Practice in England, was the only panel at the conference dedicated solely to tap dance.
The panel featured three academic papers examining how tap dance practice, pedagogy, and performance are changing in twenty-first-century England. Two papers were authored by Annette Walker, a PhD candidate at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, and Holly Rostron, Principal Lecturer at Performers College Manchester.
Dr Crawford-Shepherd commented:
“It was wonderful to share our research on tap dance in England with an international audience. The panel sparked fascinating discussions about how traditional forms evolve and adapt in contemporary contexts. Being the only tap-focused panel at the conference really highlighted the unique perspective we’re bringing to dance studies.”
The Dance Studies Association (DSA) is a US-based international organisation of dance scholars, educators, and artists. The organisation works to strengthen the visibility of dance studies as a critical field of knowledge production, encompassing political, creative, and embodied practices at the intersection of the arts, humanities, and social sciences.
Sally is the course leader of the MA Performing Arts in Manchester, which has pathways in Choreography, Directing, Enterpreneurship and Performance.
Congratulations to Dr Crawford-Shepherd and thanks from everyone at Performers College for your ongoing contribution to our curriculum through your high quality research.
To discover more about Performers College, including auditions and how to apply, contact us at [email protected] or you can Apply Now, or book an Open Day on our Events page.
