December 10, 2006

rock on, canberra

Posted by dogpossum on December 10, 2006 11:32 PM in the category academia and canberra

Dang, homies, I have so much to blog. But that's the deal when you're busy - plenty to blog about, no time to do the actual blogging.

Since my last post, I have come to Canberra and been at the CSAA conference where I gave my paper to what amounted to a bunch of my friends. There were some rockingly good parallel sessions, including some terribly cool ones on computers. Dance sounds really naff in the program (and that's what it was called - 'Dance'. Mmm, appealing. And in the final session of the conference no less). There were 3 of us presenting, then an assortment of our mates and one guy* who I suspect wandered in by accident (and actually ended up having all 3 of us presenters address a few ideas and comments to his paper in the preceding (and absolutely world-rocking) session which was called something like 'Asian - the UnAustralian?'). I don't think he was ready for 3 dance nerds on speed, feeling the love and ready to Give Cooperative Paper.

We three are always in the same session, even though we don't really work on the same material. It's like when you have 'women' in your thesis title - you're popped in the gender studies department. But with us, when you have 'dance' in your title, you're popped in the dance session. Even when you're not really talking about dance so much as the relationship between online and embodied networks.
Ah well. We enjoy ourselves more and more each year. And this year I felt so comfortable with this crew (as did the other 2), I could direct particular points to the other presenters or ask them questions mid-paper. Not cool, in the world of 'serious' ackadackas, but far more fun. I think I break the ackadacka paper presentation rules every time I present. Too many dance clips. Too much fun. Too much to say. I'm also adverse to using impenetrable ackadacka language, so I'm sure I come off sounding ignorant. Or at least misinformed. I do write papers and intend to read them, verbatim, but I can never resist adding in comments. Especially when I'm showing clips.

In other conference news, it was really nice to catch up with old Brisvegas buddies. Shout out to the Gunders, Laurie Townsville, Sue, Andrea and everyone else - the sorts of people who feel comfortable in shorts and thongs and aren't afraid to show it... though admittedly, Sue's would be uber-chic, and not the Kmart variety.
I also developed a smarting crush on one of the Sydney pgrads (my lips are sealed)**, and my deep and abiding love for John Frow... abides. I was not the only one to admit to a serious crush on that tall, unusual and enduringly shy hawty acka. I am also smitten by (or should that be with?) Larissa Barendt: two top key note talks (missed all the others, and have heard mixed reports about them. Sorry I missed the unusual European with fascinating body language - the dancers on-crew gave very excellent reviews).

Tomorrow I do the cultural studies in dance seminar. It's not as well organised as the CSAA doo, so I'm not feeling terribly confident. Also, there are a few too many concert dance types in the schedule, so...
I've been haranguing KLK about high and low culture and why the only option for me (as a cultural studies stooge), really, is to look at vernacular dance.

Meanwhile, we're watching Back to the Future on telly, discussing our teenage years (during which this film was released), eating chocolate and sending each other to the kitchen for cups of tea.
I pay particular attention to Michael J Fox's sneakers - the sort of adidas that are tres chic with the kids today.

Rock on Canberra.

*He was on my list of conference-crushes, actually. Dang he gave good paper.
**Unfortunately, all my crushes are for people's brains. All my physical desires are reserved for The Squeeze. Because he gives good chop-and-freckle.

Posted by dogpossum on December 10, 2006 11:32 PM in the category academia and canberra