A Dance Researcher Negotiating and Respecting Local Traditions: Glimpses from a Personal Journey

Stockholm born Dancer, Choreographer and Researcher, Mats Melin has worked professionally with traditional dance in Scotland since 1995 and in Ireland since 2005.

Mats is Emeritus Lecturer in Dance, and former Course Director for the MA in Irish Dance Studies at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick, Ireland (2005-2021).

He holds a first class honours MA degree in Ethnochoreology (2005); and a PhD (2012) with the University of Limerick for his research on Cape Breton Step Dancing. His thesis is named Exploring the Percussive Routes and Transmission Processes in Cape Breton Step Dancing.

In this talk, Mats will discuss his research and his own perspective as an outside researcher becoming involved in the traditional dance scene and eventually becoming a teacher himself across Scotland and Ireland.