Disco defies death. Over forty years after the so-called “death of disco,” disco music is everywhere. From Donna Summer to Beyoncé, disco is on the radio, in the clubs, and on the dance floor. This conference brings together scholars of disco/dance music, industry professionals, and dance activists to discuss disco’s history, present, and future. We are especially interested in exploring disco’s disruptive potential. How does disco confuse strict categorizations of gender, race, and sexuality? How does it blur the lines between high and low culture? How does its insistence on decadence both play into and disrupt the logics of capitalism? What were, and are the economics of disco in the music industry?

*1 = Early registration discount.