Time to enter the 2015 Dance Your Ph.D. Contest

It’s time for the 8th year of the Dance Your Ph.D. contest. Crastina had a quick email correspondence with one of its founders, John Bohannon.

The winner of the 2014 Dance Your Ph.D was Uma Nagendra.

Hi John! What is Dance Your Ph.D. and how was it created?
It’s an annual contest where scientists have to explain their PhD research using interpretive dance. I created it originally as a live event in Vienna, but have since switched to an online video contest.

How many seasons has there been so far?
This is the 8th year of the contest!

How would you say the competition has developed during the years?
It has gotten much more diverse, both in the scientists (who come from all over the world) and the styles of dance (which range from ballet and modern to hip hop and burlesque).

What makes the finalists stand out?
The best dances each year always have a lot of heart. Everyone is 100% committed. That’s what makes great art.

Give three pieces of advice to someone who thinks about entering the contest!
1. Create the dance with a group of friends and labmates. It doesn’t have to take more than a weekend.
2. Don’t fall into the trap of explaining too much. Just focus on a small piece of the science.
3. Have fun. It makes it fun to watch.

Enter the contest here.