For this pre project the research environment at NTNU will invite a specialised postdoc researcher and a Latin American researcher to assist us in writing the main project, PhDs will also be included. The main task will be to map Latin American research more in depth. It will be to develop theoretical basis and methodological approaches for the main project and map more in detail suitable cooperators in Latin America. The main project aims at exploring fields of interaction and negotiations between Lat in American and North European agents in questions of dance. It will collect and analyse relevant dance material from Latin America and compare it to already available North European material. It will select central discourses around questions of intelle ctual property, heritage, authenticity and business exploitation and analyse it in the light of the dance material.One of the most recognised and visible Latin American influences on European culture are found in the field of dance and dance music. The influences coming from the Americas have dominated dance fashion, ballroom dance and dance sports in Europe all through the 20th century, and the Latin American influences are a considerable part of this.The UNESCO convention on safeguarding of intangib le cultural heritage has given a focus to dance as heritage. The project will study and discuss how the convention is being implemented in Latin America and North Europe. The World Intellectual Property organisation (WIPO) is working on a draft provisio ns for protection of traditional cultural expressions. Latin America is strongly in favour of this work, wishing quick progress, whereas Europe is rather reserved. We will engage at least one PhD candidate. Discourse analysis connected to the UNESCO co nventions and the work in WIPO on protection of Traditional Cultural Expressions may be a suitable task for a PhD. Results will then be integrated with the studies on the dance material.