Dance magazine published an article on how Technology is afecting dance until the extent that is replacing the need of the human body.
Imagine waltzing with someone who is 1,000 miles away. Or watching a ballet with no dancers at all, where wisps of light form the illusion of dancers performing. You are not dreaming. At places like Arizona State University (ASU), the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW), and Texas Christian University (TCU), dancers are using computers and other multimedia technology to do that and more.
"Dance has always existed within the context of society," says John Mitchell, ASU dance department faculty member. "As society changes, it reframes dance. Today, dance is framed by the technology that surrounds us."
[...]
In 1983, Dr. Judith Gray, then assistant professor of dance at UW, organized the first UW Dance and Technology Conference so that dancers throughout the country who were beginning to work with technology could share information. In her book Dance Instruction: Science Applied to the Art of Movement (1989), Gray coined a word to describe one effect of technology: "`Illusionism' ... is defined as realism protracted to a point where the real and the non-real are indistinguishable," she wrote. "Ilusionism will be a movement style that aims to confuse the observer as to whether what is seen is object or artifice." Gray, now on the faculty of Antioch University in Seattle, says, "I believe that dance audiences are ready for such an innovation, including the philosophical discourse and choreographic challenges that accompany such a revolution."
[...]
Telematics, she explains, is a Web cast made by placing a video conference call between two or more dance performances, so that dancers in those locations can react to each other's video projection and, thus, dance together. The performance is viewed by audiences at all locations, but each gets a different experience and perspective. At one location, it may appear that the real and projected dancers are moving together, while at another, they may be dancing in canon because of lag time, the delay inherent in current video-conferencing technology.
Dr. Keitha Donnelly Manning, from the department of ballet and modern dance at TCU, says software tools, such as Life Forms, can help economically by allowing a choreographer to create and edit movement sequences on a computer prior to assembling a group of dancers. "Studio time is limited and expensive. The more you can do on the computer beforehand, the better," she says. At the same time she emphasizes that she doesn't believe the computer replaces the physicality of dance. The multimedia classroom that Manning helped design at TCU includes a dance floor as well as fifteen computers, so that choreographers can easily go back and forth between developing movement in their bodies and on the screen.
Computer technology can save choreographers time and money and help dancers compete for jobs and funding. But when does technology support the art and when does it detract from it?
[...]
Wolfram (2003)" Virtual dance: technology can help create and promote dance, but it doesn't replace the physical body. Or does it?" in Dance Magazine
This is not the whole article as it was very long to post it here, but here there are the parts that I found most interesting.
Here's the link to read the whole article http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1083/is_2_77/ai_97174131/pg_2/?tag=content;col1
Imagine waltzing with someone who is 1,000 miles away. Or watching a ballet with no dancers at all, where wisps of light form the illusion of dancers performing. You are not dreaming. At places like Arizona State University (ASU), the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW), and Texas Christian University (TCU), dancers are using computers and other multimedia technology to do that and more.
"Dance has always existed within the context of society," says John Mitchell, ASU dance department faculty member. "As society changes, it reframes dance. Today, dance is framed by the technology that surrounds us."
[...]
In 1983, Dr. Judith Gray, then assistant professor of dance at UW, organized the first UW Dance and Technology Conference so that dancers throughout the country who were beginning to work with technology could share information. In her book Dance Instruction: Science Applied to the Art of Movement (1989), Gray coined a word to describe one effect of technology: "`Illusionism' ... is defined as realism protracted to a point where the real and the non-real are indistinguishable," she wrote. "Ilusionism will be a movement style that aims to confuse the observer as to whether what is seen is object or artifice." Gray, now on the faculty of Antioch University in Seattle, says, "I believe that dance audiences are ready for such an innovation, including the philosophical discourse and choreographic challenges that accompany such a revolution."
[...]
Telematics, she explains, is a Web cast made by placing a video conference call between two or more dance performances, so that dancers in those locations can react to each other's video projection and, thus, dance together. The performance is viewed by audiences at all locations, but each gets a different experience and perspective. At one location, it may appear that the real and projected dancers are moving together, while at another, they may be dancing in canon because of lag time, the delay inherent in current video-conferencing technology.
Dr. Keitha Donnelly Manning, from the department of ballet and modern dance at TCU, says software tools, such as Life Forms, can help economically by allowing a choreographer to create and edit movement sequences on a computer prior to assembling a group of dancers. "Studio time is limited and expensive. The more you can do on the computer beforehand, the better," she says. At the same time she emphasizes that she doesn't believe the computer replaces the physicality of dance. The multimedia classroom that Manning helped design at TCU includes a dance floor as well as fifteen computers, so that choreographers can easily go back and forth between developing movement in their bodies and on the screen.
Computer technology can save choreographers time and money and help dancers compete for jobs and funding. But when does technology support the art and when does it detract from it?
[...]
Wolfram (2003)" Virtual dance: technology can help create and promote dance, but it doesn't replace the physical body. Or does it?" in Dance Magazine
This is not the whole article as it was very long to post it here, but here there are the parts that I found most interesting.
Here's the link to read the whole article http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1083/is_2_77/ai_97174131/pg_2/?tag=content;col1
When I think of dancing and technology, the arcade game DDR comes to my mind. Basically it's an arcade game, played with a screen displaying arrows which you than have to step onto the floor...
ResponderEliminarhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gh6hzs_7Kc
Dance Dance Revolution had a huuuge impact especially in Asia..Everyone there loves it and throws endless amount of coins into the machines!
or wait, is that even dancing? :P
ResponderEliminarI wanna try it!!
ResponderEliminarJoerg, to attempt to answer your question,
ResponderEliminarWhy would this not be dancing ?
Dancing is an art-form where the artist expresses him/her self through movement to most often music, but also to a poem or in some cases no music at all. This is just a new way, thanks to technology, for a lot of young people/artists to express themselves through movement to music, the only difference is that the dance-floor is a machine and not the likes of a ballroom dance hall
xoxo
All this 'technology-talks' sounds amazing and emphasizes how we have integrated technology in various forms.
ResponderEliminarBut, what makes me wondering is where are we going with this?
Is there going to be a time where the 3D human figures will replace the real ones, who prepare their moves in advance?
For me dancing is much more about human involvement where each dancer shows his/her dancing skills to others.
'Illusionism' takes away the human involvement and is moving towards the 'second life' aspect (http://secondlife.com/?v=1.1)
I agree that my view here is extreme but I don't think it can be ignored.
i think there is a potential for marketing purposes with this "virtual dancing". openair clubs or bars and things like this, can create false images of people dancing and having a great time in their bar, just to attract more customers. On the otherhand what happens when they go there and find out its fake? hahahhaha well here is a tuff decision!
ResponderEliminarJoerg: the dance machine has also been a fact in many people’s living rooms as a plastic carpet in front of the TV-screen connected to a video game is something that was invented and out on the international market about 10 years ago or so. My sis’ has got one, my bro’ another, and you can interconnected them and dance as a pair or against each other just as at the mall.
ResponderEliminarVirtual dancers can to some extent be compared with humans with the potential of total replacement of body parts in this or other sports. In dance as a professional sport and competition though it is not likely that these images will take over as this would take away a lot of the features directly related to the sport of dance (which I, agreeing with Lav, believe is more about direct human involvement), but as in any other sport there is the possibility of a parallel competition starting up featuring a contest of best virtual entertainment, but this is more likely to compete with cinema, theater etc. than interfering with fans of dance competitions, therefore I do not think that the 3D human figures will replace the real ones, not in that sense at least.
The coexistence of dance and technology has only developed as far as dance technology, which refers to the application of information technology to activities related to dance. Although equipment today is made from the finest materials provide maximum support and improve performance, the most advanced technological equipment includes various advanced media, such as video, interactive computer programmes and the internet. Dance performance has been impacted in that dance technologies allow for innovative art forms, such as collaborative network performances which operate with the integration of live dance performance and dance environment (sound and lighting). In terms of Sport and competition however, controversy is still minimal, probably because we are still arguing whether or not dance is a sport....
ResponderEliminarHey does anyone have a dance machine, mat thingy???
ResponderEliminar