AN ENVIRONMENT FOR DANCE TRAINING

In DS|DM we had the means of tracking qualities of motion. The software was orginally developed, to relate hand gestures of a conductor to electronic music. In DS|DM we used it to analyze dance movement to improve movement qualities with specific sound feedback and visual information. After I participated in the "real" sweat away DS|DM workshop, it was obvious that we need a dedicated space for physical training.

ARCHITECTURE OF ATTENTION / AFFILIATION

With a sketch of a "Sensational Interface" I layed out an idea of expanding the CD-ROM of DS|DM for an immersive learning environment. We had to reach the body in his best sensorial interface: in a workshop situation. The body needs physical training to learn DS|DM's movement qualities.

The hybrid character of new media tools on stage creates new ways of expressing movements by sound, video and light, but on the other hand it very often restricts possible moves to "read" movement information.

LEVEL A: WORKSHOP

The introduction is a linear workshop in space and time, recreating the situation of a "normal" workshop, using the big screen in front of the dancer to offer a teaching situation to which he is used to. In that level Emio Greco gives a virtual dance training workshop for awareness preparation, mixing verbal commands with physical movement instructions.

LEVEL B: LEARN

In level B we split the DS|DM holistic workshop experience into one source representing the body of Emio Greco in the main screen and a "talking head" monitor in the left upper corner of the cube to give more specific verbal instructions by Emio Greco - and Pieter C. Scholten. On the sides we display close-up views on body parts to stear the attention to specific movement qualities in body parts.

The GF software analyzes the movement of a dancer and displays the body silhouette. The DS|DM software creates an internal model of the body by capturing the movement of extremities with bounding boxes and using the gravity center of the body.

LEVEL C: CUSTOMIZE

Learning is a process of appropriation. Thus I designed, with Martin Bellardi - programmer of the installation interface - a way of accessing the structure of the lectures. A customization interface gives access on all levels and all chapters. The user can change settings, which are pre-set for level B. The DS|DM installation, reconstructing a dance workshop in level A, separating chapters in level B is turning DS|DM into a digital tool in level C.

LEVEL D: PLAY / CREATE

After learning, there is rehearsal there might be creation: A dancer is requested to use DS|DM's dance qualities in his own way. Sarah Fdili Alaoui (IRCAM) created a visual and sounding moving object for a virtual pas-de-deux. The DS|DM installation constantly analyzes the dancers movement qualities and feeds a movement and sonification dialog.

INTERFACING DANCE KNOWLEDGE

From IT to DS|DM it feels like concluding a circle: From cognition to emotion, from architecture to atmosphere. Talking about qualities and intention in dance is difficult enough, trying to capture them with digital tools sounds even more challenging.

www.isea-web.org
www.isea2010ruhr.org
www.insidemovementknowledge.net
www.ickamsterdam.com

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