Dance technology
Encyclopedia
The terms dance technology and Dance and Technology refer to application of modern information technology
in activities related to dance
: in dance education
, choreography
, performance
, and research.
, where the choreographic process was codified and manipulated by computer, although the results were not published.
In 1970s there were several attempts to computerize the Labanotation and later the Benesh notation. These attempts naturally evolved into attempts to translate the symbolic notations into computer models of the moving human body
and further to computer-assisted creation of choreographies.
and Georgia Institute of Technology
, with its first performance, "Non Sequitur,? of a ballerina dancing with a computer animated "virtual" dancer was shown on CNN
's Future Watch program, May of 1994.
Integration of live dance performance with dance environment (sound, lighting) was pioneered by Mark Coniglio
, whose 1989 MidiDancer measured the angular change at several joints on the dancer's body and used the measurements to control music.
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
in activities related to dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
: in dance education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, choreography
Choreography
Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" ...
, performance
Performance
A performance, in performing arts, generally comprises an event in which a performer or group of performers behave in a particular way for another group of people, the audience. Choral music and ballet are examples. Usually the performers participate in rehearsals beforehand. Afterwards audience...
, and research.
Dance education
In education, dance technology includes various advanced media, such as video, interactive computer programs and internet., as well as training in the use of modern technologies for dance creation.Dance recording and computer choreography
One of the earliest uses of computers for dance were carried out in 1960s at the University of PittsburghUniversity of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
, where the choreographic process was codified and manipulated by computer, although the results were not published.
In 1970s there were several attempts to computerize the Labanotation and later the Benesh notation. These attempts naturally evolved into attempts to translate the symbolic notations into computer models of the moving human body
Human body
The human body is the entire structure of a human organism, and consists of a head, neck, torso, two arms and two legs.By the time the human reaches adulthood, the body consists of close to 100 trillion cells, the basic unit of life...
and further to computer-assisted creation of choreographies.
Dance performance
Dance technology allows for innovative art forms, such as collaborative network performances and The Dance Technology Project, Atlanta BalletAtlanta Ballet
Atlanta Ballet is a ballet company, located in Atlanta, Georgia. It is the nation’s longest continuously performing ballet company and the State Ballet of Georgia.- History :...
and Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
, with its first performance, "Non Sequitur,? of a ballerina dancing with a computer animated "virtual" dancer was shown on CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
's Future Watch program, May of 1994.
Integration of live dance performance with dance environment (sound, lighting) was pioneered by Mark Coniglio
Mark Coniglio
Media artist, composer, and programmer Mark Coniglio is recognized as a pioneer in the integration of live performance and interactive digital technology. With choreographer Dawn Stoppiello he is co-founder of Troika Ranch, a New York City based performance group that that integrate music, dance,...
, whose 1989 MidiDancer measured the angular change at several joints on the dancer's body and used the measurements to control music.
Artists
- Merce CunninghamMerce CunninghamMercier "Merce" Philip Cunningham was an American dancer and choreographer who was at the forefront of the American avant-garde for more than 50 years. Throughout much of his life, Cunningham was considered one of the greatest creative forces in American dance...
- Susan Kozel
- Suguru Goto
- Marlon Barrios Solano
- John D. Mitchell
- Bebe MillerBebe MillerBebe Miller is an American choreographer, dancer and director.-Biography:Daughter of an elementary school teacher and a ship steward, Bebe Miller was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1950. She was raised in a public housing project in the Red Hook Nieghborhood...
- Troika RanchTroika RanchTroika Ranch is a New York City based performance group that integrates dance, theater, and interactive multimedia in their live performances. The company is the collaborative vision of artists Mark Coniglio and Dawn Stoppiello...
- Chunky MoveChunky MoveChunky Move is an Australian contemporary dance company from Southbank, VictoriaIt was founded in 1995 and debuted at the Melbourne International Arts Festival with artistic director Gideon Obarzanek....
- Palindrome
- Jamie Jewett
- Boris WillisBoris WillisBoris Willis is currently Chief Artistic Officer of Boris Willis Moves and Assistant Professor of Computer Game Design at George Mason University. Willis' work has been presented both nationally and internationally. He is the recipient of the 2003 Kennedy Center Local Dance Commission and 2004...
- Julie Cruse
- Arthur Elsenaar
- Ashley Friend
- Johannes BirringerJohannes BirringerJohannes Birringer is an independent media choreographer and artistic director of AlienNation Co., a multimedia ensemble that has collaborated on various site-specific and cross-cultural performance and installation projects since 1993...
- Lucia Valentin
- Tim Glenn
- Yacov Sharir
IDAT
Exploration of innovative approaches to harness modern technologies in dance has been reported at the International Dance and Technology Conference. It was held at the following locations:- The University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1992
- Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada, 1993
- York University, Toronto, Canada, 1995 (Proceedings: ISBN 1883034019)
- Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, 1999.
Further reading
- iDance, by Emily Macel, Dance MagazineDance MagazineDance Magazine is an "influential" American trade publication for dance, currently published by the Macfadden Communications Group. It was first published in June 1927 as The American Dancer. William Como was its editor-in-chief from 1970 to his death in 1989. Wendy Perron became its editor-in...
, December 2007.