Re: Research on dance & tech

ISABEL VALVERDE (isaval@sfsu.edu)
Wed, 29 Apr 1998 14:37:41 -0700 (PDT)

Hi everybody,
Here the information asked by Jo and Joukje about The Ultimate Human Body:

CD-ROM - N/A - Color -1996
2.0 [Mac]

Survey of human anatomy, includes interactive 3D, 2D and skeletal body
images, 170 Animations, text, illuatrations, video sequences (Quick Time),
and a Body Quiz Challenge game.
Systems Required:
Mac 68040/25 MHz processor, 8MB RAM, 12MB available hard disk space,
system 7.0 or higher

You can find it at Version Megastore
The quick time videos are of high resolution.

For my performance project 'Imagine You Later' I edited a digital video in
Media 100, using many of the footage from this CD-Rom. Actually I produced
5 short videos, the first only using the CD-Rom, the second surgery,
autophsia and doctor/patient relationship, the third cyborg video games,
the fourth sci-fi movies on cyborgs, and the fifth only three quick time
videos from the CD-Rom again, the skul, the brain and the heart.
These videos developed influenced by and influencing the movement
situation being explored, starting from body interiority, the expression
of body functions themselves, going on to questioning and commenting on
the positive versus negative impact of the new advances on medicine, and
in particular the objectification of the body. Here one of the performers
simply manipulated the other. Further there is a symbolic fight between
the performer/human and the animated figure/cyborg. At last projecting
moving images of the organs into our bodies moving the intent was to bring
our body into technology instead of the technologies into our body.
An important element for this piece, as I think I mention before, is the
use of moving screens attached to the body of the performer through a
spatial structure, which enables them to move laterally and vertically
depending on the performers movements.
As it's clear the interactivity going on is only mechanical.

I hope I have been clear enough although the best would be to see the
work, which is still in a work in progress and will be developed in the
Fall.

The discussions going on concerning form/content issues are hilarious. I'm
so glad to find out that there are several academic studies focusing on
it.
Yes, I join the idea that is not the technology who desumanizes but the
use of it. That's maybe why there is, as Johannes says, some dance work,
such as abstract choreography from let's say Cunningham, who adapt
perfectly to the computer medium and other don't.
But, yes there should happen a back and forth dialogue between both dance
and the new technological tools.

In a rush...

Beijinhos,
Isabel