Re: Invitation to private presentation

Jeff Miller (jgmille2@students.wisc.edu)
Tue, 10 Nov 1998 08:44:31 -0500

 

Niels Radtke wrote:

hello
thank you for the invitation however I have some questions which might seem
stupid to you but which seem paradox to me.
Ho on earth is it possible to have a software choreographer? how is it
possible talking about instant-decision making. Isn't dance about body and
human beings?
shouldn't technology only interfere in stage, projection, or virtual stages
and backgrounds immersions.
I do not understand why this pure medium of dance itself being acted upon by
a computer, for what, what "better result" can be achieved ...(I seems to me
like pumping up breasts with silicones..)

can somebody clear me up on this?

with most respects
niels radtke

Niels--

With all due respect, isn't dance "about" whatever the artists/dancers want to make it about?  I don't think we want to say that tech should only "interfere" in any set number of ways--I'm sure there are many who would prefer to have no set, no costume, just "pure" dance (whatever that is..."Oh, you don't need equipment, only a million-dollar facility to rehearse, perform in?  Wow, you are pure...").  And they can do that--but why limit my freedom to explore random creation, chance movement patterns, etc, which can be explored via computer?  I don't think the objective is "better result".  It's just a different one.  Diversity strengthens, I believe.  I've never seen the ChoreOgraph--but I say more power to them.

My 2 cents,
Jeff Miller
University of Wisconsin-Madison IATech student