Re: Percussive dance sensors - request for any information

Louise Reichlin (louisehr@almaak.usc.edu)
Tue, 1 Jun 1999 14:12:28 -0700

>My ideal would be to develop a complete instrument - a floor based
>'drum-pad' large enough to be divided into zones much as the steel-pan drums
>used in steel-bands. Ideally this pad would provide position and velocity
>information for each impact to a system which would interpret these two
>factors and fire off the appropriate MIDI message in real-time. This
>'system' (application hosted on a notepad?) would allow sophisticated
>control over the placing of the zones and the parameterisation of the
>effect, e.g. increasing echo or changing the pitch as a boundary is
>approached. My limited reseach has suggested than this is not likely to be
>feasible but that is the concept!

>b) There was a sequence at the end of the film 'Tap' starring Gregory Hinds
>where the sensors were built into the shoes and the sound was then altered
>at a sound-desk. Unfortunately, I believe this was just the magic of
>cinema, does anyone know?
>

My partner Alfred Desio designed the shoes for the film Tap. He is the
inventor of a system called Tap-Tronics(tm) where the mikes in the shoes
trigger by means of a transmitter to a preprogrammed senth. sequence, or
can also just be affected by special effects modules. There is more infor.
on our web pages, which are listed below. He recently used this for a new
tap show he directed and we both choreographed called "Caution: Men at Work
TAP" which will be touring next season. There are a number of ways to mike
floor boards, and as we don't do that I can only refer you to others that
do this. Anita (I believe that is her name) Feldman had a floor designed
for her by someone in NY that she uses. She has recently written a book on
tap dance. I don't have her e-mail but it should be easy to find.

*****************************************************************************

PLEASE VISIT US AT THE WEB SITE: http://www.usc.edu/dept/dance/ FOR THE
HOME OF THE "SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA DANCE AND DIRECTORY" and "LOS ANGELES
CHOREOGRAPHERS & DANCERS."

To reach LA C&D faster, try "http://www.usc.edu/dept/dance/p2_lacd.html"
for general company information.

To go directly to LOUISE REICHLIN & DANCERS use
"http://www.usc.edu/dept/dance/p3_more.html#LRD"

To go directly to ZAPPED TAPS(tm) ALFRED DESIO use
"http://www.usc.edu/dept/dance/p3_more.html#ZT"

If you would like to contact us, you can also phone 213-385-1171.