Amplified

This is a multimedia performance work commissioned by Dance Media Japan with funds from the British Council and the Japan Foundation. The piece was co-authored and co-directed by myself and renowned Japanese choreographer/dancer Giga Hizume. It took the form of an extended and complex exploration of the interactions possible between dancers and other performers and all aspects of performance/stage technology. The movement of two dancers was tracked in various ways, alongside the sound produced by a singer. This tracking data was used to control electronic sound and video, live 3D animation, lighting and advanced robotics. A large team of specialist technicians were employed for the project - under my direction they developed a specialised network of eight computers to run the show, running bespoke software and utilising a variety of specially-built electronics to interface with the rest of the technology. I was responsible for the video and sound elements of the production, Giga Hizume for the choreography, costumes, staging and lighting. The piece was premiered at Tokyo's prestigious Spiral Hall, and subsequent performances took place in Kyoto and Yamaguchi. Alongside each performance I ran a series of extended workshops disseminating some of the techniques used in the project to local artists, performers and technicians.