Variance - Summary of Process

Final Performance

Projection - Final Edit

The process of producing this final project, entitled "Variance," has been quite the interesting journey. Throughout the semester we have been learning about new ways to use digital media to broadcast and showcase dance. For this project, we were assigned to create a projection design based off of a political/poetic idea. After completing the projection design, the task was to choreograph a dance to the projection creating an interactivity between dancer and screen. As Johannes Birringer (2002) states in the article, Dance and Media Technologies, "Technology has decisively challenged bodily boundaries and spatial realities, profoundly affecting the relations between humans and machines. The convergences between dance and technology reflect back on the question of dance and its physical-sensory relationship to space and the world." Creating this project has definitely shown me how this statement is true. 

I decided to created a simple projection based on the idea that on our quest for equality, we mustn't forget that our differences are beautiful; and when we bring our differences together, beautiful new things can be created. I eventually came up with the idea to use little dots of color to represent the differences between my two dancers. The question was, how do I film color dots moving around on a screen? So I got some markers and parchment paper and started drawing dots. Once I saw a few that I liked, I filmed them each individually moving the camera around to mimic locomotion. I then had to superimpose the dots onto a video of just the plain white parchment paper and adjust the coloring and contrast to make them stand out. After the video editing was finished, all I needed to do was find music and begin choreography. It sound like a lot, but it was so much easier to pull together than the video projection. Honestly, once I found the piece of music and my dancers, the choreography just happened, which was really nice. 

Creating a projection and interactive dance design that could be adapted to multiple performance spaces was very difficult for me. I am accustomed to performing in a proscenium theater or a stadium, but that is essentially the extent of my experience of performance venues. For this project we had to perform our pieces in two completely different spaces, which was interesting to see, but a little frustrating to work out. However, I think it went pretty well considering the size, shape, and angle of the projection changed completely for the second performance. 

Two videos that were inspiring for me while I worked on this project were, "The Alchemy of Light" by dandypunk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MXwJpKToEY) and, "Apparition" by 

Klaus Obermaier & Ars Electronica Futurelab (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wVq41Bi2yE). I particularly enjoyed these videos because of the moments of simple movement of light with the dancer. I liked that the projections were not just a background but another partner in the dance with the live bodies. I wanted to take that idea and abstract it to a very simple idea, which is where the simple dots of color came in. 

This project was definitely challenging, but also very enlightening to what we can do with dance. I learned so much, with much trial and error, but I am excited to see if I can eventually take the things I learned even further.

Two full days of a great conference!! The power of world wide media!! The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (the name we were admonished to use) reaches out to everyone through out the world, through media. Even though the media is used for bad, it is also a tremendous tool for good. To me, Dallin H. Oaks talk on the Priesthood was absolutely outstanding.  It was inspired and delivered with authority, especially for the time we are living in right now! 

BOY MEETS WORLD is one of the best television shows for young people to grow up with.  The characters grow up too, and have their individual problems just like the people who are watching them. Year after year it was amazing when you tuned into that show, they almost always had a situation in their life that you were dealing with yourself.  I watched it again after all these years and the characters were on their way to college making important decisions.  There was always a life lesson in each  episode. I'm glad that this show is still on and remains very good media.

THE BEST OF WRONG - (what?)  This was the caption under a picture of a couple jumping into the air holding hands.  In small print at the bottom of the page it was an advertisement for a hotel and casino in Las Vegas.  So obviously they wanted you to come to their hotel to experience "The Best of Wrong" (whatever that means). Does their hotel have more wrong things to do than other hotels or are their wrong activities not as bad as other hotels wrong activities? You decide

Have you seen the You Tube video: "The Tale of Two Brains"?  It's so funny but such an eye opener of the difference between men and women's brains.  The psychologist has husbands and wives (at a conference) laughing  as they relate to what he is saying. It's worth watching! I'd say it's good media; funny, but teaches a lot!

I was tending my 3 nephews and was surprised at the video game they were playing and spending time shooting people. Interestingly, the youngest boy said to me that his brothers were not supposed to play that game very long and that he wasn't supposed to play it at all.  I asked the older boys to choose another game to play and they quickly said that they wanted to go over to  a friends house, which they were allowed to do while I was there.  After they left, the younger brother said:" They will just play worse games there because their parents don't care." My brother was obviously in a catch 22 position.  The neighbors were nice people and his good friends as well. Parents need to take video violence more seriously! Even if one family is trying, the kids can easily play violent video games at there friends houses. You don't just watch video violence, you are a (virtual)participant as well.

The Broadway play, "The Book of Mormon" was a topic of conversation the other day and the most important consensus was that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints responded perfectly. Using a large media option,  the church but up on the billboard: "YOU'VE SEEN THE PLAY, NOW, READ THE BOOK!
No negative, harsh comments were made to the producers, directors, or actors.
I feel that a negative response to others not of our faith or even in our faith is the wrong approach and will not be an influence for good.