October 25, 2005

Exploring Hyperchoreography on the Web

I've been hoping to find more native Internet dance performances that allow users/viewers to interact in some manner with the performance work. I haven't found many at all - even though I think these types of interactive performances are bound to grow in terms of number and complexity.

But here is one that I came across last night:

The website, Hyperchoreography.org, explores what happens when you port the concepts of hypertext into the realm of dance performances and choreography:

. . . Hyperchoreography is a non-linear dance performance 'space', existing in an interactive, networked medium. The elements are put in place by the creators, but the shape of the work is decided by the user at the moment of interaction.

In the "Works" section of the Hyperchoreography site, you'll find two examples of user-directed, non-linear performance work created with Macromedia Flash.

The first one, from which I included a screen shot above, is "The Truth: The Truth" (2004). Katrina McPherson and Simon Fildes created this work in collaboration with Ricochet Dance Productions. Choreography is by Fin Walker and Paulo Ribiero.

As you'll see when you enter the performance, there are two side-by-side video windows each of which presents the same two couples interacting yet the choreography is different in each case. As the notes ask, "What is the Truth? Which version gives the real story? Explore and compare and maybe you will find an answer."

As you press the arrow buttons for each video, you can create your own version of the "Truth" as you decide which images to watch and compare side-by-side. You can even record your selections for playback and analysis.

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