"Politics of the Grid" recently completed a 2-week residency at University of New Mexico (UNM) dance department May 14 - 25, which supported the first phase of this project.
Activities: Over the course of the residency, we worked with students and alumni from both the UNM dance department and experimental arts and technology program. We held daily, 8-hour work sessions split into mornings and afternoons. The first week was dedicated to:
1. devising the movement content,
2. collectively workshopping conceptual and contextual ideas; and
3. experimenting with pre-built wearable technologies within the creative process.
The second week focused on further refining some of the wearable and haptic technology designs based on what we learned the first week. In the second week, we:
1. built the two wifi-enabled showgirl costumes with 12 channels of independently addressable EL wire, and
2. experimented with haptic tactile transducers.
My goal was to center the dance practices and sociocultural questions rooted within the work across the two weeks. This approach engages dancers in a space of technology design that forefronts movement knowledge within technological design - an emphasis that mirrors my own pedagogical and methodological approaches to dance/technology design. (See my Rapid Prototyping Wearable Technology Bands).
In addition to the creative work, we also held two informal showings - one at the end of each week. These showings were filmed, and all participants were interviewed. The corresponding video will be available on the website in the future.
Laina and Erin in rehearsal during week 1.
Photo by Kraken Still & Film
Eden and Lisette soldering costume pieces during week 2.
Photo by Kraken Still & Film