Separation: Short Range Repulsion is a responsive dance piece written by Julie Akerly, Michael Krzyzaniak, Muharrem Yildirim, and Matthew Mosher. We wrote a paper explaining it in detail.
In our society, an individual's deviation from conventional social behaviour is both romanticized as a form of creative expression yet often quashed as a threat or annoyance. Separation: short range repulsion uses dance and reactive electronic noise to explore the dichotomous gradient between society's encouragement and rejection of social deviation. Dancers improvise synchronized flocking behaviour on stage. Because the dance is improvised, and there is no established leader, the dancers must continually examine each other for behavioural cues in order to maintain synchronicity. This arrangement is conceptually similar to the the Asch conformity experiments. A camera and computer vision software are used to analyze the flock's behavior, and measure its performance in real time. This information is used to control electronic noises and lighting. The noises and are inspired by sirens, and can have their timbre and texture varied continuously between simple / soothing and disorienting / threatening. These noises serve as social interpretations of individual dancers' deviation, or lack thereof, from the behavioural norms established by the flock. Eventually, as the norms grow in complexity, or as is dictated by the individuals' volition, the flock will fall apart. Once the software detects that this has happened, it will intervene, and use lighting cues to reestablish order amongst the dancers. The title is a reference to Craig Reynolds' original 'rules' of flocking behaviour.
Here is a video of one complete performance at the New Earth Music Hall during the Slingshot Festival in Athens, Georgia. I wrote the music. The dancers are Julie Akerly, Eleanor Hanafin, and Denise Stein.
In our society, an individual's deviation from conventional social behaviour is both romanticized as a form of creative expression yet often quashed as a threat or annoyance. Separation: short range repulsion uses dance and reactive electronic noise to explore the dichotomous gradient between society's encouragement and rejection of social deviation. Dancers improvise synchronized flocking behaviour on stage. Because the dance is improvised, and there is no established leader, the dancers must continually examine each other for behavioural cues in order to maintain synchronicity. This arrangement is conceptually similar to the the Asch conformity experiments. A camera and computer vision software are used to analyze the flock's behavior, and measure its performance in real time. This information is used to control electronic noises and lighting. The noises and are inspired by sirens, and can have their timbre and texture varied continuously between simple / soothing and disorienting / threatening. These noises serve as social interpretations of individual dancers' deviation, or lack thereof, from the behavioural norms established by the flock. Eventually, as the norms grow in complexity, or as is dictated by the individuals' volition, the flock will fall apart. Once the software detects that this has happened, it will intervene, and use lighting cues to reestablish order amongst the dancers. The title is a reference to Craig Reynolds' original 'rules' of flocking behaviour.
Here is a video of one complete performance at the New Earth Music Hall during the Slingshot Festival in Athens, Georgia. I wrote the music. The dancers are Julie Akerly, Eleanor Hanafin, and Denise Stein.
