ASU's motion makes European premiere, Dec. 13, 2006
Tempe, Ariz. – On December 13, Arizona State University’s motione project – in collaboration with world renowned choreographers Bill T. Jones and Trisha Brown – will make its European premiere as the featured program at the Monaco Dance Forum. The forum is one of the most important dance festivals in the world, under the stewardship of her Serene Highness, Caroline Marguerite, the Princess of Monaco.
motione is a project of ASU Gammage and ASU’s Arts, Media and Engineering Program (AME) – a joint program of the Herberger College of Fine Arts and Fulton School of Engineering. It is a true collaboration that melds together these diverse disciplines. In April 2005, motione made its world premiere at ASU as the first dance and multimedia project to use real-time motion capture and analysis technology in a live performance.
motione was selected for the Monaco Dance Forum because it is the only dance and motion-capture project in the world with this level of project partners.
motione technology is similar to that used for the creation of computerized characters in movies such at Lord of the Rings. The difference is that those characters are motion-captured, recorded, rendered and edited. Using an elaborate system of sensors, cameras, and computers, motione captures and analyzes dance choreography in real time. Visual artists and musicians manipulate the resulting information to form unique visuals and sound that immediately respond to the choreography. The result is a performance that is ever-changing, reflecting the dynamics of the performance and performer. Each dance piece is approximately 30 minutes in length and combines movement, sound and visual imagery. The pieces were created by world renowned choreographers Trisha Brown and Bill T. Jones.
Trisha Brown, widely acclaimed choreographer of the postmodern era, came to public notice in the 1960s as part of the "dance revolution" at New York City's Judson Dance Theater. After founding her company in 1970, she continued pushing the limits of choreography and creating works for alternative spaces (including rooftops and walls) and soon began exploring more complex movements within traditional settings. Most recently, Brown has concerned herself with narrative in dance and with interactive media. A recipient of a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship and the National Medal of Arts, she holds the rank of Commandeur in France¹s Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
Bill T. Jones, began his dance training at the State University of New York at Binghamton (SUNY), where he studied classical ballet and modern dance. After living in Amsterdam, Jones returned to SUNY where he became co-founder of the American Dance Asylum in 1973. In 1982, he formed the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company and has created more than 50 works for the company. Jones has received many commissions to create dances for modern and ballet companies including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Axis Dance Company and the Boston Ballet. In 1994, Jones received a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship. In 2000, the Dance Heritage Coalition named Jones “An Irreplaceable Dance Treasure.”Jones has received honorary doctorates from the Art Institute of Chicago, Bard College, the Juilliard School, Swarthmore College, and the SUNY Binghamton Distinguished Alumni Award.
Colleen Jennings Roggensack, executive director of ASU Public Events and Thanassis Rikakis, a professor and director of the AME Program, serve as co-project directors and primary consultants on motione. Being one of the world’s top presenters of performing arts, ASU Gammage was able to bring to the table the choreographers and serve as invaluable project producers, helping to translate the needs of all projects participants into a collaborative whole.
Princess Caroline and Prince Albert, along with more than 400 of the world’s top arts presenters, choreographers, artists, dance professionals and business leaders will attend the Monaco premiere. From Arizona State University, Jennings-Roggensack and Rikakis along with other staff members will attend along with distinguished university supporters, alumni and Dr. Sybil Francis.
Media Contact:
Denise Tanguay
480.965.7144
denise.tanguay@asu.edu