AME’s Motion performance to premier in 2005

Bill T. Jones takes the stage. His gestures spark a virtual environment of digital images and sound. The dancer’s movement and syntax – captured and analyzed in real time by an elaborate system of sensors, cameras and computers – drive all elements of this multimedia world.

As the work progresses, the dancer and the computer, imbued with artificial intelligence, shape the environment together. The risky relationship between human and machine is laid bare for the artist and audience to explore.

This, and similar work underway with Trisha Brown, are the raw material for motione, a trend-setting multimedia dance performance by these legendary dancers-choreographers premiering April 9, 2005 on the ASU campus. ASU Public Events, the Herberger College of Fine Arts and the Fulton School of Engineering have sponsored development of the production.

Motione will be the first opportunity to see the implications of the motion analysis research underway at ASU. It is the brainchild of the Arts, Media and Engineering program, headquartered in the Institute for Studies in the Arts and co-managed by Herberger College and the Fulton School.

Internationally recognized choreographers Brown and Jones have been collaborating for more than a year with a unique blend of AME artists and engineers and award-winning guests artists in preparation for the motione world premier. These include a trio of experimental artists – New York’s Paul Kaiser and Shelley Eshkar and MIT Media Lab’s Marc Downie -- and composers –the Pulitzer Prize-winner Roger Reynolds and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Curtis Bahn. Five days after the Arizona premier, Brown will perform her portion of the motione program at NYC’s Lincoln Center during its tribute to the 35th anniversary of the Trisha Brown Dance Company.

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Motion Analysis Corporation also are supporting the motione project.
For more information go to http://ame.asu.edu/motione/. 

Media Contact:
Mica Matsoff
(480) 965-0478
Mica.Matsoff@asu.edu