Dancing in the Metaverse

This immersive showcase performance shares a form of digital-dance installation that sees three dancers move together in real-time through remote connection. The intimate interaction between distant dancers occurs within a computer-generated, virtual landscape, with their avatars spinning out shapes, light, and particles that weave and intertwine to give a feeling of virtual touch and embodied connection.

Dancers in New York and the UK wear a motion-capture system that captures their movement and streams it to the other dancers in real-time. The choreographic performance takes the form of a semi-improvisational interaction, in a set of scenarios designed to explore senses of virtual presence, proximity, and narrative through projected visuals.

This event will take place online and in-person. It is the outcome of an Arts and Humanities Research Council funded research project, and will be followed by a Q&A with the dancers, researchers, and digital creators. A series of workshops will take place the following day with selected local dance groups.