Finding the intersections: The symbiosis of improvisational choreography and interactive scenography in two creative developments

Dance and scenography have long been intertwined, and in the heavily digitized environment of the 21st century performance space, new methods are required to establish a shared sense of belonging. Through research and practice, the uniquely symbiotic relationship between two subsets of these disciplines – interactive scenography and improvisational choreography – has been explored. By studying the intersections between these two, new understandings of belonging between performer and technology can be reached. Interactive scenography, in this instance, references objects in the performance environment which co-create through interaction with the human form (performer/audience/user) – projected light of all forms and the surfaces on which they play; audio waves; triggers and sensors, both tangible and intangible. Improvisational choreography refers to the creation of movement through scores which allow for open and undetermined performance of the human form. Between these two disciplines, there are three key intersections of theory and practice – real-time responsivity; open systems; and technology as performance. These three intersections were investigated in two creative developments with Brisbane-based artists at the Gold Coast, Australia, in 2013 and 2014. As scenographer, I collaborated with dance artist and choreographer Courtney Scheu to explore the relationship between our disciplines. Through a discussion of these developments, I will also suggest ways in which the two disciplines can co-create with openness and playfulness, offering an approach in which technology and performer belong in the shared devising space of the studio. This methodology applies not only to the partnership of dance and technology, but performance as a whole