thoughts on the reception and the integration of technology

In an increasingly digital world, it seems that no aspect of life or the arts will emerge unchanged by the essentially unimpeded progress of technology. Even the stodgiest of the performing arts have been transformed, in particular, by new video and broadcasting technologies—the finest ballet houses, for example, simulcast performances onto air waves and into other venues, while the opera-going experience has been transformed by the inclusion of supertitles broadcast above the stage. The Berkeley Dance Project’s inclusion of tele-immersion lab images is the first major technological manipulation of the modern dance medium that I have witnessed.

The pre-performance to “The Reception” featured one dancer present on stage sharing in a communal dance with another, located in the Hearst Mining Building but broadcast onto the stage. Although the projected image moved smoothly, its resolution was splintered, an anesthetization of the image I found appealing, but that might otherwise be looked upon as a shortcoming of the technology. It was apparent that the communal dance occurring between the dancer onstage and the dancer offstage was occurring in real time, as they mimicked each other’s movements. And yet, what purpose did the tele-immersion technology serve? While every aspect of the following performance had a clear purpose and part to play in the overall message of “The Reception,” the interaction between present and remote dancers seemed more an exercise in utilizing impressive technology as opposed to an integrated aspect of the entire performance. By contrast, the use of projected dancing images during the main portion of the performance had a clear function within the piece, underlining the tension between reality and presence emphasized by the work.