Virtual reality augmented image of boulders in a grass field

Capturing Stillness: Visualisations of Dance Through Motion Capture

Funder

AHRC Creative Fellowship

Total value of project

£296,050

Project team

Associate Professor Ruth Gibson (project lead) and Bruno Martelli (artistic director)

Abstract lines across dark background

Collaborators

Gaby Agis, Eszter Gál, Bettina Neuhaus, Kirsty Alexander, Joe Moran, Florence Peake, Julie Nathanielsz, Nicola Gibbons, Siobhan O’Neil, Robert Davidson, Theresa Moriaty, Shaun McLeod, Titta Court, Katye Coe, Wendy Smith, Polly Hudson

Supported by

Lisa Ullmann Travelling Scholarship; ARC Discovery Grant - Project Building Innovative Capacity in Australian Dance; motion.lab, Deakin University, Melbourne; Communitech, Kitchener, Canada; CAFKA/Christie, Canada; igloo artists ltd.

Duration of project

01/05/2010 - 31/05/2013

Project overview

Capturing Stillness uses performance capture and computer game worlds to create transformative experiences derived from Skinner Releasing Dance Technique and its poetics. The study questions the relationships that arise between the poetic imagery cited in the pedagogy aligned with motion analysis, visualisation techniques and digital technologies and how these findings in combination with SRT principles can permeate the development of kinaesthetic Human Computer Interfaces for mobile devices and large scale projected realtime 3D environments.

Project objectives

The research aims include:

Exploring how motion capture technology can ‘map’ SRT to test out how notions of embodiment are ‘read’, visualised and transmitted.
Investigating how interactive virtual environments and avatar behaviour can unearth and expose awarenesses about stillness and first-person sensorial experience.
Developing new applications for motion capture to investigate the user/mover/viewer relationship in immersive environments.

Impact statement

This three year project funded by the AHRC is the first study of its kind to interrogate Skinner Releasing Dance Technique in the field of motion capture and interactive virtual environments. 17 dancers from across the globe were motion captured in the Bugatti Lab at Coventry University and motion.lab at Deakin University, Melbourne. Visualisations of their movement data were incorporated into a series of new Augmented Reality and Stereoscopic Virtual Environments for CAVE & Virtual Reality Headset. The project resulted in international exhibitions, conference contributions, multimedia publications, didactic materials and various other events and public engagement activities including:

Palais de Danse I, II & III a series of Research Salons with presentations, discussions and works-in progress reflecting on the project where experienced dancers involved in the project and members of the public came together to share ideas and thoughts about its outcomes.
The development of MocApp, a mobile App which allows users to download and view sequences of motion capture. By using this tool, the performers can easily view their own sequences without needing access to a high end pc and specialised software.

Outputs