Atmosphere

Atmosphere from Maria Wiener on Vimeo.

“AtmoSphere” by Acronym - Maria Wiener

“Is it possible for a Live Performer to dance with a Virtual Partner? The reply to this question is explicitly shown in “AtmoSphere”, in which New Technologies are submitted to the commands of Creative Imagination” (Eleftherotypia, 4/12/2003).

AtmoSphere, an innovative cutting edge work, combines Contemporary Dance with New Technologies. It is a 30 minute-dance performance presenting an improvisational dialogue of a Live Performer with Virtual Partners. These partners are 3D animated figures derived from the technique of Motion Capture, generating their movements in real time from pre-recorded data of the live performer.

In AtmoSphere the live performer improvises with a series of 3D animation figures derived from his own movement, which in one sense constitute abstracted and humanized images of himself. Each Virtual Partner is a different version of the live Performer, a different challenge and inspiration for him, aiming to dance and improvise with him.

Behind the projected virtual figures are two VJs, who through project specific software, are enabled to manipulate the virtual characters and respond to the live performer’s movement, or rather co-dance with the live performer, thereby creating a 3 way improvisational performance.

The dialogue between the live performer and his virtual partners, however, progresses to a 5-way improvisation; As it travels through the four elements: Earth, Water, Fire and Air, it dynamically develops with the sounds and music from a DJ and the lighting states from a Lighting Designer into a ‘jamming symphony’.

While this is happening the DJ and Lighting Designer are equally free to adjust their improvisation to the rhythm of any of the other improvisers and to choose to alter the ‘atmosphere’ at any point during the performance.

Within this ‘unsafe’ environment the synergy of dance, sound, music, lights and new technology leads in “AtmoSphere” to unpredictable and unrepeatable results. The aim is to continually stimulate the audience’s attention by keeping it on the edge. Each performance of “AtmoSphere” is an impulsive trip, testing the intuition of the performing team and offering to the audience a unique experience.

In AtmoSphere the Motion Capture hardware and software is Motion Analysis by Motion Analysis Inc.

Acronym

Committed to the aim of transforming audience experiences Acronym’s passion is to generate projects that can offer ambitious paths and new challenges in the perception, action and interaction of live performance.

Artistic Director, Digital Choreographer and VJ: Maria Wiener (UK)
Live Performer: Jamie Dryburgh (UK)
Software Designer: Tolis Paschalidis (Greece)
Web Design, Interface Design and VJ: Sophia Apostolia (Greece)
3D model Designer: Ghassan Zabaneh (Canada)
Sound Supervisor and DJ: Cleopatra Fyntanidou (Greece)
Lighting Designer and Console Percussionist: Dimitris Koukas (Greece)
Stage and Costume Designer: Lenia Oikonomou (Greece)
Technical Supervisor: James Trend (UK)

Acronym was created by Maria Wiener in 2000. AtmoSphere 1, the latest project of Acronym, exposed new avenues in the presentation of a joined choreography between live and virtual performers through a project specific VJ software. The idea was that the projections were not fulfilling a decorative role within the performance but were active co-performers in the live choreography.