Abstract:

The purpose of this work emerged from a desire to understand and create a relationship between choreography and the Virtual Reality (VR) painting program, Tilt Brush. When performing with a VR headset and controllers, the body and machine blend into cyborg, a body prosthetic. However, through the eyes of the wearer, paint flows from their fingertips like a 3D sci-fi movie. The performer is immersed in a world the audience does not see. This quandary is at the heart of my investigations bridging dance performance and VR. What are the implications for performing in a medium that is meant for the single user? My research methodologies live inside an iterative process and include phenomenological reflection, roles and tasks, choreographic and improvisational structures, and autoethnographic making methods. This paper aims to highlight the creation of an embodied practice with and inside technology and the benefits of partnering with VR and computing systems when in performance to create unimagined results. The collaboration required when live performance partners with VR not only highlights the role augmented or othered bodies play in shaping our perceptions but is a rich environment of embodiment and identity.