Art & Artificial Life International Competition
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Åsa Unander-Scharin
The Lamentations of Orpheus
Sweden

 

 

The Lamentations of Orpheus - computer-choreographed solo for an industrial robot - is a part of a project called Moments from the Orpheus Myth. The project consists of danceworks that in different ways and in different spaces interact with new technology. A choreographic research into the floating perspective of Orpheus -in-between life and death, dancing objects beyond the laws of nature.

In the choreographic work with the robot, it was important to be able to create the movements very precise in relation to the music phrases - a human-like, organic interpretation. Without an interpreter. The computer program that controls the ABB robot, is primarily designed to make use of the robot on heavy industry. In that program you define points - where and how the tool shall work - in space and time. We were interested in the very movement that you see in-between this points - in space and time. To focus on the virtuosity, in the organic phrasing. Virtuosity as the human aspect of movement - not the dancers technical skill.

Moments from the Orpheus myth:

The Lamentations of Orpheus
Solo for an ABB-robot, performed in an exhibition at the Museum of Dance in Stockholm, September 5 - November 15 1998. The work will be performed on tour in Sweden during 1999.

Possente Spirto and Tu Se Morta
Digital dance works on the Web, with computer generated dancers and adapted videodance. Premiere: April 29 1998.

From Orpheus' Head
Installation in the autumn 1999. Dancers inside a cube - Orpheus singing head. The audience around - seeing right into his mind - and on the walls: projections of computer generated, floating animated dancers.

Choreography: Åsa Unander-Scharin
Music: Claudio Monteverdi (From L'Orfeo)
Program development: Peter Rajka and Magnus Lundin.
Costueme, set- and graphic design in From Orpheus' Head: Mateusz Herczka

Technical information

The computer generated dancers in the digital dance works and the choreography for the industrial robot are created in a Swedish computer program for choreographic adaptation - MOTOGRAPHICON - which is developed by the KACOR project at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm. The movement material is created with a symbol notation in a body score. Then the choreographic process continues with the possibilities to compose, adapt and manipulate the material for one or more dancers.

To be able to communicate with the industrial robot in The Lamentations of Orpheus, we created a link between MOTOGRAPHICON and the analog signals of the ABB robot.

For the installation of From Orpheus' Head, I will work in Light Wave - choreographing special designed figures by Mateusz Herczka.

Biography
Åsa Unander-Scharin, choreographer, creates new dance works in collaboration with composers, set- and costume designers, dancers and musicians. She is currently working on the project Moments from the Orpheus myth - works that in different ways and in different spaces interact with new technology.

In december 1998 her new dancework Desire, Chaos and Geometry had its premiere at the House of Sculpture in Stockholm - five dancers, music by Francesco Boschetto.

She is involved in the development of a computer supported choreographic processing program, Motographicon, which is part of the KACOR project at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. She also teaches improvisation, composition and modern / contemporary dance at the University College of Dance in Stockholm.

Her dance works have been presented at the House of Dance, the Modern Dance Theatre and the Museum of Dance in Stockholm, on tour in Sweden, Finland and Denmark, and on the web.