The project “Infinity” was a research and development (R&D) project that took place from November 2022 to March 2023, with the view to later develop the ideas to create a full-length production for touring from 2024 onwards.
The project signifies infinite possibilities of evolution in dance and music through the application of digital technologies. From a visual perspective, it also relates to a pixelated image that is a result of zooming into something so much to the point where it becomes bleary, out of focus and starts to look like something else, almost as though every dot could give rise to a whole new universe of its own. It is with that intention of discovering the limitless that this exciting journey started.
Nina created her first digital work during the first lockdown in 2020. This was a work called Srishti Squared and involved 10 dancers and musicians who worked entirely remotely using Zoom to create this work. The artists met online each day for 2 weeks to learn new material created by Nina which they refined over the course of each day, filmed it in a specified setting (eg their kitchen, a narrow corridor, a bedroom with hurdles scattered etc) and each day’s content was edited by Nina in the evening, with technical help from a specialist who shared his screen with Nina to carry out this editing work in a collaborative way.
This was the first time that Nina worked with digital technology and the end result was widely commended for its originality and ambition. The online piece was invited to be included in the Toronto International Dance Festival in 2021.
This new area of work with technology, though a small beginning, inspired Nina to further her modest understanding and experience of the digital world. Infinity was the sequel to Srishti Squared – in terms of the exploration with digital technology.
During this R&D phase, Nina worked with digital artists to understand and explore the scope of using technology with dance choreography and live music.
We worked with three different venues nationally and digital artists local to the venues. Alexander Whitley mentored Nina through the process, sharing his own expertise as a choreographer with a vast track record of digital collaborations.
Residencies with partner venues included:
- Creative Academy in Slough
- Pavilion Dance South West in Bournemouth, including a live project with over 90 media students of Bournemouth University
- Kala Sangam in Bradford
The project involved devising dance and music sequences for experiments with 2D & 3D digital animation and projection mapping. Media students from Bournemouth University extended the number of experiments we are able to do with our material. Working in three different venues allowed us to test the feasibility of future touring in different sized theatres and helped us learn how to create work ready for touring, including practical considerations.
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