soft mirror

Concept, visualization & live video
by Isabelle Jenniches

dance & choreography
Beppie Blankert, Caroline Dokter

 

Dance piece centering around
the integration of a telepresent figure
in a live dance performance.

Performed on the first of March 1998
in the Grand Theater Groningen
in collaboration with the
Society for Old and New Media, De Waag
in Amsterdam

Beppie Blankert in Groningen dances with her absent partner, Caroline Dokter in Amsterdam (insert), whose video image is been transmitted live via the internet and projected onto a large screen.

 

Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe
All mimsy were the borogoves
And the mome raths outgrabe

 

in the looking glass

 

Ebargtuo shtar emom eht dna
Sevogorob eht erew ysmim lla
Ebaw eht ni elbmig dna eryg did
evot yhtils eht dna ,gillirb sawt.(Lewis Carroll)

King, are you glad you are king?

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111111111111111111:111111111111111111
100110011001100110:011001100110011001
100110:011001
111111:111111
122112:211221
133113:311331
144114:411441
155115:511551
200220:022002
211221:122112
222222:222222
233223:322332
233223:322332
222222:222222
211221:122112
200220:022002
155115:511551
144114:411441
133113:311331
122112:211221
111111:111111
100110:011001
10:01
11:11
12:21
13:31
14:41
15:51
20:02
21:12
22:22
23:32
23:32
22:22
21:12
20:02
15:51
14:41
13:31
12:21
11:11
10:01
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Saatana, katala kapakala takana taas!

Koop ik 'n ei, dan nadien kip ook.

Isa, ala myy myymalaasi.

Ujo pirupaavi on oiva apuripoju.

You can cage a swallow, can't you, but you can't swallow a cage, can you? Saippuakauppias

The public gathers loosely in front of a large screen that (like a huge window) opens up onto a seemingly empty space. Dancer Beppie Blankert is standing with her back towards the screen, moving slowly - absorbed in herself. Suddenly something flashes by on the projection behind her, a shy creature in gold and green - hides, then comes back - tiptoeing - curiosity and attraction taking over.

.

The dancer on the screen is Echo, waiting for Narcissus' slightest move in order to follow it. Eventually, they dance together; the telepresent figure being an echo or shadow or the picture in the mirror

The two spaces have merged . This is carefully rehearsed; the cues of who follows who regarding the time lag, markers on the wall as focal points for the absent dancer's gaze, stickers on the floor marking the range of the camera and the spot for closeups. The simple plot gives the performers room for incidental progression and improvisation.

 

A special tenderness developed towards the absent dancer - in the rehearsal period and during the show, finding an outlet when the public is invited to come within reach of the camera to applaud and chat. The low frame rate, lagging and delay clearly indicate the material has become marked by its journey through time and space. On the internet, one is usually unaware of distances, but the distorted video images let us again feel the urgency of remoteness.

Neder sit wort; trow tis reden.

 

read more about soft mirror
in the light cast; paper on the usage of new media in theatre, introducing a new character cast through telepresence

links:

The Palindrome Connection

Autism Resources
CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF AUTISM (AUTISM.COM)
Handitel Disability Database

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