BENGALURU: Have you ever seen a construction crane dancing? Laura Kriefman, a choreographer from Bristol, UK, directs sequences in which the cranes sway and jig to music against expansive harbours.
Inspired by the way the infrastructure of our cities is already “dancing” for us everyday and amused that we just don’t often notice this, the creative technologist decided to harness her love for cranes and awe for their mechanics and “splendid movement across our city skylines”. She says, “I wanted to create a piece that celebrated this skill and craftsmanship, and placed the cranes at the centre.” Thus came about a mass crane dance.
The cranes are operated by their own highly experienced crane drivers. She adds, “When a crane is being moved, they receive commands via the radio from their banksman, telling them which way they need to turn and when to lift. I simply choreograph the show, and then use the language and systems they’re used to.”
Everything Dances
She starts by looking at the instinctive movement qualities something has – whether it’s a crane or a boat, or a dancer wearing sensors and creating live sound. She says, “I look at the images and the ideas they spark. I then use all my normal choreographic tools: how do I best make use of this space? What rhythms and story do I want to show? Is there an audience, or are they participants? How can I surprise them and me? I keep asking questions, and physically start trying out ideas, I draw a lot of things out on paper, but we build lots of visual tools from animations of cranes, to ways of saving and referencing ideas, when we’re building new tech.”
The 33-year-old believes in creating new dance forms that uses evolving technology. The crane dance is one of her “augmented dances”.
She says, “Augmented dance is a fusion of movement and technology. It’s about using the amazing tools and technologies around us to explore movement in completely new way; become super human, see movement in new things and places, and create new dance forms for the 21st Century.” Laura says that augmented dance is not the same as 3D mapping. “This is about using everything from 3D imaging systems and wearable sensors to creating new tech that allows dance and the human body to be in constant dialogue with self-composing visuals or sounds.”
Why We don’t Dance
She says technology has changed one’s relationship with one’s body. “We don’t have lots of repetitive actions to do everyday that give us a sense of rhythm and ease in our physical presence. Therefore, dance is becoming something that only the elite do. We ourselves are even scared to get on a dance floor at a wedding. If tech is part of that change of relationship with our bodies, can we use it to shape the future of dance too?” she asks.
The secret of augmented dance is one needs to find comfort in chaos, as she says, “the most extraordinary creativity comes out of collaborations and the unknown... this can be chaotic”. Laura started a dance company Geurilla Dance Project in Bristol eight years ago. She is currently working on a new solo show Kicking the Mic, which she’s been developing here in India as well.
She’s working with musicians and dancers in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Lucknow, Calcutta and Hyderabad such as the beatboxers Vineeth Vincent and Julius Mitchell and singer Smriti Minocha.