Review-Hyperchoreography-CCDC

Are you a dance fanatic?  Do you have a secret theater kid inside you?  Do you yearn to toss off the corporate garb, open a studio, and spread the gospel of movement?  If so, then Hyperchoreography might be the show for you.

 

A free to visit interactive technology cum dance exhibit showing at the Fringe club's Anita Chiang gallery, Hyperchoreography combines cutting edge technology with dance.  Ok, it's XBOX 360 Kinnect sensors which have been on the market for almost 4 years, which means they're actually 60 years old in technology-years.  Maybe the technology is not so cutting edge, but what they do with it is pretty unique.

 

Here's the game: Sensors have been connected with a video screen of a dancer in a studio.  Each dancer is waiting for your instructions on what movements to execute.  You instruct them by moving your body, which then gets them to start dancing.

 

The dancers and movements are very professional.  The video that was shot is clean, though at times takes on close ups, a-la the Jason Bourne action sequences, which makes for a difficult viewing experience.  You can move between panels & execute moves to the different dancers, thus creating your own choreographed movement.

 

The execution of the installation is where it starts to lose my interest. At the gallery, the explanation and materials provided for visitors is extremely limited. It explains the idea of the concept, but does not provide an explanation of the movement signals.  This might leave some people feeling more free to dance together with the exhibit, free to explore what signals they can send through their own brand of interpretive dance. Other audience members might be confused as to what to do...

 

What I discovered is that the videos seemed to repeat the same dance movements on screen, regardless of my movements.  Move an arm a little, see a video.  Move the other arm in a different way, see the same video.  Move my leg, see a mixture of a new introduction and the same video as before.  I wanted to push the boundaries of the technology dance combinations, but I felt it came up short.

 

I think this exhibit could also be improved with scheduled performance demonstrations or a better explanation of how to intereact with the screens. The technology and the possibilities for this exhibit are very interesting. I'm intrigued by the use of technology, modern dance and audience interaction but for me, Hyperchoreography's attempt at audience interactive video art is better in concept than execution. This exhibit can be fully enjoyed in 10 minutes or so. I think having a staff member on site to help the audience better understand how to interact with the equipment would help the viewer enjoy the experience on a higher level and I think having stronger written materials on modern dance and the moves on screen could make the educational experience for Hyperchoreography stronger. 

 

If you have kids who like to move, I think they will enjoy something like this.  If you want to toss on your studio gear and get a nice workout in front of the five dancer screens, it will be enjoyable.  As an audience member, you have to want to be a part of the exhibit: because if you're going to execute the screens to your own delight, the passers by on Lower Albert Road will also be watching you. Be prepared to become part of the show.

 

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dance, review, hong kong

Rate This Show: 1 2 3 4 5 Audience Rating: 4.0