Dancing With My Data: Dancing With My Self

uncovering my movement biases with motion capture

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dancer & choreographer, collaborative creative technologist

Dancing with My Data: Dancing with My Self, choreographed by Allison Costa and performed at Barnard College’s Senior Creative Thesis Dance Concert, March 2019. Photo by Jo Chiang. Dancing with My Data: Dancing with My Self, choreographed by Allison Costa and performed at Barnard College’s Senior Creative Thesis Dance Concert, March 2019. Photo by Jo Chiang. Dancing with My Data: Dancing with My Self, choreographed by Allison Costa and performed at Barnard College’s Senior Creative Thesis Dance Concert, March 2019. Photo by Jo Chiang. Dancing with My Data: Dancing with My Self, choreographed by Allison Costa and performed at Barnard College’s Senior Creative Thesis Dance Concert, March 2019. Photo by Jo Chiang. Dancing with My Data: Dancing with My Self, choreographed by Allison Costa and performed at Barnard College’s Senior Creative Thesis Dance Concert, March 2019. Photo by Jo Chiang. Bow with footage from in studio of motion capture avatar and suit from Dancing with My Data: Dancing with My Self, choreographed by Allison Costa and performed at Barnard College’s Senior Creative Thesis Dance Concert, March 2019. Photo by Jo Chiang.
Dancing with My Data: Dancing with My Self, choreographed by Allison Costa and performed at Barnard College’s Senior Creative Thesis Dance Concert, March 2019. Photos by Jo Chiang.

Exploring cyclical feedback between creativity and computation, Allison used the Perception Neuron and Kinect motion capture devices to record herself improvising a total of 27 times. All projections are unanimated renderings of that motion capture data, which she analyzed with code she created to help identify trends consistent throughout her improvisations, of which she found 4. The graphs depicting these trends are also projected. Everything you see is Allison’s actual movement, with her live structured improvisation emphasizing the tension generated from a hyperawareness of her movement biases.

This work was created, developed, and executed under the auspices of a Student Artist Residency at the Barnard College Movement Lab and made possible through the production and technical support of the Movement Lab Team.
  • Choreographer: Allison Costa
  • Music/Musician: “Beasts of the Southern Wild Redux” original music by Dan Romer and Benh Zeitlin remixed by Allison Costa
  • Performed by: Allison Costa
  • Lighting Design by: Tricia Toliver
  • Projection Design by: Guy de Lancey and Allison Costa
  • Creative Advisors: Guy de Lancey, Gabri Christa and Caroline Fermin
  • Computer Code by: Allison Costa
  • With Appreciation for Technical Advice: LaJuné McMillian

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Allison Costa is a dancer, creative technologist, and multi-media artist based in New York City. Her transdisciplinary practice is process-focused and collaborative and she is always interested in exploring new pathways and partnerships for creative experimentation.


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