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.
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 themself improvising a total of 27 times. All projections are unanimated renderings of that motion capture data, which they analyzed until they were able to calculate 4 trends consistent throughout their improvisations. The graphs depicting these trends are also projected. Everything you see is Allison’s actual movement, with their live structured improvisation emphasizing the tension generated from a hyperawareness of their movement biases.
  • 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
  • With Appreciation for Technical Advice: LaJuné McMillian
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.

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Allison (Allie) Costa is a transmedia artist, dancer, and computer scientist who enjoys working collaboratively and across forms to create unique pieces in the liminal space where creative conception, narrative heart, and multi-disciplinary art meet. They are very grateful to collaborate with their colleagues at the Barnard College Movement Lab and are always interested in exploring new pathways of play and experimentation. View Upcoming Events ︎︎︎