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Of course, the technological elements are only one part of the equation. Making use of these tools in an artful and effective way presents its own nontrivial challenges. When one links movement to media, one is creating something very similar to a traditional musical instrument. The MidiDancer allows the gesture of a performer to be amplified and translated into another medium, as does an instrument like the violin. The analogy breaks down when one considers that we look to the dancer’s body for meaning, a burden we do not typically place on a violinist’s fingers. The challenge of finding ways to successfully use movement to control media without limiting the choices of the choreographer is always something that must be carefully taken into account. Another major difference can be seen when one realizes that the functionality of a traditional musical instrument is basically fixed, whereas the way in which the MidiDancer translates movement into control over media can change from moment to moment. While exploiting the wide variety of possible control scenarios can be exciting for the creator, it may lead to the creation of an instrument that the audience cannot perceive as being "played." For some this is not an issue, but since the point of using this interactive technology is to give the performer control in the moment, it seems reasonable to want the audience to be able to perceive such liveness. |
