This intimate conversation was hosted by Mitch Miyagawa, who was joined by four of the brightest dance creators, supporters, and presenters from around the Salish Sea:

• Olivia C. Davies, Artistic Director of O.Dela Arts
• Jane Gabriels, Executive Director of Made in BC – Dance on Tour
• Julie-anne Saroyan, Creative Producer of Small Stage
• Holly Bright, Artistic Director of Crimson Coast Dance Society

Brought to you by Odessa Kelebay and Digital Story Producer Jamie Black

What is Virtual Reality? How is it different from Augmented Reality? What about Mixed Reality? How does alternative reality relate to dance?

Theatres are closed and audiences everywhere are spending more time online. The juncture of performance and technology has become increasingly of interest to artists. Digital encounters are often more accessible to audiences around the world and offer limitless opportunities for creativity and experimentation. Innovations in the dance sector that integrate Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Mixed Reality are popping up everywhere. The Crimson Coast Dance team has put together a little list of resources that showcase some of these works, so that you can explore dance in alternative realities—at home! This list is by no means exhaustive, and we hope that you can use it as a launching pad for your own explorations.

First things first. Here are some simple, straight-forward definitions, according to Forbes:

• Virtual reality (VR) immerses users in a fully artificial digital environment.
• Augmented reality (AR) overlays virtual objects on the real-world environment.
• Mixed reality (MR) not just overlays but anchors virtual objects to the real world.

Still confused?

Here is a helpful article from Intel that breaks down these terms even further.

Now, to our references:

Celestial Motion is a virtual reality experience created by The Guardian’s VR team in association with Sadler’s Wells. It is directed by Shehani Fernando, produced by Anetta Jones and choreographed by Alexander Whitley. Learn more about the project.

How to experience:

• You’ll need a Google Cardboard or Daydream headset to experience Celestial Motion
• Download The Guardian VR app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store
• Open The Guardian VR app, and download Celestial Motion
• Insert your device (phone) into the front of the headset when prompted
• Marvel!

Fleuve Espace Danse uses augmented reality to reach audiences who cannot attend the company’s in situ shows, which often take place outdoors in remote locations. At the heart of Fleuve Espace Danse’s artistic practice is a connection to site and ecology—specifically Quebec’s natural landscapes. When looked at through the app, the target images evolve to display gestures and snippets of a dance score from an in situ performance. This augmented reality offers innovations in audience reach, plus, you can take it home with you! Learn more about the project.

How to experience:

• Access the AR target images from the InFrinGinG website or by contacting the Crimson Coast Dance team (you can print them, or just point your camera at the screen)
• Download the Fleuve Espace Danse application from Google Play
• Open the Augmented Reality tab
• Enlarge image if necessary
• Point phone camera to image
• Marvel! (Target Image below)

Small Stage first created an augmented reality mobile app in 2018. Their goal was “to reduce barriers and make live and digital dance more accessible to a wider audience by integrating technology and equipping artists with digital skills”.  They have designed augmented reality experiences from six target images of snowflakes, where digital music box dancers come to life! Learn more about the project.

How to experience:

• Get the AR target images (below) or on the Small Stage website.
  You can print them, or just point your camera at the screen
• Down the Small Stage application from the Apple App Store on iOS
• Follow the directions on the Small Stage application, point the camera at the target images and watch the dancers come to life!

Dance Reality is a project spearheaded by two salsa dancers in Seattle, who also happen to be app developers. The app uses augmented reality to teach the user how to dance traditional partner dances, (like salsa, swing and waltz) by placing footsteps on the floor in front of you, making it easy to follow along. Learn more about the project.

How to experience:

• Download the Dance Reality application on Google Play or the Apple App Store
• Follow the instructions in the app to begin your first dance lesson!

Transformative Encounters seeks to “investigate new experiences for music and dance performance, enabled by techniques to mix and augment realities”. This project is the brainchild of composer Zack Settel, choreographer Peter Trosztmer, creative technologist Osman Zeki and dramaturge/choreographer Sarah Manya. They have created a series of videos that capture their research, where viewers can witness alternative realities overlaid onto the real world.

How to experience:

Head to Transformative Encounters’ website.