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Troika Ranch Manifesto: Profile as Vision

Posted by Marlon Barrios Solano on March 13, 2008 at 3:17am
This is a crucial text for "the field"(from Troika Ranch's profile): Troika Ranch is the collaborative vision of artists Mark Coniglio and Dawn Stoppiello. Established in 1994, and based in New York City, Troika Ranch produces live performances, interactive installations, and digital films, all of which combine traditional aspects of these forms with advanced technologies. The artists’ mission in producing this wide range of art experiences is to create artwork that best reflects and engages contemporary society. The name Troika Ranch refers to Coniglio and Stoppiello’s creative methodology, which involves a hybrid of three artistic disciplines, dance/theater/media (the Troika), in cooperative interaction (the Ranch). This method preceded the organization Troika Ranch, which was formed as a means to support the artists’ engagement in this process. During the 1990’s, Coniglio, Stoppiello and their company Troika Ranch were among the pioneers in the field that came to be known as Dance and Technology. They performed in festivals and venues internationally and were greatly sought after as guest artists, teachers, and lecturers. In response to the desire in the international arts community to understand this emerging genre, Coniglio and Stoppiello began developing educational programs. Among their public outreach activities are workshops, lectures, online and traditional publications, websites, software and hardware. Having conceptualized and invented much of the technology, equipment, and techniques currently in use, their expertise is unprecedented. The educational programs Troika Ranch provides have become a significant part of their contribution to the arts. As the use of technology in the arts has developed and integrated over the last decade, the need for the separate moniker Dance and Technology has dissolved. Troika Ranch’s present concerns correspondingly reflect this broader scope, expanding across genres and pioneering new frontiers. As innovators and visionaries, Coniglio and Stoppiello produce art that values live interaction – between viewer and viewed, performer and image, movement and sound, people and technology. It is time-based but typically includes an element of spontaneity, in that the events and images that unfold lie within a certain range but are not exactly replicable. As authors, they establish images, direct performances, determine time frames, and devise technologies. The works may be presented as performances, installations, or in portable formats. In sum, Troika Ranch engages in creative endeavors using all that contemporary invention has to offer. The company has received major funding from the Jerome Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Arts Council England as well as from the Brooklyn Arts Council, Meet the Composer and Art/NY’s Nancy Quinn Fund. The company tours nationally and internationally with recent performances at the Laban Centre London (UK), the Forum Neues Musictheater (Germany), ISEA/ZeroOne Festival (CA) and 3LD Art & Technology Center (NYC). Where are you based? Brooklyn, New York / Berlin, Germany Area of interest on performance and new media All. How did you learn about dance-tech.net? Marlon Barrios Solano Enviornments and applications that you use the most for your projects Isadora, Eyesweb, mocap, Final Cut ( or any other video editing), camera work, Second Life, Protools (other sound editing software), robotic devices How do you train yourself or your performers. How do you approach your embodied practices? what kind of technique do you use? Interaction is the word that singularly defines the driving force of our artistic practice. Whether it is between audience and performer, performer and image, movement and sound, or human and machine, interaction as an idea fundamentally shapes our work from its inspiration to its presentation. Interaction first comes into play as we collaboratively develop materials for a work with our fellow artists and performers. Recognizing that each human being possesses a vast and unique set of life experiences, we encourage all involved in the creative process to take on a role of authorship. We push our collaborators to locate the intersection of their personal background with the overarching theme of a work, and encourage them to use this connection to deeply inform the manner and method of creating and realizing materials. The second instance of interaction extends this collaborative authorship into the moment of presentation. Our groundbreaking software and hardware senses movement and vocalizations and creates a way for performer’s to directly influence the final presentation of visual and sonic digital materials. In our work the performer on stage or the viewer in an installation becomes the final arbiter of the material’s timing, dynamics and organization, and thus are key collaborators in the penultimate creative moment of composition. The final moment of interaction occurs upon the work’s presentation to an audience. We intend to present a dense and highly physical theater of ideas that echoes the multiplicity and maximum sensory capacity of our time and culture. Visual imagery, dance, music and text implode into a flux point from which we leverage specific properties from each discipline to powerfully communicate on multiple levels. This density often leads to our works being described as experimental; they are, in fact, grounded in traditional theatrical values. This is because our work is content-driven: the materials in a work are present to serve the narrative arc. The relationships – between man and machine, man and woman, action and image – exist to drive expression and present –and translate– the essence of the human condition. In the end, our aim is to examine an ongoing human effort: the desire to integrate the most basic expressions of the soul with the most complex creations of the mind.
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Bjork's Wanderlust Screening @ Deitch

Posted by Jaki Levy on March 12, 2008 at 11:03pm
UPDATE : For those who cannot make it Thursday, there is also screening on Friday at the 3D society.This March 13th, Wanderlust, shot by Encyclopedia Pictura, will be screened in 3D! The video was choreographed by Chris Elam from Misnomer Dance and features two dancers from Misnomer: Coco Karol and Brynne Billingsley.Bjork deitchWe're excited to officially announce the release date for Bjork's music video Wanderlust. The choreographic and artistic process on this project was very rewarding, and we're excited to be sharing this work with you. Once the video is released, check our flickr page for a behind the scenes look.Arrive a little early as the admission is free and will be first come , first serve.Nearest metro stops are Court Square. Take a look at the Map below for reference :View Larger Map
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SightSonic Artists Platform (UK) – Sunday 16 March 13:30 – 17:00

Posted by Sicchio on March 12, 2008 at 7:47pm
SightSonic Artists Platform – Sunday 16 March 13:30 – 17:00SightSonic – York International Festival of Digital Arts in partnership with York St John University presents the Artists Platform on Sunday 16 March.Held in locations across the York St Johns campus, the Platform is a showcase of innovative new works by emerging artists from across the UK, and features video installations, interactive dance performances, audio installations and visual artworks, plus a live performance of Simon Whetham’s Amazonas at 16:00.Artists featured this year are:Stuart AndrewsJoe CuttingAdrian FirthMarkus JonesJenny KadisMike MarcusDaniel RodrigoDawn ScarfeKate SicchioAmie SlavinSimon WhethamAnnetta WormaldArtist biographies and statements about the pieces they’ll be showing are at www.sightsonic.org/aplat.htmlThe Artists Platform Presents tour offers the opportunity to have a guided tour around the Platform and talk to the artists about the technology used in the creation of their work. The tour will commence at 14:00 at the C4C Chapel near the Lord Mayor’s Walk entrance to York St John campus and is free of charge.
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These Things Happen

Posted by Susan Elena on March 12, 2008 at 12:44pm
These Things Happen when three dancers and one dancer/film maker follow instructions given by choreographer, Angus Balbernie at a Dance House research lab. Spontaneous, textured and very low-tech.Following another failed attempt to hire any equipment I ended up using my own Mini DV and mobile to film improvisations at Angus' research lab. Angus had agreed to let me use the footage anyway I decided but I wasn't sure how to put it all together with it being on different formats and still make it look like one cohesive piece. After a lightbulb moment last weekend I decided to embrace the low-tech aspect and only use the footage from my mobile. The only editing I chose to use was to rotate some of the sections which had been captured in portrait to give the feeling of the camera rotating but the dancers remain standing.I'm quite pleased with the results and am now thinking of ways this can be combined with my final project.
Find more videos like this on dance-tech.net
These Things Happen will be screened at the launch of re:surface tonight, the Dance House's video dance event.
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Lights, Camera, Action!

Posted by Susan Elena on March 12, 2008 at 12:40pm
After a successful day in The Arches playing with torches and taking photographs I knew it could turn into something really exciting but didn't really know what. I had thought After Effects would be the answer but after missing the workshop due to the Scottish Dance Theatre work I was back to square one.Enter Isadora.Perfect for working with torches. I can have dancers moving with lights in the space and create the trails of light which I have been obsessed with for a while now at the same time. I can turn these trails of light into different things according to different triggers and I'm really excited about the whole thing.It's going to be ace!
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Productive: An Interactive Audio Workshop, Sun April 6

Posted by Martha Williams on March 12, 2008 at 1:06am
Led by sound designer Norm Scott www.normscott.com and director/choreographer Martha Williams www.themovementmovement.orgFor curious artists, dancers/choreographers, video-ists; students of all of these who want to interface their medium with sound and wonder how to do that or where to begin; or for folks who simply want to learn more about sound making process.In this interactive workshop, participants will have an opportunity to actually be a part of the recording and compositional process. They will go "out into the streets" to record that will later be contributed to a short score. Prior to the field trip portion of the class, we will discuss the formulas and limits for sound collection and the meaning and relevance of intention and limits in the creative process. We will especially look at how we can infuse the theme, which is “productivity," every step of the way. Upon collection of sound, we will return to engage in the interactive compositional portion of the day concluding with a real live useable score that will (in some form) be a part of The Movement Movement's full length evening contemporary dance piece premiering at the Joyce SoHo in June 2008.Sun April 6th, 10 AM to 4 PM - $50 (12 person limit)Harvest Works596 Broadway, Suite 602 (btwn Houston and Prince)New York, NYTo register visit www.harvestworks.org – go to classes/audioFor more information on content contact Martha Williams info@themovementmovement.org
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MARCH 13 – APRIL 19 OPENING: THURSDAY MARCH 13, 6 – 8PM What does it mean to think GREEN? Eyebeam’s Feedback exhibition surveys artists, designers, architects and engineers on the topic of sustaina

Posted by Eyebeam on March 11, 2008 at 4:54pm

FEEDBACK

MARCH 13 – APRIL 19
OPENING: THURSDAY MARCH 13, 6 – 8PM

What does it mean to think GREEN? Eyebeam’s Feedback exhibition surveys artists, designers, architects and engineers on the topic of sustainability.

FEEDBACK EVENTS + WORKSHOPS AT EYEBEAM:

MARCH 15: TIME’S UP! BICYCLE CLOWN BRIGADE AFTER-PARTY
A TOAST TO CELEBRATE THE BIKE LANE LIBERATION RIDE

MARCH 29, 3–6PM: SUSTAINABILITY + ARCHITECTURE
LIVING ARCHITECTURE REVIEW W/COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

APRIL 5, 3–6PM: ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCES + USE/REUSE
WORKSHOPS BY ARTISTS PARTICIPATING IN FEEDBACK

APRIL 19, 3–6PM: SUSTAINABILITY ACTION DAY
TOXIC TOURS + URBAN GARDENING
WORKSHOPS BY ARTISTS PARTICIPATING IN FEEDBACK

FOR MORE INFO + REGISTRATION EMAIL bookstore@eyebeam.org
OR VISIT www.eyebeam.org FOR DETAILS

EYEBEAM
ART + TECHNOLOGY CENTER
Tuesday – Saturday, 12 – 6PM
540 W. 21st Street, New York, NY 10011
212.937.6580
info@eyebeam.org | www.eyebeam.org

Deep Green Living
NYSCA		ConEdison
Good
NYCulture		Beyond Light Bulbs
National Endowment for the Arts
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Jerwood Moving Image Award UK: Winners announced!

Posted by InterventTech: >> (claire_w) on March 9, 2008 at 8:02pm
Find out the winners of the first ever Jerwood Moving Image Award! Established this year to support and promote the myriad of disciplines that fall under the umbrella term ‘digital moving image’, these awards provide a platform for debating the present state and future prospects of the artform in the UK.Find out more at InterventTech: >> News and Threads-claire_w-
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ID... Sunday at Three, 92nd St Y!

Posted by Ashley A. Friend on March 7, 2008 at 4:08pm
Hello fellow dance-techians...This is an announcement for my latest piece. The piece is a work in progress and the most tech that I have applied are my mean skills of sound editing the Beach Boys... and silence... mixed with a little Aphex Twin... just a sketch. The other view of technology that I hold involves the mechanics of the body and the creation of a movement structure or system that I call the scary body, more below. If you are here in NY please try to attend, thanks a lot.Ashley A. Friend: The Contemporary Dance Core (TCDC) will be performing the latest evening-length version of the newest piece entitled ID at the historic and celebrated 92nd St Y on Sunday, March 9th at 3pm.This is such an exciting opportunity to show the new work. Each month the 92nd St Y features one choreographer or dance company. The environment of the 92nd St Y Sunday Afternoon Series is calm and offers a chance for audience response, plus coffee!Description of ID:ID is inspired by the relationship between decision-making and self-identification. It investigates health, impact, destruction and construction, and the connections concerning the body and brain. The piece is an exploration of the awkward body and includes a movement vocabulary Friend has titled the scary body; this dance expression was informed by the physical response to ergonomic architectural prosthetic impediments that were placed on the dancers bodies and challenged the way the original movement phrases were executed. These impediments augmented and distorted the already inventive movement and also create another layer of personality and personal intention as related to health and living with epilepsy. Friend has used vocabulary from this method within ID.Friend has also explores the new concept of Negotiation, Opposition, and Decision (NOD) as she responds to questions within her choreography and movement improvisation with the definitive “Yes” or “No”. She negotiates what the next movement could be through opposition and then makes a decision on the spot. NOD splinters decision-making and the dancer must consider each movement and hold a political forum within the body; Negotiating and Opposing prior to making the irrevocable Decision to move. With NOD as the second basis and her icon of the scary body as the foundation for movement vocabulary construction Friend has plunged head first to confront her own id.Because of the nature of a solo ID is particularly personal and especially refined with accuracy, precision, and depth to the subject. ID is a voyage of personal identification by means of decision-making both verbal and physical, through dance and storytelling. The piece is riddled with laughter, compulsion, and catharsis.Thank you so much for your interest in dance, choreography, and art! If you are in the New York area please come to this event. Your presence, individuality, and bequeathed artistic interpretive views will be worshiped by me. Contact the 92nd St Y or myself if you have any questions about the performance or just want to start a ciber-logue.*Please note that March 9 is daylight savings (spring forward)All the Best,Ashley A. FriendArtistic Director,The Contemporary Dance Corewebsite for The Contemporary Dance Core (TCDC)http://www.dancecore.org/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYU7wwANYhA...92nd St Y1395 Lexington at 92nd StNew York, NY 10128www.92Y.org/harkness212.415.555292nd St Y Harkness Dance Center receives major support from the Harknesss Foundation for Dance and The Arnhold Foundation.
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Vive la Difference: Interview with Robert Wechsler (Nürnberg /New York)

Posted by Marlon Barrios Solano on March 3, 2008 at 10:00am

Find more videos like this on dance-tech.net
dance-tech.net interviewed via Skype dance and technology pioneer Robert Wechsler, director of Palindrome. He is a choreographer, dancer and developer of interactive ways of performing using new technology. His interest in sensors and electronic devices dates back to the 1970's when he used hand-held electronic devices to generate sounds through his movement on stage. This was in Ames, Iowa, in the United States where he was studying genetics. A move to New York City and a ten-year dance training (SUNY Purchase, Merce Cunningham, Maggie Black, ...) did little to lessen his interest in science and technology. For his choreography and dancing he has been honored with a Fulbright Fellowship, a Nürnberg Innovation Award (2000), CynetArt (first prize for multi-media achievement, 2001), first prize for best interactive art at the Berlin Transmediale (2002) and was second place for the Jury Prize of the Monaco Dance Forum in 2006. In 2004, Wechsler designed England's first masters degree program in digital performance at Doncaster College which he head for two years. He is the author of articles concerned with dance and new media for Leonardo Magazine, IEEE Technology and Society Magazine, Ballet International, Dance Magazine, Dance Research Journal, Nouvelle de Danse, Der Tanz der Dinge and others. His first book, "Motion Tracking -- a practical guide for performing artists" is scheduled for publication later this year. Video Editing courtesy of Ashley A. Friend
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The Golden Viral: Leslie and Ly's

Posted by marc on March 2, 2008 at 5:30am

On the day of love, I stood on an old dirty couch and watched a Midwest diva rap about the powers of her shoulder pads and sweater appliqué. The low-budget big-impact show was all flash with projections, heavy electro beats complete with backup singers. It was the Leslie and Lys show at the Mercury Lounge in New York City, and it was sold-out: people dancing, laughing, singing along to her not-so-underground hits, and getting the chance to touch her red rouge cheeks. CDs, t-shirts and other crap were being sold near the front door. How did this happen? In a city of million dollar rat holes, how does an underground phenomenon emerge? Simple: she unleashed her shtick via the internet, exploiting her talent for visual art, music making, dance and performance. Well, the dancing is not going to make her a star, but her moves are fierce and funny.Her entrance that night:In front of skewed videos of chubby aerobic classes, dog grooming, and other weird 80s cultural ephemera, I felt like I was watching a genius. There were low tech effects, like a giant black sock to disguise her dramatic entrance, and the music was courtesy of her laptop, which sat right to the side of the stage. It was technological full disclosure, low and hi-tech. And she shakes and strokes her full-figure beauty/booty in a tight gold-lame confection…a space suit for her alien glamour. Again: nothing to hide. Nobody laughs at her, they dance with her. There were fans with gem-sweaters, called up on stage to get letters of gem-sweater authenticity and then dance: performance pop art without the pomp.It’s Americana from hell. But so lovely are Leslie’s talents that what could be simple kitsch becomes a sophisticated commentary on body-image, whiteness, celebrity and DIY technologies and culture: she didn’t name her CD ceWEBrity for nothing. And, it’s a shit load of fun.See this article about her formative gemness: http://www.boston.com/yourlife/fashion/articles/2005/05/24/bedazzled/ http://www.lesliehall.com/#
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