Dance | Data | Storytelling

Abstract

The starting point for this chapter is a critical review of existing notions of what constitutes contemporary dance in the 21st century, and subsequently what aspects of artistic creation and production might fall under which type of “dance data” categories. Drawing on three case studies carried out in the framework of the BlackBox Arts & Cognition Project, I discuss how the choreographer’s artistic ideas and compositional strategies provide a rich source for collaborative development of a custom-tailored research design to inquire the work of each artist. The case studies have been designed and carried out in collaboration with João Fiadeiro and Atelier Re.al, João Penalva, and Rui Lopes Graça with the National Ballet Company of Portugal, and with Sylvia Rijmer. While the BlackBox research methods were consolidated early on and continuously refined during the course of the project, the media productions for each case study ventured into uncharted territory regarding artistic and scientific information visualisation of dance data. The second section of this chapter discusses the key strategies in (interactive) data storytelling. Central to this discussion is the notion of embodied filmmaking, which best describes the continued effort to create media objects and experiences that invite the user to immerse in several sensorial planes in the creative process of the selected choreographers. As the work presented here is situated in a recently emerging field, I conclude with a brief reflection on the potential revealed through these media objects for future research from an art and science perspective.