Supported by NYU Catalyst Prize and Google AMI.
A-B: Dyadic Interactions
RESEARCH
AB continues our investigation of interaction, this time focusing on body-to-body interactions as opposed to body-space interactions.
What is interaction? The that happens “in between.” A moment, alchemical that convinces us something significant has come to pass between two conscious actors.
Can we take apart the nature of these “moments” through pure movement? Strip choreography down to single dimensions (e.g. facing, distance, trajectory, timing) and then build them back up one layer at a time? What can we learn from such a process? How naked can we get and still feel the meaning in the moment? We are curious to know, how much meaning is built into the structure of a composition? And once everything has been taken apart, can we put it back together?
Below is an exploration of the first dimension in our deconstruction: Facing.
4x4: Every Permutation
We created 16 micro-duets that consisted solely of turning in place. There are 2 choices of facing. You can either face your partner or face away from your partner. Each duet consisted of 3 moves.
There are 4 ways to begin: Face-to-Face (F2F) Face-to-Back (F2B) Back-to-Face (B2F) Back-to-Back (B2B).
For every starting configuration, there are 4 ways to progress: Non-response. Move with. Delayed response. Move with, then stay.
This yields a 4x4 matrix of 16 ways to progress.
It's overwhelming to see all 16 permutations at the same time. Below you can watch a row or column of progressions one at a time.
Does each progression feel different? You don't need to verbalize the difference, simply note any shifts in feeling.