Project summary

The project has emerged from a collaboration opportunity with the Bath Spa University Dance Department. The main theme of the work comes from the dancer's leader Chris Lewis-Smith and his interest in the idea that things are no longer under our control, that we are living on the edge of something going wrong, playing with fire.

The title of the piece, Marini's Horse, is inspired by the work of sculptor Marino Marini, an italian artist who during the second world war bombing in Japan, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, became shocked that humankind has evolved and is working with powers it can't control or understand anymore. Marini's theme is the horse and rider. As he went through his sculpting life, horses became more wild and crazy, powerful, out of control, and rider smaller, in jeopardy.

The idea behind the work was to create an environment in which dancers are in control of audio - video, in a way that their movement keeps the lid on it becoming very loud, uncomfortable for the audience. The same thing happens in nuclear power stations, where uranium rods are lowered and raised to generate energy while keeping them cool.

Marini's Horse - Interactive dance performance from Andrei Branea on Vimeo.

Dancers: Naomi Hunter, Leanne Oddy, Rachel Lewis, Annie Pettitt

Choreography: The Dancers & Chris Lewis-Smith

Music Composition, Interactivity & motion sensing: Andrei Branea

Light and Technical Production: Chris Lawrence and Ben Ratchford

Projection Video & Direction: Chris Lewis-Smith

Performance Video: Mike Johnston

Video Editing: Andrei Branea

More details about the implementation here. Sound engine, motion sensing and video.