“Mine: A story on liberation through movement and dance” shapes up as a 3- chapter mixed-media film project exploring the female body-autonomy and liberation through dance in the Age of Performance. My final MA project builds closely upon the stories of how women from different communities reconnected with their bodies through dance and free movement. By exploring the intersection between the storytelling potential behind these untold experiences and new emerging technologies such as body-scanners (RapidForm), augmented movement (Motion Capture) and Visual Programming Environment Softwares (Touch Designer and Unreal Engine), my intention as a storyteller is to create a digital informative space serving as a letter of freedom for women all over the world.
RESEARCH QUESTION 1
How can “the self” and body-autonomy be preserved within the performative space?
RESEARCH QUESTION 2
How can a safe-space for the free-expression of the dancer be implemented in the contemporary digital space?
RESEARCH QUESTION 3
How can I raise awareness surrounding Body-Dysmorphic Disorder amongst female dancers and the implications of emotional regulation through dance and movement?
“This new-media digital project serves as an informative, yet intimate letter addressed by some of the women who experienced mental or physical pressure to perform, but who eventually managed to set themselves free through autonomous movement.”
“In many live performances, audiences are separated from performers; seating in the dark observing the performance. There are a few, if any, opportunities for direct eye contact or verbal exchanges between performers and the audience.”
Lida Theodorou
The glass cube has been inspired by the classic dance studio and represents a threshold space for liberation and female storytelling. A big part of the action takes place inside the cube, while the camera slowly rotates around the performer. This short digital film is trying to deconstruct the relationship between the spectator and the watched subject and questions the power imbalance within the performative public spaces.
All scenes have been created and rendered in Unreal Engine(right screen) and Touch Designer(left screen).
The female human body was scanned in Rapidform, the motion was recorded in the MoCap lab and ultimately, all body components were rigged and meshed in Cinema 4D.
“MINE”
THE BOOK
PROCESS FILM
The process film presents some of the most important highlights from the behind-the-scenes moments including interviews with female performers, 3D body scanning, environment modelling, how the mixed-media film evolved from sketch to digital and much more.
COMMUNITY WORK
YogConnection is a meditation retreat based in Pokhara, Nepal where people all over the world, mostly women (70%) go with the aim of finding themselves through different healing practices including Ecstatic Dance, Chanting (Mantra Dance) or Dinamic Meditation. YogConnection has been started by RagHav who used to be a musician himself, exploring instruments such as the Tibetan singing bowls, Chimes and Handpan.
Ecstatic Dance Bucharest is a dance community based in Bucharest, started by Cynthia Canela in 2015. The ED community was born out of Cynthia’s desire to share what she learned in Nevada City, California in 2014. Her aim is to bring together people who are not only passionate about dance, but who aspire to reach out to a new level of embodiment.
DANCER CONFESSIONS
Raluca Staicu
Participant at Ecstatic Dance Bucharest
“For me, dance is a subconscious therapy. Before I joined Ecstatic Dance, dance and music were mediums of expressing my joy. It was only after I came across Cynthia and her dance classes, that I came in touch with the concept of “dancing my feelings out”, no matter what shape these take.
Community is essential for me. Actually, if you look back in history dance has been spread as a creative form of bringing people together. Part of the freedom I feel when I am dancing comes from seeing other people letting go of inhibitions. I feel inspired to do the same. Through dance I created an easier way of accessing my body. I must confess that outside the dance classes, I am unaware of my body and how many things it does for me on a daily basis.
When I would look in the mirror I would see the less pretty parts of my body, such as: cellulite, stretchmarks or post-partum marks. But whenever I dance at ED, I become conscious of my body and every move that it facilitates, its flexibility and strength. What makes me comfortable within my body when I dance with other people from ED is that we are all aware that we are there to reconnect to our individual bodies. We are not there to impress anyone.”
Mily-Ana Ion
Participant at Ecstatic Dance Bucharest
“Once I started dancing more deeply, I wanted to understand what each body movement does to my body and how it is reflected in my physical, emotional and physical health. For me dance became a way to release energy which does not serve me anymore.
Simultaneously, it took me such a long time to detach from the space I am dancing in. Before, I was dependent on the location, now, the connection to my own body is much more important. I learned that the location of the dance class does not weight so much for me anymore What matters the most for me now is the energy which the music and people around me communicate.
Having travelled in different corners of the world with the aim of discovering different dance styles and cultures including Fusion Belly Dance. I started connecting to parts of my body like never before.
I believe that the lesson I will carry with me after having joined liberating dance events and classes is accepting and being in tune with my body completely.”
OUTERNET LONDON
PROJECT SELECTED TO SHOW 25-28 JULY
“Mine: A Story on Liberation through Movement and Dance” has been one of the projects selected by Outernet London to show in the immersive space between 25 and 28 July. The project trailer was shown in the NOW Building at the private soiree and in the form of a looped mixed-media 4-minute film in Pop 1during the 3-day exhibition.
