White Light is a series of new dance works by Canadian Choreographer Bill James. Working with James and dancers Robert Kingsbury, and Brian Solomon I developed interactive graphics and drawing systems that respond to and are controlled by dancers movements. We work-shopped a collection of ideas during the summer 2010 and presented five new works at ArtSpace in Peterborough at the end of the process.
For each piece I explored a different method of using hacked and modified Wii controllers and custom interfaces to sense the dancers bodies. Simultaneously I developed graphical strategies that would reflect the intensity of the works. The final system involved 5 projectors, 6 wii controllers and a small network of laptops. Rob and Brian were exceptionally patient as I taped, glued and pinned sensors to them in various combinations searching for the best way to hook the power of their gestures.
The result is a collection of powerful works that were re-presented in the show Chasing Darkness, at the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in Peterborough.
black lines become red when dancers enter each other's personal space
Small sources of IR light -- invisible to the naked eye, but easily detected by Wii-Motes, enable direct tracking of each dancer. As Brain and Rob move lines appear as fading traces of their trajectories.
Brian and then Rob emerge from their translucent shell.
Wireless Wii-nunchucks on Brian's arms and legs provide him fine control over the complexity and scale of the spiral.